Skahad had been a relatively quick stop. A week after arriving, Arturo left with twenty new men on his roster. He had also come up with a name for his army: The Shields of Aidris. It was a fitting name. They would pave the way in the war to come; Arturo would make sure of it.

  Riding beside him was his sister, Jen, along with Tarmon and Achillion. Despite Arturo’s efforts, Achillion didn’t want to join, yet. The legend wanted to see how his army operated before making a decision.

  That was fine with Arturo. If he could get Achillion to join, his army would do well. They were on a path towards Malvarian and they weren’t far from the capital now. Jen should be able to get them a meeting with the king and make the same request. If none of the nations objected, then his dreams of a united force would become a reality.

  “You made your name fighting the rebels, right?” Achillion asked.

  The army was moving at a slow trot. The weather was nice, though it was a bit windy. “Yes,” Arturo said. “Why do you ask?”

  “I fought in Skahad and Malvarian against the rebels. Did you ever make it near Fort Dallwort?”

  The name jogged a memory. “Almost. The Crystal Syndicate was supposed to go there, but plans changed when we scouted a large rebel force coming to end the siege at Dallwort. We ended up killing that group before they could mess up Corvin’s plan.”

  “We almost met then,” Achillion said. “I was part of the group to take back Fort Dallwort. You saved our butts when you took out that rebel group. My commander told me a mercenary band saved our lives.”

  “That’s crazy,” Jen cut in. “My clan almost joined in taking back Fort Dallwort. I can’t remember why, but something made Modric change his mind.”

  “Would have been an interesting reunion,” Arturo said. Memories of that time were hazy; however, there was one thing he wouldn’t forget: his seething rage. If Jen didn’t like how he was now, she would have been terrified of him back then. He doubted his anger would ever go away; though he was better at hiding it now. At least until he met Kyrad, for he had no doubts all his rage would come out the next time he met him.

  “Talking about the Crystal Syndicate, what made you leave? I heard good things about them,” Achillion asked.

  “Depends on who you ask,” Arturo’s face darkened. “I didn’t agree with the commanders’ rules, so I left.” He didn’t want to go into why. Jen didn’t know how their mother died, and he planned on keeping it that way. There was no point in bringing back old memories, and she never asked, likely because she didn’t want to know. Hopefully, she never would.

  “I see,” Achillion didn’t push the issue any further.

  “That’s how I met Arturo,” Tarmon said. “I wasn’t planning on staying with the Crystal Syndicate long until I met him. Perhaps it was a sign from Tarmella or fate itself.”

  “We make our own fate,” Arturo said. “The only good thing about the Crystal Syndicate was how many battles I fought in. It helped me grow as a warrior, and now it’s time to lead my men into war, for the right reasons.”

  A scream echoed in the distance. Arturo didn’t need to think about what to do. “Tarmon, tell the others we’re investigating the noise,” he commanded.

  “On it,” Tarmon said and turned his horse back.

  Those screams were from a battle of some sort. Were the invaders back? “Let’s check it out!” Arturo said, urging his horse to run towards the noise.

  “Wait! We don’t have any information on what’s going on!” Jen said.

  Arturo ignored her and spurred forward. He heard a sigh of frustration but she followed. If there was a slight chance the invaders had returned, he wanted to be there. There was smoke in the distance, and it didn’t take long before they arrived at the scene.

  A small village was burning, and there was fighting going on. He saw an old farmer get cut down. It was obvious the attackers weren’t part of the invaders. Arturo jumped off his horse, threw back his cloak, and unhooked his sword. The rest of his army arrived, and a Forest Dweller shot one of the attackers in the throat.

  “Looks like bandits,” Jen said, both her swords in hand.

  This village couldn’t have more than a few hundred people—a prime target for bandits. “Clean out the bandits and save as many people as you can,” Arturo ordered. He walked into the village to see a few bandits looting a dead body. They turned towards him and didn’t get a chance to raise their weapons as his mighty blade cut through them like butter.

  Blood splashed over the ground, and three bandits lay motionless. These were decently equipped bandits, wearing steel armor and carrying swords, but their fighting skills left much to be desired. Arturo cut through five more, while the others spread throughout the village.

