Springtime In The City.

The City-State Of Vexil. 

Zam the ex mercenary sourly smiles after he drops back down behind the pile of rocks he's taken cover behind. Where a crossbow bolt has just clanged off the front of it. 

A muttered "Shit" comes from the wagon driver, who is lying flat behind one of the front wheels of his wagon. A wagon that's just been struck by another arrow. 

The ex mercenary originally from The City Of Ruins, crawls forward, and glances around the rocks. 

And sees the wagon on the road, with the driver lying next to it. While the hired guard is cowering underneath the wagon. 

Once again Zam sourly smiles as he looks at the guard who was hired to help protect the wagon. 

Then the ex mercenary glances back behind him into the woods that that road cuts through, here in the north of the city-state of Vexil. 

And wonders where his partner is. A partner who he definitely didn't want to be with. In fact pretty much no one in the group wants to be with them. 

Zam would rather be partnered up with sir Percavelle Lé Dic. Who though constantly chatters in his annoyingly loud voice. Most likely to boast about something he's done, or hasn't done. 

The ex mercenary isn't too sure about everything the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic goes on about half the time. They sound a lot like lies to the youngest member of the group. 

And because Zam is the youngest member of the group, and the least experienced. He had no choice in who was partnered up with. 

As he had to go along with what Tamric Drubine the field commander ordered. Which he's pretty sure was an order originally from Lord Farque, who is down in the city of Vexil. 

Zam shakes his head as he looks back into the woods, and once again wonders where his partner has gone off to. 

Most likely to get something to eat, Zam the ex mercenary dryly thinks to himself, who after a slight pause, silently adds, or find something to fuck. 

The ex mercenary originally from The City Of Ruins winces at the thought of that. Then he looks around the side of the pile of rocks he's taking cover behind again, after another crossbow bolt goes flying by overhead. 

Zam looks beyond the wagon, to the trees up the small rise on the other side of the road. It takes him a few moments, but he eventually spots one of the bandits, or robbers, or whoever it is that's trying to take what's in the wagon. 

The ex mercenary knows that they would be trying a hell of a lot harder if they actually knew what was in the back of the wagon. 

They obviously don't, as they're trying to pick off the three of them who have taken cover from their arrows and bolts. 

Zam who until he first met the group a couple of years ago, hadn't used a bow all that much. But since becoming a member of the group, he has been training with the bow, under the tutelage of Helbe the elven thief, Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy, and surprisingly Mira Reinholt the mage, who is quite an accomplished bowman. 

The ex mercenary gets to a knee, notches an arrow to his bow, and leans around the side of the pile of rocks as he draws back on his bow. 

Then he let's the arrow fly, and it strikes the side of a tree trunk on the other side of the road. And though it didn't hit anyone, the crossbowman behind that tree, drops to the ground in fright, dropping his weapon which he was trying to reload. 

Zam takes another arrow from his quiver, as he's pretty certain he's located another of the bandits across in the trees. 

As he does, the ex mercenary hears something behind him in the woods, heading this way. The youngest member of the group immediately knows who it is, as he smells them, before he sees them, then hear them speak. 

"What the fuck you doing down there cunt?" asks Dorc da Orc as he looks down at Zam who is behind a pile of rocks, notching an arrow to his bow. 

Before the ex mercenary can answer the large ork, an arrow hits the ork warleader right in the forehead. 

"Dafuk" growls the big burly ork from the southern polar region of the world, who rubs his forehead where an arrow has just bounced off it. 

Then Dorc da Orc or Dorkindle which is his given name, looks at the wagon, as he mutters "Who fucken shoot me?". 

Then the ork weaponsmith frowns, then says "Why they fucken stop there?" the large ork who is a general in the Armies of Farque continues with "Them cunts fucken slacking". As he looks at the wagon driver and guard who have taken shelter behind, and under the wagon. 

"Dorc we're under attack" says Zam the ex mercenary, and to prove his point, a crossbow bolt hits the ork warleader in the chest. Where it harmlessly bounces off the large black piece of armour Dorkindle wears over his chest, and ample stomach. A piece of armour, that's an actual scale of a dragon. 

The big burly ork who is a member of the wolf tribe of orks grunts, then looks across to the trees. 

"Three of them over in those trees" says the ex mercenary who hails from The City Of Ruins, who then mutters "I think". 

"Four" growls the large ork, who then holds up the five fingers of his right hand. Which causes Zam to roll his eyes, as he couldn't guess how many bandits are really over there in the trees now. Four or five. Though he figures one of those is correct. 

An arrow narrowly misses the ork weaponsmith's face, and he loudly mutters "What them fuckers shooting at Dorc for?". 

Because you're the biggest target, and you're out in the fucking open! Zam thinks to himself, who then winces when Dorc's head rocks back after he's hit in the forehead by a crossbow bolt. 

The warleader of the ork race growls, then says "Right!" followed by a shouted "You cunts are dead!". 

The big burly ork from the southern polar region of the world, then growls "Get some" and steps around Zam and the pile of rocks he's taken cover behind. 

The ork general in the Armies of Farque moves off, going by the wagon on the road, and up the rise on the other side. 

