The forest was quiet aside from the occasional snap of a branch and the cng of armored feet as the group made their way through the trees. Overhead the sun was high in the sky, light filtering through the branches to cast shadows on the forest floor, a floor covered in leaves and fallen branches. Making it rather hard to see the packed dirt path beneath their feet, the group had left the main road several hand spans before.

  Eric raised his fist, and the group came to a stop at the top of a hill in the shadow of a great old Ironwood tree. Arlie couldn’t see anything, so she cmbered up the tree with practiced ease.

  Larry commented, “Careful girl! We can see your panties!”

  The other guards shared knowing looks, and the twins giggled, “She does that.”

  Reaching an upper branch, she noticed the fort. Previously hidden from her previous vantage point by the canopies of several trees, now that she had a higher vantage point she could see its old stone walls. The grey stones had been weathered by many years out in the forest with vines, leaves and other growth climbing halfway up the old walls. Several figures could be seen walking on top of the walls.

  Behind the walls were several houses and a small inner keep. Ages ago this had been the garrison of an old road patrol, it was well-seated for soldiers to patrol the road between Arcs and several local vilges including her home vilge of Voros. Her eye also caught a small manor house, somewhat rundown. Long ago that had been the residence of the local commander. The fort however had fallen into disuse long before she was born. Perhaps it wasn’t surprising that bandits would take up residence within the walls.

  For the same reasons that made it a good base for the former patrols, it was now a good pce from which to stage ambushes on the local caravans. Not that she saw much profit in that. Voros mainly sold Ironwood in exchange for produce grown in the river valley that Arcs was built upon. Ironwood was really good lumber, but it wasn’t going to make a bandit rich taking that. Not to mention it was heavy, difficult to move, not an ideal good to steal. Her finished potions however might be worth the effort, and she did sell a few every time the merchants came to town.

  “I can see the fort, about a dozen bandits on the walls. Half of them have bows.”

  “Think you can hit them from here?”

  Arlie nodded and started chanting. Words of power flowed from her lips, as she focused her mana. Below her, the guards got into position, while the twins nocked an arrow each.

  At first nothing seemed to happen, but after a moment the sun started to grow more intense, the light harsh. In the distance, the bandits started to take notice, shouts followed, but it didn’t seem they were armed just yet.

  That changed all too soon, as the sky started to turn a bzing orange, someone cried out in arm. The men on the walls moved into more ready positions, scanning for threats.

  She watched them as more words of power flowed from her lips. Each one helping her focus the spell, drawing more mana into the formation. This wasn’t a simple spell at all, advanced magic was never easy to cast, and she was already starting to feel drained. Below her, she could hear the cng of armor as someone climbed the tree.

  Suddenly a bandit was pointing in her direction, shouting something. Two of his buddies came running over, then arrows went flying. Arlie didn’t have the option to move, she was too busy channeling a massive amount of mana. Then a shield blocked her view, moments before two cngs echoed. The projectiles bounced harmlessly off the polished steel. Arlie barely spared a gnce at the guard who’d shielded her. Only enough to note it was Larry, as she continued to chant, she’d thank him ter.

  Above the sun grew harsher, while in the distance the gate flung open. Several bandits, weapons in hand, were rushing down the path towards their position on the hill. A big guy wearing an iron breastpte and wielding a mace fell over a moment ter, two arrows sprouting from his eyes. He might not have died so fast if he was wearing a helmet, his buddies barely spared him a gnce as they continued the charge. Then the bandit line cshed with the guard line. After a moment, it was clear the bandits were idiots. The guards were better equipped and better disciplined, their formation holding solid, while the bandits were slowly being pushed back.

  In the distance, archers on the walls tried to help, but the twins had found a good vantage point in the trees, letting them dispy their own deadly accuracy.

  Sweat poured over her brow, the sunlight was so harsh that even the shade provided by the tree, she was sitting in, meant little. Another arrow cnged off Larry’s shield, just as she finished her chant, “and with heaven’s fire, I bring ruin to my foes! Sor Burst!”

  The sky cracked, the harsh sun swelled for a moment before a burst of fire fell from the sky. It was a massive bolt, roaring and crackling with a force like thunder, it careened into the fortress gate and exploded. The heat could be felt even out here, shouts of arm filled the air. Then the fmes cleared, revealing the front of the fort, where once a gate had stood there was nothing more than a melted hole in the wall. Several burning figures running around in terror soon fell to the ground.

  “Missy, remind me to never piss off a mage,” commented Larry.

  “Will do,” she replied feeling rather drained. Her limbs heavy, she climbed down the tree slowly. Larry dropped down much faster, and stood by to catch her in case she fell.

