Bant, Lisa and Coll rode through the gates of castle Kithel and looked around. The castle was in the shape of a diamond with the central keep in the middle which was essentially its own castle with outer walls also in the shape of a diamond and a tall tower in the middle.
Bant dismounted his horse and Coll and Lisa did the same. Stablehands rushed over to take their horses to the stables. Bant walked over to the central keep with one hand on his sword.
The gate to the keep was open but heavily guarded and they were required to identify themselves.
"Bant Solsis," Bant said to the captain of the guard. And presented a silver amulet that hung on a chain around his neck. A sword on a four pointed star.
"You and your companions may pass," said the captain. "Baron Hith is expecting you, Master Bant. And you as well, Lisa Bontel."
Bant and the others passed through the gate and entered the tower. They ascended several flights of stairs until they reached the level that Baron Hith had his office on. it wasn't the highest level of the tower. Only about halfway up.
Bant knocked on the door and stood back. Baron Hith's steward, Michin, opened it.
"Baron Hith will see you now," he said haughtily.
"I'd hope so," growled Bant, slightly angered by the steward's haughty manner. Bant as a member of the Hidden Swords was the equivalent of a nobleman and deserved treatment as such. And sometimes he had to remind people of that. "Seeing as he has summoned us here."
"Yes, of course," said Michin as he stepped aside. Slightly cowed and subservient in manner now. "Please enter."
Bant, Coll and Lisa entered the Baron's office where he ran his day to day affairs of Kithel Fief.
Hith looked up as they entered. "Welcome Bant, and you as well Coll and Lisa. It's been a while since I had to deliver such news to a member."
"I know," said Bant. "And I had hoped to escape their reach by coming to the kingdom."
"I know," said Hith. "And I wish circumstances were better. But they aren't.
"This is still a fragile time for the kingdom," he continued. "Trade is just beginning to stabilize between the fiefs and the barons are still adjusting to the changes wrought by the war. Bad enough that villagers throughout the fief are beginning to say that I can't protect them from the bandits."
"I know," said Bant. "In the Kingdom of the Isles we had just ended a civil war when The Wanderer appeared. Offering protection from the bandits with his Globe of Clitch. I left when I saw the Isles becoming enthralled by him. My own father swore his alleigance to him in return for the throne. The price: He had to sacrifice his family to The Wanderer's god. If it had not been for the loyalty of my guards to me I would not have survived. Now my father is the king of the Isles and is a pawn of the Wanderer. A puppet on a throne as he has no actual power."
"We cannot allow that to happen here," said Hith. "The problem is he has already won over several villages in the fief to his cause through superstition and shows of his Globe of Clitch."
"It's worse than that," said Coll who was looking out the office's only window. "Two barons, Clien and Balther, have already endorsed his power secretly. he has already won over two of the kingdom's twenty-eight fiefs. According to the rumors anyway."
"How can we discredit him?" asked Hith. "If he is not stopped then the kingdom is lost."
"We have to prove that he cannot protect them with his "powers"," said Bant. "Or we have to discredit him by using other superstitions against him."
"If we knew where his bandits where camped we could kill them," said Hith. "But that wouldn't solve the problem as he could use his influence to say that the globe had banished them."
"The only way that would work is if we killed all the bandits and replaced them with our own men and attacked," said Bant. "But then we'd have to kill our own people or damage a village."
"Your right, Bant," said the Baron. "We can't stoop to that level."
"There is one legend we could exploit," said Coll. "The legend of the female champion and her companion. The archer. who comes when the kingdom is in danger. It's mostly forgotten now except by the oldest people in the villages."
The Baron pounced on the idea. "But we could make it work, right?"
"I believe we could," said Bant slowly. "Coll, can you find the bandit's camp?"
"I can," said Coll with a grin. "And I can be the archer. It's said that his aim is legendary and he never misses his target. Even if it's a hair ten paces away."
"I highly doubt that your aim is that good," said the Baron doubtfully.
"You've obviously never seen him shoot," said Bant grimly. "I've seen him sever bowstrings from thirty paces away. Two in a row in fact."
Baron Hith looked at Coll. "So you're the archer, who is our female champion?" I assume we would need someone who is skilled at combat."
"Lisa is our champion," said Bant. Ignoring the fact that Lisa's jaw had dropped. "She has all the skill needed. She just lacks experience."
"But she's so young!" balked Hith. "We can't just put the fate of the kingdom in her hands!"
"Her and Coll's hands," corrected Bant. The wanderer is only in one village at a time. The bandits have raided two villages succesfully in this fief. Only a few casulties among the villagers but the guards were all killed. We need to find their next target and stop them from raiding it. That'll start rumors circulating of the Warrior and her companion."
Suddenly the door to the office swung open. A man in villager's clothing but with the look of an experienced warrior entered.
"My lord," he said as he dropped to one knee. "The Wanderer has left the village. He is headed for the village of Lanthnal."
"Bant, this is Nathinel, the head of my personal guard," said Baron Hith. "he is responsible for keeping tabs on the wanderer."
Hith stood up and walked over to a map on the wall.
"There's a few villages in that area," said Hith as he looked at the map. "All within a day's ride of the next." He looked at Bant. "A perfect spot for his strategy."
"We'd better get going if we're going to stop him," said Bant. "And no we can't kill him," he said to Coll. "He's probably not the only one in the kingdom. We need to discredit him completely. And that means overturning the reputation of him and his god."
"Right," said Coll.
"I want you and Lisa to find the bandit camp," said Bant. "Or what's left of it and then follow them. Coll find out what you can of their plans. then plan an attack on the bandits when they attack. I'm going to Lanthnal to find out more about the Wanderer. There's a message post in Witning. Send a message to me from there once you know more. Use the name Bilthnen instead of mine."
Bant turned to Lisa. "Witning is probably the first village they'll attack as it's closest to here. I'll try to meet you both there. Listen to Coll. he has more experience than you in dealing with threats like this and planning attacks against overwhelming odds." He looked her grimly. "The two of you will be facing a large and organized bandit group without me. I trust Coll's and your skills to get you through and start this rumor that the warrior has returned."
Bant looked at Hith. "Let her draw full armor from the armory. She'll need it."
"What symbol does the warrior carry on her shield?" he asked Coll.
"A black dove on a white shield," said Coll. "I'll paint it on her shield while we go. It's a few days ride to there."
"Get what you need then leave," said Bant. "I'll get as much information as I can then meet you there unless I send word otherwise."
"Bant," said Hith. "I want you to take Nathinel with you if you don't mind," said Baron Hith. "He was once an apprentice to your order. And he is also aware of what they can do."
Bant looked Nathinel over. he was short and wiry but looked experienced despite his current clothes.
"How soon can you be ready to travel?" he asked.
"One hour my lord," he said.
"get what you need and meet me at the main gate," said Bant. "We'll leave shortly after Coll and Lisa."
Bant turned to the window. "Alumsin acven. Vivistia," he said in the language of his home. We ride for the future of others. To victory.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
