Under the cover of darkness, the bandit propped himself against the maple tree outside the tavern and waited. He knew his target would be one of the last to leave for the night. He watched as the villagers filtered from the tavern on their way home, still singing well-known tavern songs. Once he had been one of them, drinking ale and dancing with the tavern keeper's daughters, before heading home to his beaten down shack of a home. That small amount of amusement just hadn't been enough to keep him from making a deal with his friends, for profit. Even at the expense of the lives of people he'd known all his life. They were nothing to him now though, his closest friends had died at their hands, and he'd even seen them hang one of their own. He knew his chances of survival were slim, but at the very least, he'd see to it that one more would die at his hands. It was time. Near the last of the villagers had made their way down the path from the tavern. He knocked an arrow quietly, and aimed at the tavern door. He'd have to make a perfect shot if he was going to succeed.
One villager always waited until the rest had left the tavern before making his own exit. He generally chose one to follow each night, in hopes of either defending them from the bandits on the road or discovering if they were a bandit themselves. This habit had only proven to be useful once and he'd bloodied his sword, killing a bandit who had given himself away when he had snuck off into the woods. This night, he knew that there was a good chance he would be the one whose life was forfeit, so he left the tavern through the cellar containing a small unknown hatch-door that opened a short distance from the maple tree. As he lifted it, it made a horrid screech and he rolled his eyes. So much for an attempt at stealth, he should've known better anyways. He pulled himself through the opening anyways, making an even worse racket.
The bandit spun around at the noise nearby, and immediately took aim in the direction of the sound. It was difficult to see much in the darkness, the tavern lights had been extinquished. Even so, he was able to make out the large figure that seemed to be pulling itself out of the earth itself. "Ha", he thought. It was strange that his target hadn't left the tavern before lights out. "That big oaf thought he could fool me." Despite his inability to get the perfect shot as he had hoped, the bandit loosed an arrow at the figure as it stood upright. As he figured, the arrow penetrated, but didn't kill. He knocked another and took aim again. However, his hiding spot had been revealed and his intended victim was moving towards him at an alarming rate for someone so large.
The Knight looked down at the arrow sticking from his armor and took hold of it, breaking it off and tossed it to the ground. In the same fluid motion, he grasped his sword, unsheathing it and headed straight for the maple tree. He knew the bandit was hiding there somewhere, but it was difficult to see in the darkness. Another arrow pierced his coif, and he felt a sharp sting, but he never faltered as he bounded towards the tree. He glimpsed a slight movement as the bandit knocked another arrow. The Knight knew there was no way he'd make it to take his attacker at melee, before the bandit got another shot off so he raised his sword, pointed it at the bandit, and threw.
Just as his last arrow was set loose, the bandit was skewered by the heavy sword and pinned to the tree. He grasped the hilt of the sword sticking from his torso, but knew it was of no use. He coughed, then chuckled as his arrow pierced the Knight's eye, falling the large man instantly.
Rishi, Knight, has been shot
VitaminR, Bandit, has been impaled
The remaining villagers of Sunnyflower Acres are finally safe from the criminals and Ibby has finished her book!
