Volsten followed the blade. At the end of it was a woman, considerably younger than himself.

“Gonna lift my foot, handsome. You back away from that blade when I do or that sleepin’ beauty’s gonna wakeup to an awful sight.”

The pressure on his arm was gone. Volsten had a mind to reach for the blade anyway, to see just how quick she was, but he thought better of it. He backed away from it. As he did, she stooped low to pick it up. At no point did her eyes or the tip of her sword leave him.

She allowed him a few yards of distance. From here, he studied her. He assumed she was a common bandit, but she was surprisingly well-fitted for one. She wore sturdy leather armor over her arms and chest, complete with straps and a small cloth overhang on one of her shoulders, but left her middle bare. A knife hung on her belt; a belt that held steadfast to trousers much tighter than his own. It had been some time since he came face-to-face with a bandit, but he couldn’t imagine that many of them looked like this.

Volsten slowly rose to his feet. There was no telling how this woman would react to sudden movements. He chanced a look at Xyra, hoping to Inera that she covered herself during the night. His eyes fell on a hooded dragon, face child-like in its peacefulness.

At least I have no worry of that, he thought. His head swiveled back to the bandit. No longer was his blade safely in its sheath. She had pulled it free, and admired it in the morning glow.

“Would ya look at this thing!” she said gleefully. “Ain’t seen a sword this fine since…well, ever.”

“It’ll likely be your last,” Volsten said.

Lirem’s cheerful smile sagged a bit. “Now, that kinda talk will get you killed. I don’t wanna do that. R gets real mad when I kill noble folk like you.”

A murderer and thief. Great. “You’ve mistaken me for a noble, I see.”

“Just cause your clothes are a little dirty don’t mean you’re poor,” she said, eyes covering him from head to boot-tip. “And this is a nobleman’s blade if ever I seen one.”

“Alright. What do you want?”

She gestured with blade to Xyra. “Get her up first.”

Keeping Lirem in sight, Volsten stepped to Xyra, kneeled, and then shook. Her eyes slowly opened to the world and found him.

“Xyra.” He leaned close to a hooded ear. “Sit up.”

Worry etched itself across her face. She brought herself up, and as her attention changed from him to Lirem, worry became fear.

“Morning!” Lirem said.

“Hello,” Xyra said with all the softness of a rock.

“Anything on you?”

“No,” Volsten answered for her. He faced Lirem again. “Now that we’re both awake, what do you want?”

Lirem sighed. “First, I have to do this properly, or R’ll get hitting mad: Whoa, traveler. You are tresspassin’ in territory held by the Freemen of Redcrest. There is a fee to be levied on these roads for their, uh,” she furrowed her brow, then continued, “better sustainment, and for the continued well-being of their stewards, known as the Freemen of Redcrest. This is Lirem Freemen, most beautiful of the Freemen-”

Volsten snorted.

She looked away to finish. “A-And I will be levyin’ your contribution today. Thank you.” She groaned into the morning sky.

There was clapping somewhere beyond her, in the forest. Two rather rough looking men stepped forward. They both looked much like Lirem, but with the decency to conceal their stomachs from the world. Something pressed on his legs; Xyra had moved behind him, still on the ground. I hope she doesn’t think she’s hiding.

“Not your best, but you’re learnin’ alright.” The one on her left said. He looked much older than the other two. And much, much bigger.

“She knows the words,” the other said. “She just ain’t got the fortitude to say ’em all without trippin’.”

Lirem’s face was a mess of red embarrassment. “I asked for no review from you idiots!” she spat.

“Oh?” The large one said. “Well, R says we don’t gotta wait for your permission anymore.”

Lirem whirled on that one. “Is R here right now?”

“No,” the man said, clearly perplexed by the question.

“Then how’s he gonna stop me from guttin’ you!” She jabbed the sword at this leathered stomach. Despite the armor, he jumped backwards into a tree. Lirem continued her assault on him, giving light pokes that made him dance in avoidance.

The other man eyed Volsten carefully. His look wasn’t altogether hostile as he walked towards them. “Aye, sir,” he said. “Name’s Alin. The big one over there is Dees. Of course, ya already met little Lirem.”

“Courtesy from a bandit? This is new.”

Alin chuckled softly. “I knew you’d think that, but we aren’t bandits.” His eyes shifted lower, to Xyra. “Not exactly, anyway.”

“Ah, you just act like bandits. I suppose that makes sense.”

“Lirem does, but she’s…special, I can say. One too many stories pertainin’ to robbery when she was shorter.”

Behind Alin, Lirem had forced Dees to the grass, where he cowered with a covered head.

“Ah. So I suppose you’ll just let us leave, then?”

Alin’s face hardened. “I can’t do that, now. Lirem isn’t representative of us all, but there is a contribution to be given.”

Of course. “And how much is this ‘contribution’?”

“20 crowns.” Lirem said behind him. “Back off, Alin! Pretty boy’s mine. I saw ’em first!”

Volsten jumped. How did she get back there?

Alin didn’t seem to notice. Or care. “We all saw the light last night, Lirem. You gettin’ here first doesn’t mean a damn thing.”

“Not gonna let you tell R that you got this one,” she said. Xyra whimpered, and Volsten felt a sharp pain in his lower back. “Alin. Back. Off!”

Alin threw his arms up. “Fine! But I swear on the goddess’s tits: If you kill them, I’m not gonna tell R to stop this time.” He started for the forest.

“Make yourselves useful and get this girl!” she shouted. “I don’t care which does it!”

Alin continued his walk. Dees still sat on the grass, patting at his dented leather.

