Meanwhile, as the chateau in the centre of the small town was quickly filling with smoke and the first coughing soldiers were stumbling out of their quarters to raise an alarm, and as two women made their way towards the cell wherein the Flaming Scholar was incarcerated, two vehicles were travelling along the roadway that lead towards the town. The first, a smart goods wagon with two men at the reins of three pairs of horses with six outriders surrounding the wagon, was travelling at a smart trot. The second, about two kilometres behind the first, was a farm wagon, drawn by two work horses with a large covered cargo travelling at a more sedate pace.
A kilometre out of the town, the road passed through an ancient woodland, much loved of deer and wild pigs, the trees were old and covered in green moss which dripped from the boughs and seemed to stifle all sound, even when there blew a gale outside, the wood remained quiet and still as if caught forever in the same moment of time. Positioned just inside the edge of this wood, with a good view of the roadway, two figures on horseback stood quietly in the darkness under the outstretched boughs of the trees as if they had been caught under the timeless spell of the woods and would stand there forevermore. They were invisible from the road, the horses seemed to have been caught in the spell also, neither pawing the ground, swishing their tails nor shaking their heads.
The first wagon, with the escort, came rumbling through the wood without incident, the two mounted figures did not move at all. When the wood was silent once more, the two finally broke the spell and walked their horses out of the shadows into the moonlight and positioned themselves squarely in the centre of the road, facing away from the town and looking along the road. On either side of the road the wooded banks rose gently so that anyone using the road would have to stop or run them down. Soon enough, the second wagon came rumbling along, the figures remained entirely still until the wagon slowed to a stop in front of them.
‘Can you move out of the road please?’ asked the driver in a pleasant tone, ‘I am expected and should press on if I may.’
‘No,’ came the reply, the voice sounding like that of a woman in the quiet stillness, ‘Climb down now from the wagon and walk to the town from here,’ continued the voice, ‘we will be taking charge of the wagon now.’
The wagoner tied the reins on the rail before him and stood up, he threw his cloak aside to reveal a long sword hanging at his side. Slowly, he drew his sword and placed his feet squarely in preparation for combat. ‘You will have to win it from me as I am charged with its safety, come, test the edge of my sword or move aside. But be aware that I am a sworn member of the Order and whatsoever is done to me will be repaid in full by the Order and the Count.’
‘Bravely said my good man, I’m afraid that we must join in conflict then, you and I. Let it be known to those who would avenge this action, that this night, all the events that have transpired are the work of people who would oppose the Order in its mission to further the causes of the rich and powerful. And if they continue to persecute those who upset their world order such as the Flaming Scholar then we shall revisit the Order with less mercy than we have shown tonight. Tell the Count and your cronies that we have been careful that no one has been harmed overly but that by these actions we have taken away the power of the Order which relies on mercenaries to do its shameful business.’
So saying, the armed knight spurred her horse forwards towards the side of the wagon. The two protagonists were at almost the same level, one on horse back and one on the wagon, perchance the wagoner had a small height advantage. As they came together the cloak of the rider moved aside, and the moon glinted on polished armour and a bright sword held forwards. The driver struck down on the rider with some force, obviously hoping to win this combat with one stroke, but the descending sword was easily deflected and with a sleight of hand the deflecting sword moved onwards to strike a blow with its flat side on the knuckles of the hand holding the sword. The wagoner’s sword clattered to the ground and he wrung his hand in pain.
‘I see that I am out matched,’ said the man, hugging his hurting hand under his armpit, ‘I shall be walking to the town from here.’ He gathered his belongings and climbed down to the road. ‘I suggest that you move away from here at a good pace as a large force may issue from the town in the next small time and be searching for you, they will not be as accommodating as I.’ He turned, wrapping himself in his cloak and walked away down the road towards the town.
The second rider dismounted and, giving the reins of his ride to the knight, he climbed into the seat of the wagon. ‘Time to make the wealth of the Order disappear I think,’ he said and turned the wagon and horses with a practised hand. They travelled quite quickly to a place where the road passed through a small gorge, small cliffs rising on both sides.
They stopped as a small group of people led by the farmer, who had earlier hosted the meeting, came out to meet them. The horses were unhitched and the wagon turned around, leading the horses around to re-hitch them back the way they had approached, then, forming a chain, they shifted the bags and boxes from the back of the wagon into a small cave which was formed in the undercliff. Then they refilled the wagon with bags of turnips which they had laid there for the purpose. When the wagon was clear, the people disguised the opening of the small cave with stone and brush and dispersed into the dark. The two riders took the cart back to the same wood from which they had started. Leaving a small bag of the treasure on the top of the bags of turnips, then in silence they merged into the darkness of the wood.
An hour later a mounted, armed force of twenty men came galloping along the dark road and nigh on collided with the stationary wagon. They observed the wagon, chattering in excited ways and then one rider became the wagon driver and they drove the wagon away towards the town.
The Guardians of the Cave 