“Do you think we’ll find the bandits tomorrow?” Lia asked, her voice softer than before.
“Maybe,” I answered. “If I were a bandit, I would try to wait in a spot that most wagons pass at dusk, just before they stop for the night. Hiding spots aren’t really an issue on this road, given all the hills, so they can probably set up anywhere they want.” I waited for a response, then continued when she stayed quiet. “Are you nervous?”
“No!” she replied immediately, opening her eyes and withdrawing her extended mana. “Not for us, at least. I don’t think we’ll find any bandits strong enough to be dangerous for us, no matter how many there are.” Her eyes fell as she continued. “I’m worried about Elise’s traders, though. I don’t understand why they’re still missing.”
“That is strange,” I agreed. “It’s possible that they’re being held hostage in hopes of a larger ransom, but it would be difficult to hold that many people captive at once. Maybe they’re all grouped up together, hiding out in the Midlands while they plan a mission to steal all of the caravan supplies back.” I followed suit with Lia and ended my meditation, opening my eyes to find the campsite dark. “Whatever the case may be, we’ll find out together, and we’ll deal with it together.”
“I know we will,” she said as she fell back onto her sleeping mat. “That doesn’t stop me from worrying, though.”
“If you figure out a cure for worrying, make sure to let me know,” I laughed, shrugging out of my cloak. “I haven’t been able to figure it out for the past...however long it’s been.” I fluffed the cloak out in front of me as I lay down beside her, spreading the warm fabric over us like a blanket. Lia gladly accepted the offering and drew herself close to me.
“Okay, I will,” she nodded as she pressed her back against my chest. I felt her laugh quietly beside me before she whispered under her breath. “Old bones.” My hand raced along her side to the small patch of exposed undershirt between her armor pieces and clamped down, roughly tickling her hip. She jolted at the sudden touch and let out a surprised yelp, slapping at my hand as she laughed. “Hey! Stop that!” she cried, trying to fight her way out of my reach.
I gave up the assault after a few seconds and pulled her back into my arms. She turned her head and watched me through narrowed eyes, her hand resting firmly on my wrist to combat any further attempts. Satisfied, I smiled and closed my eyes as I found a comfortable sleeping position. “I love you.”
After a few moments of tense waiting, I felt her relax in my arms as she prepared for sleep along with me. “I love you, too.”
---
We broke camp at sunrise the next morning and began our first full day of travel through the Midlands. Similar to the day before, the only traffic we encountered on the road was trading caravans and passenger carriages, all of which sped up and gave us a wide berth when we came into sight on the road. The hard glares and white-knuckled grip of the drivers and guards we passed reinforced the idea of the danger of the Midlands, despite the fact that Lia and I hadn’t experienced anything out of the ordinary compared to our other road trips.
Our peaceful journey finally changed an hour before sunset. My Detection revealed a woman hidden in a bank of shrubs atop a particularly large hill a few miles away, well out of sight. She watched the road in our direction with a long spyglass, lying perfectly still below her leafy cover. Four men lounged at the base of the hill behind her, sitting around a large wooden chest and playing a lazy game of cards. Across the road, three other brigands sat behind an equally tall hill, all sharing a roasted rabbit. A final lookout lay atop the opposite hill, keeping watch over the southern road.
Once we had taken a full measure of the situation, Lia and I continued towards the impending trap. When we eventually made our way into view of the lookout, she froze for a few moments, sizing us up through the spyglass, then shimmied out from her hiding spot and slid down the hill to her companions. They had a brief conversation before the entire troupe sprang to life, running back and forth in preparation for our arrival. Most took their places behind hills at the roadside, positioned in such a way that we would be surrounded if stopped in the proper place, while the scouts returned to their lookout points and resumed their watch duties.
An electric anticipation buzzed throughout my entire body as we approached. Not only was my adrenaline beginning to circulate in preparation for a fight, but my curiosity as to the fate of Elise’s caravans was at an all-time high as each step brought us closer to our answers. I took a series of deep, even breaths as I prepared for the interaction and thought through my potential opening lines.
Three of the bandits stepped into view as we approached the predestined spot. Each wore a set of fine, fur-lined leather armor, all matching in make and adornment. The man at the front of their formation had a longsword belted at his hip, while the two men behind him each wore a bow and quiver on their backs. A strange, brown tar covered the same spot at the top right corner of each of their cuirasses; the repeated detail intrigued me,