  A Finger span ter, she was on the ground. “You seem kinda tired missy, need a rest?”

  She nodded, “Just a bit, that spell uses a lot of mana, but I’ve still got a few more spells in me, if I need to cast one. Give me a second to recharge a bit, okay?”

  “I can’t say I’m surprised, you did just knock down a castle gate.”

  Arlie didn’t reply, instead observing the battle. Eric’s men had just about finished the bandits that ran out. Some guy with nothing but a spear lunged forward, the guard he tried to strike sidestepped the blow, then whacked him in the head with the shaft of his own spear. The blow was strong, and the bandit went down. He was going to feel that when he woke up.

  The guy was tied up a moment ter, and the rest of the force was done for. “Okay men, switch to swords. We won’t have room to use our spears effectively inside the fort. Understood?”

  Without a word, the guards drew their short swords and secured their spears. Activating enchantments, the long metal weapons shrank down, allowing the guards to hook them to their belts.

  Arlie, having had a bit of time to rest, joined them, and the twins fell in as well. Behind the group, they’d have less room to use their bows, but they could still strike from the back line. Not to mention they both had brought long knives and knew how to use them.

  As it turned out, they didn’t have much to do once the group breached the fort. Eric's men were pretty well trained and disciplined. The bandits might have been more numerous, but any organization they may have had was gone. The group was in full panic, engaging piecemeal making it easy for the guards to round them up.

  Arlie found Thron in the old manor, tied to a chair with a dozen bruises, off to the side was a cage full of young women, all basically naked. He chuckled wryly, “Hey Arlie, fancy meeting you here.”

  She looked around, “Got yourself caught by the bandits did we?”

  “Yeah, some hero I turned out to be. Thought I’d free these dies, ended up in a cell with them instead, at least I took out the big guy with the nasty scar.”

  “Good for you,” she commented as she started looking his wounds over.

  Eric walked in, “Larry? Add trafficking to the list of crimes. We’ve got four humans, six beastkin, and two elves, all women in here.”

  “Aye, sir! Got it written down. Are they decent?”

  “Not one bit, go get the twins and bring them in here.”

  “Will do!”

  Eric turned to her, “I’ll be guarding the door if you need me.”

  One of the girls commented, “Um, could you let us out of the cage?”

  “Will do, just let me finish treating Thron here, first.”

  She was cleaning his cuts a moment ter when the twins walked in. “By the gods, this is awful!”

  Arlie said, “If you could help the girls out of the cage, get them dressed and check them over for injuries that would be great.”

  They went about helping the girls and she went back to silently cleaning the cuts and bruises he’d gained since she st saw him. Finally after a bit, she spoke up, “You know Thron, we really need to stop meeting like this. Pying hero all the time like this is going to get you killed.”

  “I’ve done alright, I’ve even helped a few girls!”

  She looked up into his eyes and raised an eyebrow, “Really?”

  Arlie began to trace a particurly nasty scar, tracing it down the line of his neck, diagonally across his breast and over his stomach towards his left thigh.

  He groaned, “Don't remind me about that. Besides, you gave me that one.”

  ‘Cause you were being an idiot!” she replied face flushed as she recalled the story, it had happened three years ago, she’d been in the bath with the twins at the time. Things had gotten rather loud when Thron suddenly charged into the room with his sword-drawn eyes looking around for some unseen threat or something. He’d cimed he thought they were in trouble, but she didn’t really believe him, not then and she still didn’t now. “Just like you were being an idiot now. Your father came to me all worried and I imagine your mother was equally worried. They’d be heartbroken if you died!”

  “Someone had to save these girls!”

  “Yes someone did, but there is a difference between helping and being an idiot. This was the tter, how many times do I have to lecture you?”

  He defted a little, “... sorry.”

  “Sorry is right,” she replied as she raised her hands to a wound transitioning right into a spell, “By the grace of the gods, let this light heal your wounds; Healing Light!”

  From her palms a gentle light sprang forth and his wounds began to heal. This was the only healing spell she knew, but it was a good one. Perfect for treating light wounds like this, Thron of course pyed a big role in her learning the spell in the first pce. He was getting injured so often, she’d learned the spell so she wouldn’t waste her potion stocks on minor injuries.

  One of the women, now dressed in a long shirt came over, her long ears gave her race as an elf away, she looked up, “Can I help you?”

  “Are you a mage or just a magical healer?”

  “I’m a mage, this happens to be my only healing spell.”

  “That’s perfect.”

  Frowning, she inquired, “What’s this about?”

  “Well um... just before the bandits ambushed us, my sister and I found... something strange. The mana in the area felt wrong and the Ryrks were behaving... oddly.”

  That got her attention, “I’m listening.”