"Sh!" Silver ordered, his senses on high alert.

Ingrid started to protest, but Silver placed her feet on the ground and clasped his hand over her mouth. The woods were still. Too still. The Guardian had been so focused on the criminal and sergeant that he had nearly missed all of the signs. The information had only entered his consciousness at the last moment.

After an instant he relaxed. "Ethyn, come out." When nothing happened, he nudged his boot at the brush by his feet.

A small voice cried out, "Ow!" Ethyn scrabbled out of the bushes, causing Rabert's eyes to widen in surprise. "You didn't have to kick me," Ethyn complained. He rubbed his backside with a pout.

"Then you follow orders and come out," Silver was unrepentant. "I did not actually kick you, but I can if you want."

"No, no! That's ok," the boy stood up straight and turned so his read was not in the reach of the man's foot.

Rabert, who had unsheathed his sword, put his weapon away. He furrowed his brow and motioned to Ethyn. "Do you make a habit of finding children in the woods?" Rabert wanted to know.

'Only when it comes to Ethyn.' Silver smiled slightly. "Not really, but this one is with me. He's the one who dislodged the dam."

"Oh?" Rabert looked at the boy with a new level of respect. "Well done, son! Very brave! You will make a good soldier when the time comes. The king's army is always in need of good men."

Ethyn's chest puffed out in pride. Part of him wanted to say that he only cut three of the cords, but he did not want to seem rude and have the compliment retracted. "Thank you, sir," he said with a courtly bob of the head. Rabert raised one eyebrow at the Guardian.

"Ethyn will not be a soldier. He will be a knight," Silver corrected.

The young man nodded, his eyes full of hope and enthusiasm.

"Of course," Rabert nodded knowingly. He saw no reason to crush the boys dreams. Reality did that far too often for those who aimed too high. But for those who made it, the dreaming was more than worth the risk.

Silver liked the easy going nature of the sergeant. Rabert's face contained an winsome smile and large, kind eyes. His dark hair was mostly covered by a leather cap that sat dutifully atop his head. Silver again noticed the tear on the man's purple and gold uniform. He found himself relieved that the soldier had not been injured.

"You reflexes are very good. Your sleeve was sliced but your arm is unharmed," the Guardian noted.

"I would like to take credit, but this fabric is from Bratumil and they somehow manage to make if like thin armor. I know we do not always get along with those desert dwellers, but they do make excellent clothing."

"I have nothing against them," Silver said. He had actually found them quite hospitable when he made his way through their dunes. If he had found Haven among them, he would have been tempted to stay there. But Rynnlee, in the end, was where he was destined to be.

They continued on in silence. Rabert gave Ingrid gentle shoves to keep her moving, while Silver helped his exhausted friend maneuver the uneven forest floor. Finally they reached the bank once more. Conall and Aiden stood there anxiously with nine prisoners.

As many of the bandits were still dripping wet, Silver realized they had recently been added to the group from across the river. He regarded the sleeping giant and wondered how in the world Aiden and Conall had managed to move him.

The blood from Conall's thigh had stained his tunic and trousers, but it appeared the bleeding had either stopped or been washed away by the most recent trip through the river. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, Aiden was clearly favoring one leg.

Nearby two soldiers stood guarding everything. With them were three grazing horses. One of the soldiers was patting the mare closest to him gently as he watched the proceedings with grim approval. The other was pacing slightly, working out what should happen next. When they saw their sergeant, both of their faces relaxed.

"Cole and Philip, it's good to see you." Rabert greeted his men. "And I see you have found my steed, Trounce. Naughty horse left me for dead."

Rabert's voice was friendly, and the other two soldiers smiled in response. Silver was happy to find they did not fear their sergeant. 'They respect him. It's a mark of a good leader.' Rabert handed Ingrid off to Cole and turned to face the rest of the prisoners.

"These men made our job much easier. They did all the hard work without us." Philip motioned to Aiden and Conall.

"I suppose they are with you too?" Rabert asked the Guardian. While the villager that flagged them down had mentioned a man in a dark cape and the bandits, he had been too rushed to give much more detail.

"I am proud to say they are," Silver answered without hesitation. He nodded appreciatively. "I could not have done it alone."

"Good work. And these are our notorious Water Bandits?"

"I am not familiar with that particular name, but we caught them damming up the river. I suppose it is safe to make that leap." Silver mused.

"We are just farmers!" One of the men called. "We were trying to reroute the river to our land."

"Where is your farm? Your story should be easy to check." Rabert said.

The man fumbled with his words. "Uh, just over there, but I am new so no one knows me yet."

"All of you are new? Surely someone would vouch for you." Rabert tapped his chin.

"Well, I don't think…"

"Shut your mouth, Barney! You will only dig us a deeper hole," Ingrid snapped. The time for lies and stories was back before they attacked. Anything they said now would just add to their guilt.

"Silence? Smart move." Placing his hand on his hips, Rabert glared at the misbehaving crew. "You all have been causing quite a bit of trouble. Well, I hope you lot like the inside of a cell. You are all under arrest to be transported to the nearest judge for a trial and sentencing."

The group grumbled, but the fight had been knocked out of them. Philip produced a rope and began tying the gang in a long line for easier transport. It would be a long walk to the magistrate, but there were not enough horses for them to ride.

Rabert faced the hooded figure. "If someone had told me I'd meet the Mighty Silver today, I would have told them their hat was on too tight."

Conall and Aiden froze and exchanged glances. The air was suddenly tense. The Guardian had not mentioned his name when Rabert asked, so the sergeant had either heard his identity from the villager or came to the conclusion on his own.

"If you know who I am, are you planning to arrest me too?"

Silver's voice was careful. He didn't want to sway the sergeant, merely gauge his intention. Conall and Aiden reached for the knives at their belts but Silver shook his head. Ethyn stood behind Silver and puffed up his chest, trying to appear imposing. It would have been comical if not for the severity of the question.

Robert's eyes narrowed and his mouth frowned deeply. "I'd rather cut off my own nose than arrest the man who just saved my life."

The tension released, and the Guardian's shoulders relaxed. He had been ready to disappear into the forest if necessary.

"Besides," Rabert went on, "There's no warrant for you arrest right now, and from what I can see," he motioned to the gang being roped together, "you do more good than harm. Now you and your 'law abiding' townsfolk better head back home. It'll be dark soon." Rabert reached out his hand toward Silver and the two shook forearms.

"I'm glad to have met you Sergeant Rabert," Silver said with warmth, "You do your profession much credit."

"Call on me anytime, truly. I can vouch for Cole and Philip too. They are good men. We are stationed at Fort Gordon." Rabert pointed toward the north. "We wouldn't even be down here if not for some trouble along the border. Baron Monte doesn't like us meddling in his province…"

'Then they aren't under the Baron's control. Good.'

"I may take you up on that offer," Silver told him. "Until then, thanks for taking these brigands off our hands."

"Don't give me too much praise, Guardian. I'm likely to get a swelled head."

The men released their arms and parted ways. Silver and those with him watched as the soldiers forced their prisoners into a march through the trees. Rabert mounted Trounce and waved farewell before making his way to the front of the winding column.

"They won't make it too far before they have to make camp. There's not much left of the light," Conall observed.

Having had enough excitement for one day, Silver nodded thoughtfully. "That means we don't have much time either. Let's head home."