There are many sights a man could see to lift his spirits in the morning. A clear blue sky with the sun peeking just over the horizon, fresh snow blanketing an evergreen forest at the first sign of winter, a beautiful woman curled up next to him after a night of revelry and pleasure. For Helbram, even the site of a roof over his head would have been a small, yet reassuring comfort.

The knife at his throat? Not so much.

“Don’t move,” sneered his would-be assailant, a lanky, yet stocky man wearing clothes both too big and too small for him.

Helbram had to admit, any bystander would believe that the man had the obvious advantage. He sighed and raised his hands in surrender.

“Well, you’ve certainly caught me unawares,” he said, his resignation sounding hollow through his helmet, “but you can hardly expect to shake me down properly while I’m propped up against this tree, can you?”

The bandit paused, grip still firm on the weapon lodged at the armored man’s throat. He grinned shortly after, “You’re right, better for you to take that armor off for me anyhow. Up you go, slowly.”

Helbram obeyed, keeping his hands up as the blade never left his neck. He had to admit, the thief was quite professional, something that was further enforced as the man circled around him and positioned the knife at a gap in his armor. One small slip and he’d have the knife in his armpit. A not so glorious, but quick way to die. The bandit also dealt him the displeasure of keeping a hand wrapped around his other shoulder, albeit a bit too close for comfort.

“A shame you weren’t a woman,” the bandit said, hunger in his voice.

Helbram shivered, “I was already aware you were a sour sort but you didn’t have to go and turn it to poison.”

“Shut it,” his assailant spat, “You’re in no position to judge me.”

“Oh I do believe I am in the perfect position to do so,” Helbram said in a relaxed tone, “but go on, take stock of your spoils by all means.”

The bandit paused, “What are you up to?”

“What could I be up to I wonder?” Helbram said, “Perhaps I am just a man that realizes when he’s lost and would like to walk away with his life, or perhaps I am the one that has you cornered and you just don’t know it.”

“Or perhaps you’re just someone who talks too much until they get gutted.”

Helbram shrugged, feeling the steel adjust further towards his armpit as he did so, “Also possible, but taking armor off a dead body is quite troublesome don’t you think? Not to mention all the blood involved. Nasty business, that.”

“Oh enough of this, step forward. Let’s take a look at what a wordy man like yourself has in stock, eh?”

The bandit urged Helbram forward by pressing the knife against the gap in his armor, to which the armored man responded with a resigned sigh and stepped towards the center of his small camp. Small embers emitted the remaining vestiges of last night’s warmth as thin, smoky wisps, curling from the gentle breeze that drifted through the trees. A rucksack lay near the campfire, his sword and shield placed right next to it. The bandit kicked the sword away, prompting a frown from Helbram, not that it could be seen through his visor.

“A bit much don’t you think?” Helbram said, but he motioned towards his rucksack in an unceremonious fashion, “Behold, your loot.”

“Bah, a bloody ruck?”

“I’m afraid so, fortune has not been so kind to me as of late.”

“I’ll say, your bed roll isn’t even undone, was our knight so tired he didn’t even have time to set that up?” He snickered, “A knight sleeping with the hedges? A hedge knight you could say.”

“Oh, you are a clever one.”

“Aye, and if you know what’s good for you you’d develop a sense of humor yourself, hedge knight.”

Helbram sighed once more, “This charade has gone on for long enough.”

Before the bandit could respond, Helbram turned his hand towards the man’s face and focused the small traces of Ether in his body to the center of his palm. A bolt of pale white light surged from his hand, striking the bandit with enough force that his head snapped back, dragging the rest of his body with him. He struggled to maintain his footing, allowing Helbram to turn around and punch the bandit square in the jaw. The blow collapsed the man to the ground, his body unable to respond as Helbram kicked the knife out of  his hand and delivered another closed fist to the man’s face, knocking him out for good.

Helbram dusted his hands off and grunted, “Blasted bandits these days, always thinking they’re so witty.”