  Body parts and dying men littered the ground. Some cried out for their mothers, while others begged Tarmella for salvation. As far as Arturo was concerned, these men had brought this upon themselves.

  Before long, the fighting was over. There couldn’t have been more than forty bandits, and all but ten were killed. Eurisha ran up to him, her sword and shirt stained with blood, though she didn’t seem to mind. “These are the last of them. I've let a couple of the villagers know it’s safe now,” she said.

  “Good work. Any injuries?” Arturo asked.

  “No. These bandits were poor fighters,” Eurisha said.

  “Stand guard for a moment,” Arturo said.

  “As you command,” Eurisha replied, eyeing the bandits.

  Arturo approached who he assumed was the bandits' leader. He wore steel armor and a sword with a gold hilt. An expensive-looking necklace dangled around his neck, and three rubies were tied to his forehead. Blood dripped down his nose, and his right eye was swollen shut.

  “Am I right in thinking you’re the leader?” Arturo asked.

  “Does it matter?” the bandit replied.

  “It might,” Arturo responded.

  The bandit said nothing, staring at the ground. Arturo considered killing them and leaving, but the appearance of an old woman and a few civilians halted that plan. “Is that all of them?” the old woman asked.

  “Yes,” Arturo said.

  Fury contorted the woman's face. “Let me put them in the dungeons. I have some questions that need answering,” she said.

  “Do you lead this village?” Jen asked.

  “I do. I’m Tabitha, mayor of O’root.”

  “I see. Do with them as you will,” Arturo said and ordered his men to step back.

  “Can you hold ten?” Jen asked. “I would hate for these bandits to escape.”

  “Don’t you worry about that, young lady,” Tabitha said. “But I wouldn’t mind if your group would stay for the night to ensure their containment. I’ll decide what to do with these fools in the morning.”

  Arturo opened his mouth to decline, but Jen was quicker. “We’d be happy to stay the night,” she said, giving Arturo an I-know-what-you-were-going-to-say look.

  Sighing, Arturo nodded. It was the least he could do for his sister. “We have to leave tomorrow. We’ll stay until you decide what to do with these bandits,” Arturo said.

  “Thank you,” Tabitha said, then turned back. “Harrison! Get the inn ready for our guests. They’ll be staying the night.”

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  “Yes, ma’am,” Harrison responded.

  “We won’t charge you any money, and your meals and drinks are on us,” Tabitha said. “You have no idea how annoying these bandits have been. They’ve been pillaging our village for several weeks, testing our defenses. I wasn’t prepared for their attack.” She looked ashamed.

  “If you want, I can execute the rest of the bandits,” Arturo offered.

  The leader paled. “I may let you do that,” Tabitha said.

  “Wait a second!” the leader exclaimed, words rushing out. “We can make a deal so that we get to live and you get something in return.”

  “I would be happy to hear what you have to offer,” Tabitha said. “For now, go get some rest. You’ve done a lot for us today.”

  “I’ll leave a few of my men to guard the bandits,” Arturo said.

  “We appreciate that,” Tabitha replied.

  “If you follow me, I’ll show you to your rooms,” Harrison said, pointing in the direction they were to walk.

  “Lead the way,” Arturo said.

  He made sure to lag behind with Jen, Tarmon, and Achillion. “Don’t forget I’m in command of this army, not you, Jen,” Arturo said.

  “I didn’t mean anything by telling them we would stay. I figured you wouldn’t mind since we’re helping a village,” Jen said.

  “Just don’t do it again, all right?” Arturo tried to soften his voice, but he was pretty sure he failed. He couldn’t read his sister’s reaction; her expression was like a mask, showing no signs of irritation, embarrassment, or anything at all.

  “Tell me this, is your army meant to help Aidris, as you said, or to get revenge?” Jen asked.

  Arturo had to bite back an angry retort. She was right; he was creating the Shields of Aidris to help everyone, and this was an opportunity to aid a small village. “My point still stands,” he said.

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have overstepped my authority,” Jen said.

  It almost made Arturo laugh. He had thought Jen would ignore his request. He couldn’t let his sister try to run his army, or there would be confusion. He had seen enough troubles when someone took charge who shouldn’t have, resulting in avoidable deaths.

