“Get up there” Gerald cried slapping the reins. The horses strained, massive muscles rippling under their skin as they stepped forward. Henrik heaved against his tree branch turned pry bar at the rear of the wagon. With agonizing slowness it creaked forward pulling out of the furrow on the side of the trail that was holding the wheel in place. Gerald snapped the reins again urging the horses forward as the wheel slipped back on the trail.

With a sigh of relief Henrik dropped his makeshift pry bar into the furrow watching as Gerald’s wagon continued up the ever narrowing trail. “Hit it hard” he hollered to the wagon behind him. Rual nodded in understanding spurring his horses forward. Raul did not have a whole lot of distance but his horses were still fairly fresh. Henrik winced as the wagon slid into the furrow with a thump, the rear of the wagon bounced high as Raul crossed the furrow and Henrik swore he heard something crack. “Please not the axle” he prayed. Waving Mertin and his wagon forwards he did a quick round of Raul’s wagon as it lumbered onward in pursuit of Gerald who had disappeared in the closing forest. Finding the wheels in good shape he could only pray that it wasn’t the axle as they did not time to stop and check it. Already they we running dangerously late.

Looking back Mertin’s wagon had made it across the furrow and for the umpteenth time Henrik grew curious about the wagons contents. Whatever was in the wagons was damn heavy. With that questioning thought came the reminder of who had set this job up and the ever so explicit instructions he had given. Like a gust of wind the reminder of who he was working for blew his curiosity away. Henrik had managed to keep his compatriots unaware and he could only hope that once they were paid for this job that the sheer amount that this job paid would ease their anger at him. “After all” he mumbled to himself “ten thousand gold will set us all for life.”

Henrik’s shook himself out of his musing as Mertin’s wagon passed him mentally cursing himself as he ran to catch up with Gerald. The trail continued to narrow, the trail disappearing as the tress closed in on either side. Before long Henrik was lifting low hanging branches over Gerald’s head as he guided the wagon along the almost nonexistent path. Several minutes later the trail had all but vanished, the wagon wheels were scrapping against the trees and Henrik was at a loss. He had followed the directions he had been given to the letter. Right when Henrik believed that they were truly lost and would have to dump the wagons, turn around and ride the horses out the surrounding forest just dropped away.

Squinting in the bright sun Henrik twisted in his seat looking behind him in amazement. A wall of trees lined the edges of the clearing and beyond that there was nothing. He could not even see Raul’s wagon which he knew had been right behind them. A second later the wagon appeared the horses suddenly materializing out of the forest. Henrik saw Raul shade his eyes against the bright sun as he looked about the clearing as well. Gerald brought the wagon to a halt.

“Who are they?”

Henrik looked towards the two mounted men waiting in the middle of the clearing. Both of them wore pale white masks and a heavy brown cloaks and were armed with shortswords. As Raul pulled alongside them the lager rider swept the wagons before his gaze moved locking on Mertin’s wagon as it broke through the trees behind them. He placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.

“Our Employers” Henrik said in answer to Gerald’s question as he jumped down from the wagon.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Quickly striding from the edge of the clearing towards the mounted men he stopped several feet in front of them. Henrik gave a small bow. The men simply stared at him their pale masks revealing nothing. “We have acquired the goods as you requested. We encountered no resistance from the caravan’s guards exactly as you predicted and as per you instruction I have made sure that neither me nor my men have looked in any of the wagons.”

“Good” The tall man answered tossing a pouch to him. “Your payment as agreed”

Henrik fumbled with the drawstrings in his haste as he poured the pouches contents into his palm. Two Ruby red rectangles the size of his palm glistened in the sun shooting red rays across the clearing. Gerald, Mertin and Raul sat up straighter in their wagons. Henrik looked up at the man in confusion. “This is twice the amount we agreed on.”

“You have a problem with earning more money?”

“Ab…Absolutely not” Henrik Stammered. Twenty thousand for a simple smash and grab. He could hardly believe it. A hint of unease blossomed in his chest. Something did not feel right. A need to leave before their employer changed his mind twisted in his stomach. Slowly stepping backward Henrik risked another glace up at the man. He was looking towards the left, the opposite side of the clearing Henrik’s wagons had emerged from. “Might I ask why you have added this amount?”

The White mask turned back towards him. “To insure your Silence. It is far better than the other alternative so I suggest you unhook those horses and be on your way.”

The second rider lifted an inch of blade from the scabbard on his hip and growled “NOW”

“Of course, of course” Henrik bowed turning and dashing back to the wagons. “Gerald, Raul get those horses unhooked. Mertin help Raul Drop those harnesses we don’t need them.” His compatriots scrambled in to action. Henrik ran to help Gerald unhook his team at the same time keeping an eye on the two men. The tall one was watching the tree line again the other still holding his partially drawn sword.

“Why are we in a hurry?” Gerald quietly hissed.

Henrik hurriedly waved the question away motioning for him to hurry up. “Do as the Sentinel’s Ask. And don’t ask any more questions.”

There was a sharp intake of fear at the name Sentinel and Gerald’s movements sped up. Muffled thuds echoed in the clearing as wagon tongues and harness’s hit the ground. Clambering up onto their newly acquired mounts Henrik turned towards where he believed they had exited the tree line. It was nearly impossible to tell where they had exited from. It was all just a green wall. Drawing a line from the rear of his wagon Henrik gave it his best guess and pointed, Gerald instantly riding in that direction. Still keeping an eye’s on the two men he motioned Mertin and Raul past him as he grabbed the reins of the Remaining two horses and clambered up on to his own mount digging his heels in and pounding after Raul as he disappeared into the wall of green.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Ascelyn heard the pounding of hooves as the men disappeared into the forest and let out a quiet sigh. More blood that would soon soak his hands. His right hand felt heavy even though he had left his signet ring, the sign of his stature as a lord, back at his manor. The things he still had to do left a sour taste in his mouth. Ascelyn did not delight in the killing but it was the only way forward. To put the pieces he needed on the board required him to break rules. Rules that got people killed for something as simple as thinking about breaking them.

If only his father was here to handle this instead of himself Ascelyn thought with remorse. He was the better planner. Always a plan for everything. Every transaction. Every shipment. Everything came together when Rontul Adelard was at the helm. Though in all of his father’s grand schemes that lead their family to the heights of the merchant families he was unable to plan for his own death. Collapsing at table with some random guest’s from other family’s he was carried to his chambers and succumbed to his ailments before the healer could arrive. But before his dying breath he had managed to call for Ascelyn, explaining to him the true purpose behind all of his plans. Ascelyn shivered under his cloak despite the heat. The things his father had wheezed to him in that dark room. The secrets that now laid across his shoulders. There had had been a lot of blood on Rontul’s hands and now that blood would stain his own.

Next to him Ryner’s sword clicked back into its scabbard. Ascelyn was Glad for his friend’s company as he continued to scan the tree line. He needed someone to stand by him and he knew that Ryner would not leave his side for anything in the world. Which was why it hurt Ascelyn to lie to him like he did. Telling him that this was his and not his father’s plan. This had all been set in to motion by his father before his death and Ascelyn had no control over it. He had to continue or risk exposure and exposure would mean the end of Ascelyn’s line regardless of if the plan was successful or not. What came after this however was up to Ascelyn to decide and not left to the machinations of his now dead father. As the black covered wagons appeared from the opposite side of the forest, driven by men in light gray robes, Ascelyn hardened his resolve. He would not let those that died for this venture die in vain for they died to help further a greater cause. Freedom.