All the while arrows and bolts narrowly miss the large ork, or hit the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks. 

As he heads up into the trees on the other side of the road, the warleader of the ork race takes a throwing axe from his weapon harness. An axe the size of a battle-axe in the hands of anyone else. 

And with his left hand, the large ork takes a spear from across his back. The weapons fit well in either hand of the ork general, who like all of his race, is ambidextrous. 

"They're dead" Zam the ex mercenary murmurs to himself as he looks around the pile of rocks, and sees Dorc da Orc or Dorkindle which is his given name. 

Heading up amongst the trees on the rise, on the other side of the road. The youngest member of the group just shakes his head as the large ork just ignores the bolts and arrows being shot at him. 

And though he doesn't see what it hits, Zam does see the ork warleader throw his axe. Then Dorkindle can be heard laughing at what's happened. 

Then as the large ork turns and heads further into the trees on the other side of the road, pulling back the spear to throw it. 

Zam spots one of the bandits take off from behind a tree, heading the opposite way from the big burly ork from the southern polar region of the world. 

The ex mercenary stands up, draws his bow back, and let's the arrow he's put to it fly. The shaft slams into the fleeing bandit. 

Who drops to the ground, screaming in pain, with the arrow in his upper leg, just below the right hip. 

Looking quickly around, Zam winces when he spots another of the would be robbers, pinned to a tree across the other side of the road. Dead too, as he's stuck there with a spear though his chest, that's been driven into the tree trunk he's stuck to. 

The ex mercenary from the City Of Ruins, who has yet to turn nineteen. Spots Dorc da Orc across in the trees up the small rise, holding someone by the right leg. 

"Hell" mutters Zam who grimaces as the laughing ork weaponsmith swings that person like a club, into the tree he's next to. 

The youngest member of the group just shakes his head as the large ork, who is still chuckling, biffs the now headless body away. 

The ex mercenary then moves when Dorkindle turns, and starts walking to where the bandit who Zam shot, is trying to crawl away. 

"Get up" says Zam as he passes the wagon driver and the hired guard "They're no threat now" adds the ex mercenary, who then hurries up the rise to where the injured bandit is. 

"Don't kill him Dorc" says Zam to the ork warleader, who frowns, and looks at the young human originally from The City of Ruins. 

The general in the Armies of Farque, who was just about to stomp on the bandit who is trying to crawl away, grunts when the ex mercenary quietly says "See what he knows first". 

Zam crouches down next to the bandit, who after trying to get up, and falling back down again, looks in fright at the big burly ork who is looming over him. 

"Hey" says Zam who slaps the would be robber across the face to get his attention, which actually works to the surprise of the ex mercenary. 

With a nod down at the wagon, Zam asks the wounded robber "What do you know about that?" followed by "And what's in it?". 

"Huh?" says the bandit who is constantly grimacing in pain from the arrow that's in the top of his right thigh. 

"You heard cunt" says Dorc da Orc, who then growls before he continues with "Fucken answer him". 

"Nothing" says the injured bandit, who follows that with "We just saw it, and decided to take what's in it". 

The ex mercenary, and the warleader of the ork race share a look, then Zam asks the would be robber "Who are you?". 

As he knows that highway men, and bandit thieves aren't exactly common in Vexil. Even here in the north of the city-state. 

When the injured bandit doesn't answer him, Zam wacks his right leg, causing the injured man to hiss in pain, after screaming. 

"A mercenary" says the would be robber when he finally answers, who then sourly adds "Well former mercenary". He looks back to where the others of his group are, and continues with "We all are, or were". 

Zam nods in understanding, then quietly says to the wounded former mercenary "Part of that army the Geist cousins put together?". 

The injured man looks at Zam in surprise, then nods his head yes, before saying "Most of our company was wiped out" followed by "So when that army of theirs broke up, we decided to go off and do our own thing". 

The ex mercenary from The City Of Ruins nods again, then gestures down at the wagon once more, then says "And you know nothing about what's in it?". "I don't" replies the would be robber, who groans in pain when he accidentally moves his injured leg. 

Zam stares at the would be robber, then looks up at the large ork, and asks him "What do you think Dorc?". 

"Dorc think he a cunt" growls Dorkindle, who has been constantly sniffing as Zam questions the injured bandit. 

The ork general in the Armies of Farque who has a knack of knowing if people are lying or not, especially those under duress, grunts then says "He not fucken lying". 

The ex mercenary nods in agreement as he has come to the same conclusion, then he gets up and takes a step back. 

As he does, Zam gives the ork weaponsmith one of the hand signals taught to him by both Lord Farque and Helbe the elven thief. 

Dorc da Orc chuckles, just before he kicks the injured bandit in the side of the head, shattering the man's skull apart. 

"Best we get going" says Zam to the big burly ork from the southern polar region of the world, who grunts in agreement with the ex mercenary. 

Then Zam calls down to the wagon driver and the hired guard "Get moving!". And he and Dorc head down the small rise to the road. 

As the wagon starts moving again, continuing on it's way south to the city of Vexil. A wagon, in which the back of, is a fortune in gold bars . . . . . .