  Tarmon and Achillion were looking anywhere but at Arturo or Jen. Arturo didn’t mind that they heard; he probably should have talked to her in private, but it needed to be done. Jen has to realize I’m in charge, not her.

  “Here we are,” Harrison announced, stopping in front of an inn with a crooked sign that read ‘li inn’. There was a faded o and n on the sign.

  Arturo and the others walked inside, which wasn’t in much better condition than the outside. The floors creaked, missing planks here and there. The walls were stained and faded, and some chairs were missing legs.

  “Sorry for the state of things,” Harrison started, scratching his head. “The bandits have been causing lots of problems these past few weeks, and this inn got hit a couple of times. We haven’t had time to repair some of the damages.”

  “It’s fine,” Arturo said, doubtful that the bandits caused all the damage. The walls were faded from age, not bandits. “We’ll get settled, and I’ll have the rest of my men set up camp.”

  “I’ll get some food and drink ready,” Harrison said.

  “We’re staying in this dump?” Achillion exclaimed once Harrison was out of earshot.

  “It’s only for a night,” Jen reassured.

  “I’d almost rather set up camp,” Tarmon murmured.

  “You’ll be fine,” Arturo said more forcefully. “We’ll leave tomorrow and should be at the capital in a couple more days. Hopefully, we can recruit some men and head to Eshil Domain.”

  “Why such a rush?” Achillion asked.

  “Never know when the invaders will come,” Jen answered before Arturo could. “Isn’t that right?”

  Arturo nodded and walked into a room. Surprisingly, the inside wasn’t too bad. The bed looked clean, and there weren’t any bugs or dirt. At least the rooms are in good shape, he thought with relief, having feared worse.

  “Wow, this room looks great!” Achillion said, emerging with a grin. “Perhaps I judged this place too harshly.”

  “The beds are pretty comfortable,” Jen called from inside her room. She popped out a moment later. “A night on a bed… It’s going to be nice.”

  Harrison arrived with food, which wasn’t much: bread and cheese. Arturo made sure not to complain, considering the village’s difficulties. They ate, talked, and before long it was nighttime. Arturo was about to call it a night when Tabitha walked into the room.

  “Something wrong?” Arturo asked, suddenly alert.

  “No, nothing wrong,” Tabitha reassured. “I’m glad you’re awake. I spoke with the bandit leader, Rahrone, and he provided quite the proposal.”

  “Already?” Jen said.

  “Yes, he didn’t want to be executed. Though he deserves it, he did come up with a proposal. I hate to ask, but I would need your help,” Tabitha said.

  “What is it?” Arturo asked.

  Tabitha looked from Jen to Arturo and shrugged. “Rahrone swore they would help rebuild our village and take us to retrieve most of our supplies, including our money, back.”

  “What do you need us for?” Arturo asked.

  “Well… I’m not sure I trust Rahrone and fear it may be a trap. If it’s not, great, I’ll pay you with some of our supplies and coin. If it’s a lie, you can execute them,” Tabitha said.

  “All right,” Arturo agreed, hoping for some good food. “We’ll go first thing in the morning.”

  “Thank you, I don’t know how we’ll ever repay you,” Tabitha said.

  After Tabitha left the inn, Arturo turned to Tarmon. “I want you to tell the men we might get into a fight tomorrow,” he said.

  “Huh, why do you think that?”

  “I don’t believe for a second that Rahrone is going to return the supplies he stole,” Arturo said.

  “I agree,” Jen added. “Bandits will say anything to save their lives. We should expect an ambush.”

  “All right,” Tarmon said, blushing from embarrassment.

  “I’ll tag along if you don’t mind,” Achillion offered.

  “The more the merrier,” Arturo said.

  The morning came quickly, and Arturo felt the chill air brush against his skin. The crack of dawn wasn’t very pleasant, but he wanted to get this over with. Jen, Tarmon, Achillion, and twenty of his men were out this morning. He didn’t need them all, so he made sure to include ten from both the Forest Dwellers and Skahad in this group. Thus far, there hadn’t been any major problems between the two groups, just a couple of light scuffles. Thankfully, none of it was serious. Despite his initial concerns, he believed the two groups would get along.

  Arturo would kick someone out of his army if they refused to get along. His army needed to work together, and anyone refusing to accept an entire group of people due to their culture wasn’t welcome.

