The mist hung heavy in the air like blanket weed. It was cold and he felt no better for the inactivity.

He could see steam rising from the horse; hear its protests and uneven footfalls as rider and mount picked their way through the narrow mountain gorge.

Just a few more steps, he thought licking his dry cracked lips nervously. His breath added to the mist obscuring his vision of the crisp spring mountain dawn.

He’d been a farmer like his father before him, and had fully expected to spend his life farming, then to hand on the farm to his eldest son but then came the Thaal. His livestock and crops were taken to feed the defending army. What remained was taken by the Thaal, together with his wife and two sons. He’d gone hunting, to supplement their meagre supplies he was still some way off when he’d seen the smoke from the burning buildings.

His eyes clouded with pain at the memory.

Now he robbed unwary travellers. He wasn’t proud of it but how else could he remain alive and feed the growing community of mouths He’d attracted from the stripped countryside?

They arrive alone and in small groups, survivors of the Thaal plague. Little ones, barely able to walk, others in their teens, all with the same dull lifeless eyes, gaunt faces, and defeated expressions.

He was unable to say no so the raggedy band of lost souls grew by the day. They were feral and hungry; so, travellers in these mountains beware he thought.

A sixth sense warned him of impending danger…

“Don’t even twitch Squire,” said a deep calm voice about a foot from his ear. “I do believe your about to attack my horse?”

He felt the touch of cold steel on his jugular, his jaw slackened, and his mouth went dry.

“Why?” asked the stranger.

He knelt motionless… “I’m not a Squire, I’m a simple farmer I seek only a contribution to keep my family from starvation.”

“Family? Face me slowly!”

He turned, “why are you travelling alone in these mountains?” he challenged.

“Because, at this moment, Squire I have a shortage of friends. We angered the Thaal once too often. We were betrayed but a few of us escaped. However, the Thaal are hunting us as we speak.”

“You’ve brought them here?”

“I’d say they invited themselves Squire. Either way they’ll be here in minutes. Now is not the time for talk, it’s time for action! If your family is close by, you have a choice – fight or flee. Either way, I’m with you.”

He looked angrily at the young warrior with the cold grey eyes and sharp tongue; noting his worn leathers and the determined set to his jaw.

“Why should we want you?”

“Our aims are the same squire, survival, and Revenge!”

“My enemy’s enemy is my friend?” he thought on it, “Well put stranger. But this time let’s just settle for survival!”

The dagger withdrew from his throat and the two men shook hands, as a rag tag troop of thirty youngsters rose from the undergrowth with bows levelled at the stranger.

“Jazen, at your service,” he said, bowing theatrically. His infectious grin lit up the glade, “Just call me Jaz.”

“Avarel, and these are my family,” said the farmer. He looked up and stared in amazement, past the stranger, at his bright eyed band.

“What had changed in the last few moments?” he wondered.

“HOPE” he whispered echoing their smiles.

A distant metallic glint, sporadic flashes of light, forewarned the watchers of the approaching supply train. They were badly needed supplies heading for the Thaal stronghold at Gasponar.

“Remember your training! Remember the “T” slit in the face plate is your target. You’re bows are not powerful enough to pierce armour. Leave those shots for the crossbows. When the pikes engage, pick only clear targets! We don’t want to puncture family do we? DO WE!”

“No sir Captain JAZ!” they answered.

“Curse that damned sun” grunted the Halto-Capt, raising his hand economically to both stop the train, and shade his eyes from the midday sun.

The wagons groaned to a halt mid protests from the teams and drovers alike. He scanned the slopes, on either side of the narrowing track, slowly and methodically.

A buzzard took to the thermals circling the sky in ever diminishing circles in search of scarce prey. It’s mournful cry, a momentary distraction raising an ugly grin to his face as he watched it turn this way and that in an economic search pattern.

Satisfied that nothing was amiss, he kicked his chestnut mount into motion, waving the wagons on. Behind him were thirty armoured and battle hardened Thaal warriors. What they would have to fear from this god forsaken country the gods alone knew.

In the past two years, they had vanquished armies outnumbering them 10 to 1. Their last half worthy opposition had fed most of the flies worrying them now; they’d become maggot food, months past. More’s the pity he thought we could do with a little action.

The thought froze in his brain. His horse took six or seven more strides before his corpse tumbled from the saddle. By then, half his force was gazing at the sky through glazed unseeing eyes. The remainder turned bravely to face the perceived danger, and six more fell before thirty odd pike men left scant cover, planting their halberds in defiant opposition.

The mounted armour charged as is their wont. Three more were skewered and lifted from their saddles by momentum. The remainder closed with the pikes, who retreated according to plan on contact; they were the bait.

Two were cut down before reaching their carefully dug trench. The others ducked out of site and arrows flew, like angry hornets. The surviving pike men grabbed the reins of rider less horses. In just ten minutes the ambush was all over.

Thirty ought Thaal slaughtered, the Waggoner’s driven off. Weapons and food taken; sufficient to last them six months, all with the loss of just two lives.

“We beat em Jaz! We destroyed them.” A young corporal whooped, slapping him on the back, ecstatically.

“Aye we did that lad! But, now they know were here, it won’t be so easy the next time…”

“Beats robbing lone travellers though,” Avarel smiled, caught up in the young warriors’ euphoria, they had struck back at last and it was a good feeling!

There would be no going back now.