Chapter 7: The Vast Plains

I rode down the trail out of the pass and watched as the tall evergreen trees gave way to the trees with broad leaves. Many seemed to have nuts of some kind, the wolves stayed far away as I made camp that night in an old way station. I used ash from the fire pit to soften and tan all the skins. I was up early and moving as the sun rose.

A few times I got distant glimpses of the plains I was heading for. I was just entering the upper reaches of the foot hills when the bandits attacked. I had seen their scout a few times and was ready. I turned the stallion as they rode at me and brought the bow up. My first arrow took the leader in the chest. The second arrow struck high and hit one at the base of his throat.

The next I hit in the belly and the two behind him took arrows in the chests. I slipped off my horse, dropping my bow as the last two drew close. A spike slipped into my hand and I threw over the stallion as one reached for the lead to the horses behind us. The spike took him in the spine and then I pulled another spike as the last bandit turned to run. The spike flashed through the air before sinking into the thief’s back.

Silence returned and I moved to calm my horses before tying them to a tree. I went to each bandit and removed arrows or throwing spikes. I rounded up their horses and added them to my own before removing bridles and putting them on leads. I left the dead lying as I rode away. It was several hours before I came to a large log building with a corral beside it.

A large man stepped out wiping his hands on an apron. He waved to the empty corral, “Put your beast in there and come inside.”

I unsaddled the horses and put my packs and saddles into a three sided log enclosure. I walked in the open door and the big man glanced back and smiled, “Nice to have visitors.”

I nodded as I looked around what was plainly a trading post, “I had several men try to rob me a few hours ago.”

He glanced back sharply as I walked towards the table behind him. When I did not say anything else he turned back to the stove, “Chased them off did you?”

I sat down, “I killed them.”

He turned to look at me and then smiled slowly, “Sidhe.”

He grinned, “Good riddance, saves me the trouble. Sooner or later they try me.”

I looked at another doorway as two young men and a woman came through. They glanced at the man by the stove, “He is alone pa.”

I smiled slightly as the woman moved to take his place. The two young men joined him as he sat across from me. I watched them but looked at the older man, “Do you have a map of the land west of here?”

He nodded and gestured to one of his sons before clearing his throat, “We been hearing a lot about wolves up in the pass.”

I nodded as his son brought a rolled parchment to the table, “A mage was commanding them.”

He shook his head, “Bandits and thieves we know how to deal with but magic...”

I glanced up as I unrolled the map, “He is dead now and the wolves will probable move away in search of food.”

I traced the route over the pass and then across the plains before nodding and rolling it up and pushing it across the table, “Thank you.”

He had been staring at me and reddened before smiling, “Useful aren’t you.”

I grinned as I looked towards the stove, “Do you have enough or...”

He snorted, “My son Edward brought home a bison so we have plenty.”

I nodded and relaxed as his wife continued cooking. After a warm meal I went out to check the horses. I unrolled my blankets in the log enclosure and relaxed as the sky darkened into night. The trading post was two days behind me when I rode onto the plains. There was a narrow trail heading west that I followed. The plains grass was belly high on the horses and I went slowly so they could eat their fill.

I could see antelope and herds of large beasts the trader had called bison. The trail I followed led from one clump of brush and trees to another, winding its way across the plains. I picketed the horses inside the trees the first night and made camp next to them. I had just sat down when one of the horses snorted. I stood and glanced around before moving around the picket area.

The lion came out of the tall grass with a leap. I side stepped as I pulled a sword and cut up. The lion missed me and landed with a crash. Blood was pouring from the huge slice in its throat as it spun towards me. It shook its head and staggered as I shifted on the balls of my feet. When it dropped to its belly I knew it was over. I waited and watched as the large beast fell onto its side and a few moments later it was dead.

I moved back to reassure the horses and then skinned the lion and pulled the carcass out of the trees. I made a dinner of roast rabbit and roots I had gathered while walking. I started cleaning the lion pelt before it got to dark. In the morning I saddled the horses and swung up with the bow across my lap. With all the wild game there would be plenty of predators around.