  Eurisha was standing next to him. If she was cold, she didn’t show it. Her weapon was in hand, and she was staring with disgust at the bandits. “This one expects a fight,” she said quietly enough that only Arturo could hear.

  “You’ll get one,” Arturo whispered back.

  The bandit leader, Rahrone, had his hands bound behind his back. Arturo motioned for one Skahad and one Forest Dweller to take the lead. If Rahrone tried something, they would use him as leverage if necessary.

  “Let’s get this over with,” Arturo said.

  “Good luck,” Tabitha said.

  He didn’t respond and began their walk. Rahrone said their camp was a few miles into the forest. Arturo didn’t think that was a lie; a forest was a great place to hide. They walked on the road for a couple of miles, then Rahrone pointed into the forest and began leading them inside.

  It was eerily quiet. Not even the birds were chirping. Arturo kept his guard up, waiting for an arrow to come at him at any moment. His time with the Crystal Syndicate taught him how treacherous bandits could be. Once, the mercenaries had captured a well-known bandit named Nominis Korr, who tried to walk them into a trap. It would have worked if Veldahar hadn’t known better and outsmarted Nominis by setting his own trap.

  The bandits were wiped out, and Nominis was executed. Arturo expected a similar outcome here. After over an hour, Rahrone stopped. “The camp is right past these trees,” he said.

  Arturo resisted the urge to grab his sword. He followed Rahrone past the trees and found himself surrounded by at least fifty bandits. How were there this many? Why weren’t they part of the initial assault?

  Weapons were drawn by both the bandits and the Shields of Aidris. Rahrone tried to run but was thrown onto the ground by the Forest Dweller in charge.

  “You kill me, you all die,” Rahrone gasped as the Forest Dweller placed a foot on his back.

  “Let him up,” Arturo commanded.

  Without hesitation, the Forest Dweller propped Rahrone on his feet. The leader smiled as if he was in control. “You’ll let me go, and I promise we won’t kill you. However, you will have to give us all the money you have.”

  Before anyone could react, Arturo gripped his sword and sliced Rahrone in half. The bandit’s eyes widened, and his upper body slammed into the ground. The battle started.

  The bandits attacked at once and were swiftly slaughtered. If Rahrone had thought numbers would be to his advantage, he was wrong. Arturo slashed through three bandits with a single stroke, causing others to drop their weapons and flee, only to be impaled by spears.

  Jen was a blur of movement, her swords biting into flesh. She tore into the shoulder of one bandit and stabbed another through the heart. The bandits could do nothing but scream as they were pierced.

  “Don’t let any escape!” Arturo yelled. He ducked an axe and tore through the attacker. He saw a bandit try to run, so he threw a knife, hitting the bandit in the back of the throat. Any escapees would cause problems elsewhere. Better to deal with them now.

  Jen dispatched five bandits swiftly, slicing through throats and chests alike. The rest of the bandits were slain, and any trying to flee were executed, usually by the Forest Dwellers, who hated thieves and were more than happy to chase the cowards.

  The ground was littered with bodies, and the stench of death filled the air. Any bandit who tried to move was finished off. Arturo let out a sigh of relief; none of his men had been seriously injured. A few had light scratches, but that was it. The supplies were here as well. Tabitha would be pleased.

  Achillion wiped the blood off his blade and sheathed his weapon. “Well, that was fun,” he said with a grin.

  “A good morning exercise,” Eurisha added, a slight smile on her lips. “I was hoping the bandits would try something like this.”

  “Grab the supplies. We’ll deliver them to Tabitha, and then we’re riding out of here,” Arturo said. He didn’t want to waste any more time and knew it would take at least three hours to return to the village with the supplies. He was determined to leave.

  Before long, the supplies were returned to Tabitha, who wasn’t surprised by Rahrone’s betrayal. She was true to her word, providing some gold and food, apologizing that she couldn’t offer more.

  Arturo assured her it was fine, then gathered his army and left an hour later. He hated being right about the bandits. Things would have been smoother if Rahrone had cooperated, but that was life. Now it was time to gather more troops for his army. This was the first act of the Shields of Aidris. Jen was right; the soldiers following him were here not for his revenge but to help the people. It was something he needed to remember.