The Bard of Faith Part 3

Ariana sat atop of her doe staring hard at Raven who wasn’t looking at her but feeling the eyes on him. They were traveling South West but most of all away from the Guild Hall following a black chipmunk with a quest from the AllFather. A quest that now Raven seems to have been given as well, but not Ariana, she was left on of this little message and not sure if Raven hit his head or not.

                “You don’t have to come,” Raven said softly said.

                “Yes, yes, I do,” Ariana said. “I don’t know how to get to the Guild Hall from here.”

                “Oh, right,” Raven said with a grin, “I guess, you have to come with me then.”

                “I guess so,” Ariana said with a heavy sigh. “I still think you are mad.”

                “Me too,” Raven said.

                “I as well,” Lacey said back to them both on top of her doe. “I think we are all mad.”

                “Oh, that is great,” Ariana said.

                Lacey laughed a little. “It’s okay, being crazy can’t be that bad.”

                “For you,” the Thief said, “but for me following the mad squirrels, might not be so good.”

                “Only one way to find out,” Raven said finally looking over at his friend.

                “If you get me killed,” Ariana said pointing at him, “I’m going to be hellfire mad at you.”

                “Nothing new,” Raven said.

                They traveled until nightfall which was coming quicker in the Fall, but they didn’t want to travel during the dark. Raven went out to gather some firewood while the other two set up their tents. He wasn’t gone too long, but when he came back, he found the two laughing with each other. He dropped the wood in front of them pulling his sword from his side and staring hard into the night.

                “What?” Lacey asked, but Ariana was already on her feet with her daggers at the ready.

                “Move,” Raven said as four cutthroats stepped out from behind the trees.

                “Hello, good Knight,” the leader said looking over them all.

                “What do you want?” Raven growled at him.

                He pointed his sword at Lacey and said, “Her.”

                “Me?” Lacey asked shocked.

                “Too bad,” Raven said. “Leave before it becomes a bloody night.”

                “Wait, why do you want me?” Lacey asked.

                “I don’t know,” the leader said as two of his bandits started to move around the camp. “I was hired to cut your throat.”

                “Why?” Lacey asked almost to hurt by the statement.

                “Lady, I don’t know,” he said. “I was paid, and that is all. Now give her ov---”

                Ariana moved fast dipping into the dark near the closet cutthroat to her. The cutthroat was poorly trained, and he fell under her blades before he knew it. The cutthroat cried out, but the scream was quickly ended by Ariana. She raced for the leader of the group.

                While the last two cutthroats came rushing at Raven. He rolled around one of their attacks hitting the foe in the side. He wore armor, but the armor was a thick leather and couldn’t withstand Raven’s sword, most armor couldn’t hold up against the magical sword. The enemy didn’t cry out but dropped to the ground trying to breathe.

                He turned to see the last villain being beaten to the ground by Lacey. The Bard carried a short sword, but the hilt of the blade looked as if it hadn’t been taken out in years. It turned out the Bard didn’t need to the sword. She was a fighter with a paw to paw, and the foe was quickly finding out how skilled the Bard was in fighting.

                She stood up over the cutthroat breathing heavily and staring hard down at him.

                “You, stupid thief,” the leader called out pulling a black powder pistol from his belt. He aimed it right at Ariana, but the night was her shield, and he was having a hard time finding her in the dark. She dashed from tree to tree hoping Raven was done with his fight. The longer she could keep the leader on her, the easier it would be the Knight to get up on him.

                The plan worked as well as she hoped. She stepped out from behind the tree seeing Raven holding the arm of the leader and punching him in the face until he was knocked out cold. They tied up the cutthroats who were still alive and left in the center of their once campsite.

                Raven turned on Lacey and barked at her, “What did you do?”

                His voice thunder making the chipmunk jumped a little. “Nothing,” she said staring up at the enrage Knight being cloaked in the darkness.

                “So, squirrels just send cutthroats to kill you for nothing?” Raven asked.

                “I guess, so,” she said. “I don’t know why they are after me.”

                “You are lying,” Raven said stepping forward making her back up.

                “I am not,” she told him.

                “Then what is going on?” He growled.

                “I know as much as you do,” Lacey shouted at him. The shouted or the voice from which it came made him step back a little. It was shocking to hear such a powerful voice coming from such a tiny chipmunk.

                “I didn’t ask for this,” Lacey yelled with clenched fist and tears burning in her eyes. “I just wanted a normal life. I want to teach, have children, and live a simple life, but I was asked to do this, and I don’t know why. I don’t know why the squirrel is trying to kill me. I don’t know why I was sent to find you or to be placed on this stupid quest. It has been hell for me. So, I don’t know and back off.”

                Raven didn’t realize he had been pushed back to Ariana side by the shouting chipmunk. He glanced over to Ariana seeing the smirk on her face. “Wow, you can scream,” the Thief said.

                Lacey cleaned the tears from her eyes and said, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.”

                “I’m fine with it,” Ariana said smiling at Raven. “It’s not every day you get to see Raven back down from someone by them yelling at him.”

                He huffed not saying a word.

                “But I found a letter,” Ariana said thumbing at the leader of the group. “Do you know a Dagobius Earthvile?”

                “No,” Lacey said.