“DEES!” she shouted.

Dees looked up, startled from his worrying.

“Come grab this girl before I really stab you!”

He moved with swiftness for his size. With every step Xyra’s grip on his leg grew tighter, to the point of pain. Dees took hold of her, and Volsten waited for him to pull her away. Moments passed. There was much grunting in his ear, but Xyra was steadfast where she was.

“Ya playin’ games, Dees?”

Grunt

“Ya can’t move a little woman, Dees?” Lirem’s anger had turned into astonishment.

“I don’t know, Lirem,” Dees said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. “She’s ain’t moving an inch, and I know she should be!”

Xyra’s grip on his leg had become agony. “It’s ok,” Volsten said. He gave her the most reassuring look he could. “You can let go of my leg.”

“No, Volsten…” Xyra said.

“The sooner you do, the sooner we can be on our way.”

Another round of grunting, and Xyra loosened her grip. Volsten sighed with the relief of having his leg back. He watched as Dees huffed Xyra away, closer to the forest, but not quite as far as Alin.

“Now, 20 crowns,” Lirem said. She pressed her blade further into his back. “You can give ‘em, or I can make you real sorry ya didn’t.”

He could feel the heat of her. She was close-too close. Her sword had much more reach than she was giving it.

Hmm. It was a small thing, but did she not truly know how to use it? A bandit in the middle of the forest would likely have a basic understanding of swordplay, but that wouldn’t give them a chance against a knight. Volsten shifted his leg. Small motion, it was, but he hoped that she didn’t notice.

He felt no push from the blade. She didn’t notice. “I’m afraid I don’t have 20 crowns,” he lied. “This was just a short trip with my sister for herbs. Terribly sensitive to the sun she is.”

“Ya gotta buy ‘em, don’t ya?” she felt around his belt. “If it ain’t here, I know it’s on that damn horse!”

Volsten locked eyes with Xyra. She really did look like a child next to Dees. He had one giant arm around her chest, holding her in place. Xyra gripped it with both arms, peering over.

His tried to tell her with his eyes that he was going to do something stupid. There was no sign that she understood.

“To be honest,” Volsten said, “had you simply asked, I would have given you anything you asked for.”

“Ha!” She reached into his pockets, where he kept nothing. “Ya nobles love money more than anything. You’d sooner die than do that.”

She wasn’t completely wrong. “And my love of money is surpassed only by my love for beautiful women. It’s a weakness of mine, you see.”

“I don’t see what that’s gotta do with me.” He could feel her rummaging around. They weren’t deep pockets; by now she should be sure that they’re empty.

“It has much to do with you, Lady Lirem.” Volsten said. He layered richness in his words, the kind that captured many a noble woman’s interest.

“G-goddess, why do ya speak so much?” Lirem said. The edge in her voice was dulled.

“It’s not often one meets a person like you, my lady.” Volsten lowered his arms a little. “Beauty at the end of blade.”

Gah! Lirem had saw fit to nearly stab him that time.

“If…if you don’t shut up,” Lirem struggled to say. “I’m…I’m gonna kill ya! Contribution be damned!”

“Wild, dark hair that would be unbecoming on the prim and proper heads of those in the cities, yet it suits you all too well. Dare I say, even lifts you above."

Lirem’s breathing was heavy. The blade moved not an inch.

How long must I keep this up? “You’re a bandit, that is true. Raised in the forest, or perhaps abandoned there. Your life has been rough, and as such you’ve disregarded all notions of romance and love. A simple rut is all you’ve known, no tenderness or comfort.”

He didn’t know what Lirem’s face said behind him. Alin stared at him, his face a mix of curiosity and laughter. Dees squinted at him. He had no idea what that could possibly mean.

“But, I tell you,” Volsten said. “It doesn’t have to be like that! You can love and be loved. It would be one of Adamore’s greatest tragedies for the beautiful Lady Lirem to waste away in the Redcrest, sticking up random travelers too entranced by her beauty to resist.”

Volsten waited patiently.

“R always said I must be a noble’s daughter,” she said after a time. “Too pretty to be from anything else than Inera’s own blood. But…do ya mean that, what ya said?”

“Which part?” Volsten asked. He’d already forgotten some of it.

“About the cities…I never been to one. R says the women up there are images of the goddesses. No way I’m prettier than one of them…”

“Lirem,” Volsten said. “Is it fine if I face you?”

Moments later the sharpness against his back was gone. “Go on, but nothin' funny!”

“Ya can’t be serious, Little L.” That sounded like Alin.

When Volsten turned, he saw cheeks of deep red and, while still pointed at him, a sword that drooped considerably. She wasn’t pretty, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to call her cute.

He gasped. “Lady Lirem, now that I can see you so clearly, I am convinced! I can promise you that what I say is true. Knight’s Honor.”

She about dropped her sword at that. “Y-you’re a damn knight?” She stared past him. Suddenly this forest killer was no different from an excited little girl. “Alin! Dees! Did ya hear that? A knight said that to me! ME!”

“Yeah, we heard ‘em lie alright,” Alin groaned.

“Goddess! Wait until R gets ear of this, he’s gonna bust right outta his fuckin’ shirt!” Lirem smiled at him.

Her sword rested at her side. Perfect! Volsten clenched his fist. “It’s safe to say that I’ve never been so enthralled by a woman before, at least not at first sight."

“We still gettin’ the contribution, or…?” Dees asked.

Lirem looked down at her feet. “It’s probably too much to ask a pretty nobleman like you to join-“

Volsten punched her in the face.