The horses took their time and snatched grass as we slowly made our way along the trail. That evening I killed one of the bull bisons that came to close and threatened the horses. That night I ate a huge steak and hung several in a brush made smoker. I went back to work on the lion pelt and then the bison’s. Over the next five days I had to kill two more bisons, one because it charged me.

It was mid afternoon when I saw the smoke ahead. I heard the distant yelling and screams even before I rounded the clump of trees and saw the wagons. There were twenty men riding around them shooting bows or throwing spears. I dropped off the horse and tied the reins to a nearby tree before nocking a arrow.

The range was extreme but easily within reach. I took the one raider that sat back from the others through the body. It was awhile before the rest noticed. I took three more before they even realized they were being attacked. After the fifth man they saw me and headed towards me fast. By the time they were halfway to me another five were dead. I took another five before tossing my bow aside and pulling two throwing spikes.

The first two men fell from their horses choking in their own blood. The last three turned quickly and leaned forward over the neck of their horses as they ran. Throwing spikes hit two men in the spine and they slid off their running horses. The last man was looking back when his horse stumble and threw him. I turned and walked to my bow, he was running after his horse when the arrow took him in the back.

I looked around and moved to the men with my throwing spikes in them. I did not bother with the arrows and gathered the loose horses grazing nearby. I swung up into my saddle and rode out to gather several other horses before heading towards the wagons. There was a small crowd waiting with maybe a dozen men in front.

I swung down by the leader I had shot and looked at him moaning with the arrow in his gut. I knelt and cut his belt to remove the long bladed knife with the jeweled hilt before standing and tucking it behind my belt. I headed towards the crowd and one man stepped out, “We thank you stranger.”

I nodded and turned to gesture to the spare horses behind mine, “I will keep a few of the mares. You might as well catch the others and take them with you.”

He smiled and nodded, “We will.”

I looked back the way they must have come, “How far to the edge of the plains?”

He looked back, “It took us three weeks to get this far.”

I sighed and shook my head, “I might as well stop early than.”

He grinned and the next thing I knew they were making camp too. I went through the horses and picked three of the best mares to add to my own. It felt strange to have all the people around me. The women seemed nice and tended the four men with minor wounds. As I started cleaning the bison hides others came to talk about the trail behind them.

I had the leader stop by with his wife. He was carrying six bison hides and set them on one side of the fire, “These may come in handy after you leave the plains.”

I glanced at them and looked back to him. He smiled, “They make a nice ground cover.”

I nodded, “Thank you.”

When I rose in the morning they were moving around getting ready to leave. I saddled my horses including the three new mares. The young stallion had been sniffing around them and was a little frisky when I put his saddle on. I swung into the saddle and glanced at the other camp as they waved and smiled before starting off.

It was the next night when I heard a slight noise in the middle of the night. I stood drawing both swords before moving into the darkness. The first lion that came out of the night was huge with two long fangs. I slid sideways as it leaped and stabbed behind the ear as it passed me. I dropped and rolled as another suddenly leaped towards my back.

I came to my feet quickly and spun to face the now crouching lion as the one I stabbed convulsed and died on the ground. I could hear my horses screaming and moving around as I began moving towards the big cat. It leaped again and I side stepped and slashed up and across its throat. I turned as it landed and then stood to walk to my horses to calm them as the lion bled out on the ground.

It took awhile to calm the horses down and then I built the fire up. I skinned the two lions and pulled the carcasses out of the trees and into the tall grass. I was not going back to sleep and started scrapping and cleaning the two hides. It was late morning when I rode around a large group of trees to find a dozen men waiting.

I had seen a couple of them watching so I was expecting it. I pulled the horses to a stop as they started forward, “That is close enough.”

They stopped but one man with a ragged looking beard grinned, “We will be relieving you of your belongings.”

I smiled, “What are they worth to you?”

He looked around at the other men and then back at me, “Your life.”

My hands flicked out and I was pulling two more spikes as the leader and another man fell. I twisted and threw a spike into a man running towards me from behind before throwing the other spike into a man’s throat that was reaching for the reins on my horse. I slipped off my horse, dropping the reins and pulling my swords. I moved into the men, blocking a chipped and rusty dagger and gutting him with the other sword.