Vacation: Part II

Ian watched the approaching horsemen with a critical eye. They were bunched up, nearly bumping into each other, an easy target for a bowman, had he his bow ready. He grinned to himself as he saw a fourth horseman round the bend behind the first two, then just sit and watch his companions. He knew that rider, and he now knew the best way to answer his attackers.

He made no move to flee or get out of the path of the horses. Instead, Blackthorn unclipped his sheathed sword from his sword belt and held it in front of himself. He waited until the warriors were thirty yards from his position... then he suddenly leapt forward to his left, sweeping the still sheathed sword up to smack resoundlingly on the chest of the horse closest to him. It had the desired effect. The horse reared, throwing its rider, then bumped into the next horse, who began bucking wildly as its rider fought for control.

Ian ran around him and grabbed the totally befuddled third rider out of his saddle and slammed him into the ground, then returned to the first rider, bent over, and held a dagger to his throat. "Now, if I had taken my sword out of my sheathe, cub, what would have happened?"

The boy, for that was what the warrior was, swallowed hard, his face pale. "I'd be dead, sir... "

Blackthorn nodded. "Well there is that... but that would not be the worst of it, would it, Ferret?"

He glanced up and back over his shoulder as the fourth horseman rode slowly up, roaring with laughter. "Oh, no, Ian, not the worst by far! The HORSE would be dead! We can get recruits by the boatload, but a good horse costs money! And this little escapade is going to cost all three of you a month's pay!"

The road filled with more groans from the recruits as Ferret, Captain of the Twisted Otter Mercenary Band, sat grinning at them. He merely shrugged, then pointed at Ian. "Just be glad you can tell your mates at Mess tonight you tried to run down Ian Blackthorn and lived to tell about it!"

The recruit Ian held at dagger point gulped again... "Blackhawke!"

Ferret rocked with laughter in his saddle as Ian grimaced, then helped the boy up. "No, I'm the other one." Blackthorn turned to look at his former teacher, shaking hishead with a smile. "How have you been, my friend?"

"Passable, Ian. But something tells me you didn't ride all the way down here from Camelot to check after old Ferret's health, did ye?"

"Ferret! I'm hurt! " Blackthorn laughed as he walked back to untie his own horse and mount up. He moved Horse over close to Ferret's, so he could speak without the recovering recruits hearing all they said. His face became sober as he nodded to the older man."I came looking for some answers for a friend."