Mastery Is Earned

Night had fully fallen. The bonfire at the center of the camp burned ever brighter, while torches were hung outside several shelters one after another, lighting up most of the hollow. Once the hidden sentry returned, the wooden gate at the camp entrance was closed from within and secured with a thick bar.

Since they would be leaving the next day, the bandits brought out all their remaining meat and alcohol and gathered around the bonfire to eat and drink. Shouts, laughter, and curses constantly drifted from the hollow, helping to mask quieter sounds.

Raymond did not hurry down the game trail. He remained prone on the slope and continued observing.

Two guards remained at the camp entrance, while another pair of bandits patrolled the hollow together. One man also stood watch outside the cave where Henk was being held. A ring of keys hung at his waist, producing faint clinks whenever he rose and moved around. To enter the cave, Raymond would first have to deal with this guard.

He patiently waited until the two patrolling bandits headed toward the far side of the camp. Only then did he return to the game trail he had discovered, gripping cracks in the stone and exposed roots as he slowly descended against the rock wall. The route was even steeper than it had appeared from above, and in several places he could barely squeeze through with his body turned sideways.

Raymond had only made it halfway down when footsteps sounded below. He immediately stopped moving and pressed himself flat against the rock wall. Two bandits carrying a wooden barrel full of food walked from the center of the camp toward the cave at the rear. They had plainly drunk a great deal and made no effort to lower their voices.

“We still have to feed that half-orc? He’s out cold. Missing one meal won’t kill him.”

“The boss is counting on selling him to an arena. A brute that size has to be worth plenty.”

The bandit in front could not resist complaining. “If that bastard hadn’t followed us all the way here, we wouldn’t have to pack everything up overnight. Damn. I wonder if Mr. T will blame us.”

Their voices gradually faded into the distance. Only after making certain there was no other movement nearby did Raymond continue down the game trail.

Judging from what they had said, Henk’s life was not in immediate danger. The group intended to sell him to an arena as merchandise. The reason for their sudden departure was also clear. Henk had not only tracked them here; he had also made them realize their hideout might have been exposed.

It took Raymond considerable time, but he finally made his way around to the rear of the camp.

The cave holding Henk lay directly below the rock wall. The faint sound of a woman crying came from deep inside. Sarah was very likely being held there as well.

The two bandits who had delivered the food were already gone. Only the guard with the keys remained, sitting near the cave entrance and occasionally looking toward the center of the camp.

A dilapidated shed stood not far from the cave, filled with moldy hay, torn burlap sacks, and rotting pelts that had been improperly treated. Their overpowering stench mingled with wastewater flowing from the stables. Almost none of the bandits were willing to approach the area.

While the camp was at its noisiest, Raymond slipped into the shed. He found a narrow blind spot between an abandoned shelf and the rock wall, then concealed himself in the shadows.

The hiding place was close enough to the cave, yet shielded from the firelight at the center of the camp. Raymond did not act immediately. Although the cave guard was alone, many people in the camp were still awake. Striking now could easily alert the nearby patrol. All he could do was continue waiting.

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After a while, the two patrolling bandits passed outside the shed and stopped beside the cave guard.

One of them glanced at the nearly full wagons and casually asked, “The carts in back are almost full too. What are we doing with the women in the cave?”

“Pack the younger women and the children in tighter. Get rid of all the rest,” the cave guard replied indifferently. “Leader’s orders.”

“We have to dig another pit?”

“Why bother? Just throw them into the woods. The beasts will clean everything up themselves.”

The first bandit glanced toward the cave, sounding somewhat regretful. “If they’re going to die anyway, why not let the boys have some fun with them tonight? Otherwise, what a waste.”

“The leader just said no one’s allowed to cause trouble tonight. We don’t need something going wrong right before we leave,” the other man said. “Once we reach Brightwater Bay, we’ll find a few whores to entertain us. They’ll be a lot more fun than these women.”

The cave guard did not answer immediately. He looked back into the depths of the cave. After a moment, he muttered, “Tch. I happen to like decent women.”

The two patrolmen laughed and traded a few curses with him, then soon left the area around the cave. Once they were gone, the guard picked up the wineskin beside him and tipped back his head for several more swallows.

Hidden inside the shed, Raymond tightened his grip on the shortsword. Dario had refused to continue the search the previous night because the forest became too dangerous after dark. Even if Teddy delivered the news promptly, the town guard would most likely wait until daylight before taking action. But by the time they arrived, the captives who could not be taken along might already be dead.

As the night deepened, the noise outside gradually faded until only occasional footsteps and intermittent snores remained.

Click.

The sound of an iron lock opening abruptly broke the quiet. Raymond was barely breathing, but he caught the faint, unusual sound instantly.

A cry and a burst of commotion followed, then curses and the sounds of a struggle. After several sharp slaps, the noises gradually died away. The iron lock closed again. Footsteps followed, drawing steadily closer.

The space here was extremely cramped, making his one-handed sword difficult to wield. He drew the shortsword that had belonged to Tom and held it ready, staring coldly at the entrance.

A man with a drink-reddened face appeared in the doorway, roughly dragging a woman into the shed. He shoved the woman to the floor, a vicious smile tugging at his lips.

Just as the woman was about to scream, the man held a silver-glinting dagger before her face. “Don’t make a sound, or I can’t promise where this blade might cut you.”

The woman squeezed her eyes shut, trembling, but could not keep herself from struggling.

Seeing her seemingly resign herself to her fate, the bandit let out a satisfied laugh. He seized her legs and dragged her onto the hay, turning his back to the depths of the shed. He set the dagger aside and leered at the woman’s body, letting out several obscene chuckles.

Impatiently, he reached for his belt, intending to pull down his trousers. With his back to the room, he completely failed to notice Raymond quietly rising from the darkness. Consumed by lust, he did not hear Raymond’s deliberately muffled footsteps either.

The moment the bandit pulled down his trousers, Raymond struck without hesitation. Raymond lunged from behind. His left hand clamped tightly over the bandit’s mouth and nose, while his right drove the shortsword hard beneath the man’s ear. The bandit’s body abruptly went rigid.

His hands clawed wildly behind him, and his elbows repeatedly slammed into Raymond. Gritting his teeth, Raymond dragged the man backward into the shadows without ever loosening the hand over his mouth and nose. Only after a long while did the man’s struggles gradually weaken, then cease entirely.

The woman, who had already resigned herself to what was coming, stared at Raymond’s sudden appearance in terror. Raymond raised a finger to his lips and softly shushed her. Only then did the woman understand. She hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands, holding back her scream.

Raymond did not lower his guard merely because the man had stopped moving. He laid the body on the ground, then cautiously stabbed him several more times in the heart and throat. After confirming the man was dead, Raymond removed the ring of keys from the dead man’s waist and tucked it inside his clothes. He then dragged the body into the corner where he himself had been hiding.

Only after all this was done did Raymond turn to the terrified woman. Without approaching any closer, he kept his bloodstained shortsword lowered and crouched several paces away from her.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not one of them.” He pointed toward the cave and lowered his voice. “I’m here to rescue you.”