Chapter 10: The Situation

Heroes on Chaos work under a serious handicap. Unless directly attacked, credibly threatened with attack, rescuing a Damsel in Distress, or protecting someone under attack, Heroes were constrained from acting. Companions were largely limited to protecting themselves. Pēteris couldn’t just lay an ambush and eliminate the two remaining brothers. He needed for them to attack, but he also needed the confrontation to take place under conditions he set and not those favorable to the two-to-one odds the brothers represented.

It should be understood, that Pēteris would be more than willing and happy to have his ladies join the fight to protect him. He fully trusted them and their combat skills, he just couldn’t violate the rules or they might all be trapped on Chaos. In addition to planning, he schemed.

“Bart,” he asked the man he was starting to consider a friend and maybe an ally, “if I pay for any damages, would it upset you or cause you problems if I handle my coming ‘situation’ in the common room rather than outside?”

“Oh please do,” the innkeeper responded. “Any other place and I likely wouldn’t get to watch. Besides, I’m thinking I’ll finally get to see if those vixens of yours are as good with their weapons as I think.”

“Much better!” was the answer. “And thanks.”

Back in their room, Rosie stripped Alvin and put the protesting boy into the tub’s now semi-murky water. Making him hold his wounded hand above his head, she followed her instructions and scrubbed vigorously. Taking Pēteris at his word, she had not replaced her shift after her bath so as not to wet it again. The shift hung out the window, trying to dry.

Pēteris admired the view for a moment, then turned to Sarah, who for the moment was wearing one of Robyn’s shifts. He told her, “You cleaned up into a lovely young lady. Do you think you can be brave and help me downstairs? I’ll want you wearing the dress Bea brings you and not your old rags.”

Sarah blushed at the compliment, hesitated a moment, and nodded. Pēteris gathered her into a huddle with the rest of his team to explain his plan.

“Rooster, where are you?” the larger of two men shouted as they shouldered their way into the inn’s common room. They looked over at ‘their’ table where they saw Pēteris sitting instead of their brother. They immediately began making their way single file between two rows of tables to forcefully take possession.

Hawk stood in front of Pēteris and demanded, “Get away from my table, mud licker. How did my brother let you get away with sitting there? I know he’s here; his horse is out front.”

Sarah, following instructions, stood and declared, “Not your table anymore, just like I’m not your toy. We belong to my new master, Pēteris. Rooster is out on the midden where Master put him. I’m really glad. Master doesn’t have a scrawny dick like some folks I know.”

Taking a close look at Sarah and her new, clean, well-dressed beauty, Hawk recognized her for first time and flushed. As Hawk reached for her, Pēteris thrust Sarah behind himself.

The enraged brother dropped his hand to a dagger. Under direct threat, Pēteris was free to act.

Behind Hawk, Falcon was also subjected to ridicule. Miriam on one side and Robyn on the other started in.

“Broke his neck he did.”

“Took Rooster’s own dagger and stabbed him through both eyes.”

“Not a lot of blood that way, but he shat his pants.”

“Yeah, stank something awful.”

“Added to the stink already there.”

As the taunts flew back and forth, Falcon tried to turn to get a look at his persecutors. He roared his frustration and reached his right hand up to draw the sword sheathed on his back. Like Pēteris, the Companions were now under direct threat and free to defend themselves. Robyn got her wish and thrust Rooster’s dagger under the raised arm and into Falcon’s side. Eighteen inches of sharp steel slid though separated ribs and pierced both lungs.

Miriam kicked his knee. Falcon dropped, and Robyn released her hold on the trapped blade to keep it from snapping. Miriam’s blade pierced Falcon’s eye - for insurance, understand - and the two women turned to see if there were more to do.

There was not. Les and Maggie remained watching the door.

While his Companions were busy, Pēteris calmly waited while Hawk drew his fighting knife. The wide table between the two prevented Hawk from reaching Pēteris, even with the eighteen-inch blade. To attack his enemy, Hawk would either need to round the table or scramble across. As Pēteris had hoped and planned, Hawk moved down the table. From the way Hawk held his knife, it was apparent that he was an experienced and competent close-in knife fighter.