The robbery

[The Leather Duke]

The rain is pouring down.

Everything's wet. A human form hides under a tall pine. The water runs down the tree into his neck inside his tunic. He is wet almost all the way through his clothes.

He peers out from behind the treetrunk. A figure closing, a bit further up the path. He presses himself against the tree and closes his eyes. "Focus on the sound", he thinks. He counts footsteps as they close. Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen – right beside him – eighteen, nineteen, twenty – he opens his eyes and sees the back of the walker moving away from him. Short, stocky built... A dwarf. What was he doing in these parts of the wood alone? He should know the paths weren't safe.

Two figures materializes on the path directly ahead of the dwarf. Grey and green robes, bandannas covering their faces. One of them tall and lean, the other a bit shorter, more stocky.

They have drawn their swords and point them towards the dwarf.
"Wha..." The dwarf stops abruptly, looking from one to the other.
"Easy now, little feller.", the taller figure wheezes. "This can be done the easy way, or the hard way. It's all up to you."

The dwarf looks from one to the other, then abruptly turns and starts to run. He sees him quite clearly now, red beard, studded leather, a short sword by his side. Easy prey, as they say in the tavern.

He trips him just as he passes. The dwarf falls face down in the mud, and he jumps on top of him and puts one knee to the back of the sprawling figure.
"Don't try anything foolish now!", he says, pressing the tip of a dagger to the base of the dwarfs neck. The dwarf doesn't move.

Fast, he strips him of his weapons, then his two companions comes up to them.

"Good move!" the stocky one says. "Now search his pockets."
He steps off the back of the dwarf and sheaths his dagger. His weight off his back, the dwarf tries to get up. The skinny one moves like a snake and smacks the back of his head with a wooden club. The dwarf falls back down into the mud.

He searches the sprawling figures pockets. A dagger, pouch with gold, hmm... about three hundred. Not bad. Some waybread a flask of water. And a bundle of something wrapped tightly. He weighs it in his hand. Too light for coin...
He looks at his compatriots. Then a sound from the dwarf, they look down. The dwarf is awake, looking at them.

"Doon take dat! Take der coin. Take me weapons! Please let me keep der pouch!".

Somehow he had managed to turn around. His voice was sounding desperate

"Please! It's fer me sister. She's not well."

A smile shows in the eyes of the taller rouge.

"Healing herbs? For curing illness?" There's a glint in his eyes. "That's worth a good pile of gold I would think."

"NO!" The dwarf wails. "She'll d....."

The stocky one kicks him hard in the head. Then a couple of times more, for good measure. The dwarf doesn't move anymore. A trickle of blood runs from the corner of his mouth into his beard.

"Hey! Was that necessary?"

"Shaddup!" Then the stocky one shrugs. "He talked too much."

"Silence, both of you!"

The skinny one grabs the pouch and cuts it open. A spicy smell spreads rapidly, and there's a low tingling sound and an almost electric feeling encircling the three figures. The skinny one removes his bandanna and smells the herbs. He's quite handsome. A smile grows on his face.

"I think we're made, fellows! These herbs will bring quite a price in the right places."

The other two removes their kerchiefs as well. The stocky one has a full black beard, the third is clean shaven and quite young.

The young one smiles uncertainly while he glances at the dwarf in the mud.
"He paid quite a bit for it, then?" he asks.

"Aye. Quite a bit. And now we'll get that bit! You want a new robe? A new sword maybe? We can afford that now." The stocky one eyes the boy. "And maybe we'll finally get you a piece of tail, son?" He grins.
The boy turns bright red.

"What will happen to his sister?" He says indicating the dwarf.

The skinny one shrugs. "Who cares. He came here knowing the risks. He lost this time. He'll probably get some more coin and buy some more. Come on, let's get back to the inn." He turns and starts walking into the woods. The bearded one follows closely.

The boy looks down at the dwarf, bites his lip, then quickly runs into the woods to catch up with the others.

The dwarf lies on his back, the rain washing his face clean. The eyelids flutter, then his eyes open. He doesn't move, just keeps looking up into the rain. The eyes close. A moan escapes. Then a sob.

The figure starts to shake where it lies, eyes tightly shut, hands clenched into fists.

The rain keeps pouring down.

[Mizbiz]

Very Nice.

[Iarwain]

/me likes.

/me wants more.

[viigas]

nice!! +1

[Cynon]

Mwahaahaahaaaa... as they say. Nice