Editing The Journal of Veksvale (section)

=='''Brigands'''==

I came back after a month running deep, taking a look east to the sea. 

My place was in shambles.. Not destroyed, but infested.  I knew of about 300 people within 20 miles of my place and when I crested the hill I saw at least 400 in my vale.  I recognized about 30 and none looked happy.  I shifted into a bird and landed in the branches of a fir tree that was near the rear of my cabin.   Paka shifted to her ferret form and scooted among the undergrowth.

These people had raided my vale, harassed and killed my people, and had abused woman and girls.  There was something in me that felt violated.  Assaulted in my possessions and in my people.  Insulted in my person.

One insults a Lord of Amber, even a minor one, at their peril.  One insults a Lord of Chaos, and a Hendrake at that, to their utter ruin. 

Flying to the ground a mile away I shed the avian form and took my bearded form again.. I'd let my look go native.  Gather the mules and their furs and meats and horns, we walked into greet my visitors.

Within moments a few came to walk me in.  They made mock of my age and the limp I effected.   They  grabbed the riens of my mules and I thought to stop them but it occurred to me that they were unlikely to harm them.  There was plenty of meat around without butchering mule.

As I was brought to the hetman of this gang of ruffians the people of the Vale watched me in silence and fear.  I could hear someone in my cabin being abused.. I silently cast my sense into the room and found two ruffians and one of the young girls that lived in the vale.. The one inhorsed went to sleep as I cast Personal Paralysis.  Having someone frozen on top of one is better then having them die. The other however got the full Lorgus powered Cardiac arrest that made his heart erupt from his chest like a paint-filled balloon.

The Hetman looked up at me,
“So this is the founder of my lovely town?  Valek, they tell me?  Is that right?”

Noding, “Yes, they call me Valek.  What have you done to my home?”

The brigands laughed gather to see my humiliation. 

“This is my home now.  I might not kill you.  Though, I should probably kill you, just so they understand how things are here now.  Tell you what, you tell them to obey me and i'll let you go down hill.  If I ever see you again, you are dead meat. “  The brigands laughed as if they knew he was both mocking me and teasing me.

Nodding, I said,, “Very well.  I will be happy to speak to your men... and my people... oh, I mean your new people.  Please don't hurt them”

They laughed as the hetman summoned his men who hurried in expecting good fun.  I saw numerous woman under the arms of ruffians I knew were not their husbands.  I saw some missing faces and that made my blood boil.  But I held my temper. 

Once the people were assembled the hetman stood and put his hand on by shoulder, a sword in his other hand.  He slapped my back to start me.  Some part of him may have wondered at the shoulders that did not feel frail.

“People of Veksvale.  I know, i've never liked that name.  But it seems we have guests and I intend to make them welcome.” 

Twisting my arm up and over the hand on my shoulder, turning, striking the hetman and twisting his head sideways with a horrifically crunching sound.  Stepping away as the body falls like a cut marionette.  Gripping his broadsword in the left hand, drawing it from the sheath as he fell away. . 

Stepping to the nearest brigand, the iron knife shifting to its Bowie knife form and dragging the broadsword against his cheek, sheering the top of his head clean off above the teeth.  

Several steps more ended the brigands who had been on either side of the hetman, his boon companions, his lieutenants, in a fall of edged steel amongst the surprised warrior.  The last had steel in his hand but he had fear in his eyes.  I sheered his arm clean at the elbow as his blade bounced of my skull. I left his screaming as he bleed to death.  

Only a few moments had passed, but that was enough for the brigands to know death had come for them... They broke and ran.

And the saying told in realms from Amber to Chaos was apparently true in this world too.  Run, and you just die tired. 

I hunted them.  They made no attempt to hide their trails and it probably didn't occur to them they needed. It wouldn't have mattered.  I could track them by sign or Sigil and i was inspired to be thorough.

When I returned I found them cleaning the vale and stacking the dead.  They had wandered down my trails and collected remains.  They were building a bonfire.  A merry blaze it would be.

As the fire burned the people of Veksvale finally asked me what I was?  I tried telling them I was just a soldier, and one without a country.   They were not convinced but they made me realize that while I had come here a stranger, a traveler, I had made a home for these people.   So this scattering of homesteads needed a center as much as they needed a leader.