"I see you found some villagers Pitre. How did you do this?"
"I will not lie to you. We did as you asked and found the war band that had destroyed this village. They were near a small lake and they were mistreating these villagers. I instructed Rolf to go try and free the villagers and I engaged the war band."
"Then you did not do as I asked. I expressly told you not to engage, only to find and report. Pitre, I am very disappointed in you."
"We saved all the remains villagers, and we rid the Realm of a war band."
"It went the right way this time, but you are far too reckless Pitre. What would have happened if you had been slain? What would be of Rolf? What would be of those people over there? If you would have done as you were told, we could have engaged the war band as a unit, and those questions would not need be asked. You are a Targen Knight now, and part of being that, is following orders and working as a unit. We are knights, not a single person. No matter how strong, or fast you are, we will always be stronger and faster when we are working together. Do you understand me Pitre?"
"Yes sir, but there...."
"Yes sir is all you need to say. For the rest of our time out here in the wilds, you will oversee those villagers. You will get them food and water when needed, and you will see to their safety. You will no longer go out and scout. Those are your orders, and I expect you to follow them."
"Yes, sir."
"That is more like it. Don't worry, you won't be seeing to them alone. Your partner in crime over there will be right there with you. I was hoping he would be the difference in you following orders out there, I was wrong."
"Yes, sir."
"Now that discipline is taken care of, tell me what happened out there. I want to hear it from you first."
"It was as I said. We came across the war band. The villagers were changed to a wagon, and were being mistreated. The war band was sitting around laughing and enjoying a meal, while the villagers were being starved. I couldn't take it any longer, and I was worried that they would leave the area before we could make it back to you. I told Rolf to sneak over and work on freeing the villagers as I rushed the war band. I remember entering the area around the campfire, and then it was a blur of blades and blood until Rolf walked up to me when it was all over. I rinsed myself in the small lake as Rolf helped feed everyone. Once everyone was taken care of and seen to any injuries, we came back here."
"Pitre, you took on an entire war band by yourself?"
"That is what Rolf said, but I'm sure that once he freed the villagers, he assisted me. He was right there at the end with the villagers."
"I will hear his side later. Pitre, you are remarkable, but that was a risk not needed to take. You are the best sword in the Realm, and we are going to need you if we are ever to see the Kingdom again. Please do not take a foolish risk like that again. If you can take an entire war band down, then we all could have taken that war band down."
"I'm sorry Darius. I just felt a rage come over me at how those people were being treated, and how those Raiders were just laughing. I had to do something before any more harm could come to those villagers."
"I understand Pitre, I do, but if you had been killed during that fight, it would have done none of us any good, and those villagers would have paid a price that you would have been the cause of. Their were no consequences this time, but that won't always be true. No go over and take care of those villagers, until we get back to the Crystal Palace."
"Yes, sir."
"Oh, and send Rolf over to me, it's his turn."
"Yes sir."
I told Rolf to see Sir Darius and I watched as he stood in front of the man with his head hung low. He simply nodded and shifted his weight back and forth on his feet. I saw to every need of the villagers. Each one continued to thank me for saving them. I would tell them all that Rolf was the one that freed them, I was merely a distraction, so that he could do it. It was as Rolf said though. I stayed near them and I could hear the muffled voices, telling the tale of The Patchwork Knight that fell from the night sky and vanquished the foe. His reached out as if their true home was in each Raiders chest, and they wouldn't be happy until they entered their home. A river of blood filled the lake by the clearing until The Patchwork Knight enters the lake and cleared the blood from it. He washed the stench of the Raiders from the land. I have no idea where that last part came from, but that was the story that was being told.
***
The journey back to the palace was long. We couldn't ride had with the villagers in tow. I surrendered my horse to an old woman, so that she could ride rather than walk, and I filed in with the rest of the villagers as Sir Constance led the woman by reign on his horse.
I heard the harrowing tales of the Raiders assaulting their village. They were a small farming village before it was destroyed, so they had no defenses. The Raiders rode in with torches blazing. Lighting every house and stable on fire, burning the crops. Any man that stood up to them was stuck down before they could even swing a hoe or shovel at their attackers. The Raiders rounded up all survivors and then killed anyone that looked like they were capable to fight. They were left to burn in the ruins of the village.
The villagers were told that they were going to work for the Mudwood, in order to earn their lives. No work, no life. They wouldn't last long, and would die off in a short time with they way they were being mistreated. They would live, but for only a short time. The Mudwood would work them to death.
I would see the King back in his Kingdom, if it was the last thing I would do. The Targen Realm would be free again.
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