At the break of dawn, Brondulf and Rhunal snapped out of sleep to distant screams and shouting. They strapped on their weapons and followed the sounds of conflict. It led them first to a dead man wearing Fara’s gang’s colors, a strip of green fabric around his arm and ankle. Several arrows had pierced his body.

A trail of blood led away from him. After following that for a while, they found a higher vantage point. A pair of bloody bandits with the same green identifiers were fleeing from a group of four. The four were well-outfitted with weapons and armor. Fara’s two gang members were cornered. 

“If this is the state of things, Fara’s clan will be overrun very quickly. But we can use this to get in their good graces,” Rhun said.

“Fara had told us to wait,” Bron said.

“Oh, come on!”

“Fine. You have a plan, I take it?”

Rhun extended both hands, fire blazing from one palm and wind magic circling her other arm. “I rain firebolts on them. You get into an ambush position behind them. You won’t have the stone hand, but your shield and sword should be enough.”

“Give me a minute to get there.”

“Those two down there don’t have a minute. When I start throwing, they’ll circle around to get up this hill. That’s your moment.” 

Bron didn’t have time to argue before her fire was raining from the sky. He lumbered down the rock as quickly as possible. Rhun had mastered aiming her firebolts with wind magic. It was more time consuming to cast the spell and more exhausting. But the wind wrapped firebolts could seek opponents as they tried to dodge. Two of the pursing bandits were struck in the legs, hobbling them, separating them from the group. The other two scrambled up the rocks towards Rhunal. 

They passed Bron’s position, and he emerged behind them. Despite his lack of a left hand, Bron wore a shield strapped around his arm. The pair swung madly at the onrushing giant, but nothing could get through his broad shield. His heavy broadsword pierced their armor, and they fell.   

The wounded, lagging pair loosed arrows at the she-orc on the rocky hill, clipping her in the shoulder. Rather than throw firebolts at the stone they were hiding behind, she joined the fray with Bron. The pair endured a storm of arrows, but Bron had his shield, and she had her magic barrier. They circled the rock from both sides. Rhun took the opportunity to test out her new mace on her target’s helmet. The simple round mace was intended to avoid triggering her blood rage. Brute force alone did the job.

Now that the fight was over, the pair of cornered bandits from Fara’s gang came out of hiding. They were grateful for the rescue. They insisted on bringing the pair back to their hideout. But Bron and Rhun were asked to leave their weapons at the entrance. The leader, Mattias, wanted to meet them, but he was nervous about strangers these days.

They were led up the winding pathways of the narrow cave. Near the top, it opened up into a large chamber. Large stalactite and stalagmite pillars were scattered throughout the cavern. A narrow ledge led up to a final upper chamber. Unlike the rest of the cave this upper room was bright. At the back of that chamber was daylight and a long drop to the forest below.

At the top was Mattias, a tall man of slight build. He had the poise of an experienced warrior. A long, delicate blade was already in his hand. 

“I have heard of the giant and the she-orc mage. But I know your loyalties. Kyvril’s best enforcers. What are you doing here, interfering with my gang? Down below, Fara moved forward to intercede on their behalf, but Bron made eye contact with her, warning her not to interfere on their behalf with a glance. 

“We helped your two people because we are not here as enemies. The bandit army that has been wiping out all its opposition is the real threat,” Bron said.

“I don’t buy it.” Mattias snarled. “Kyvril, the cutlass of the frontier, wants to help my little gang? Nonsense.”

“We wouldn’t have saved your people if we planned harm against you. We are only two, anyway. Whatever our reputation, we don’t have the numbers to threaten your entire gang.”

“Perhaps you aren’t here to cause direct damage. By saving my two, you caused more damage to the larger number of bandits.”

He ran his left hand along the edge of his blade. “What is the real reason for Kyvril to send his best here? Ensure that both groups cause as much damage to each other as possible? Have you already visited the other gangs, offering this same friendship?”

Rhun looked to Bron. Weaponless, they were in a bad spot. Fara’s chief looked haggard. His words and tone were unstable. Rhun had her magic, and could use it to take one of the bandits’ weapons. Should she do it? Bron looked back at her, hesitation on his face. An impact from below reverberated throughout the cave. Cutting through the tense meeting. 

One of the gang pushed through those watching the meeting below. “Mattias! The lower door is under attack! We’ve been discovered at last.” 

“The four we killed were part of this vanguard,” Bron said. “We aren’t planning anything, only to warn the rest of your gang. It was never a goal of ours to help your group. But we see this alliance of the most cutthroat gangs as the real threat to the frontier.”

 The bloodied pair who they’d helped spoke up. “We were dead to rights, Mattias. Four against two and the other gang came armed and armored for a battle.”

Mattias frowned. “You haven’t explained why you’re here in our territory. No one cares about the fate of a small gang of thieves. If you were really here to eliminate the alliance of the other gangs, you’d have brought more than two! You’re lying to me.”

Bron sighed. “You aren’t entirely wrong. I can only come clean and tell you our entire mission.” He spoke of Kyvril’s brother and the young man, Lovell, buried next to him. Kyvril learned of the coming bandit war. He learned that Lovell’s twin siblings had joined a gang on the frontline of this war. Kyvril wanted to get the pair out, but also any member of the gang that wanted to escape the conflict. Bron kept Fara’s name out of it, stating that Kyvr specifically noticed that this gang avoided bloodshed. 

But while trying to convince the leader, the front gate smashed inward. The first attackers flooded into the cave. Swords rang off shields, armor, and other weapons. The same scout returned to tell the tale. “The lower entrance is narrow. We’re holding them back for the moment. There are a lot of them trying to force their way in. Big men, and they’re wearing us down. “

Rhun turned to Bron. “We’re running out of time. I know your abilities, Bron. If anyone can hold a narrow chokepoint, it’s you. Hold the line, and I will convince Mattias of what must be done.”