Bandits of Meadowfort (The Meadowfort Starlings)

The first of the goat headed ferrun to die was hit by a bolt of pure arcane energy, flying with great speed into a nearby tree, before collapsing into a heap of fur and broken bones at the base.

“Nice hit, Sabina!” Jarel yelled bracing his feet as the ferrun closest to him slammed into his shield, trying desperately to get its rusted spear over his guard.

Sabina smiled and pushed a stray lock of her blond hair behind her ear. She began to chant in preparation for another spell her staff pointed at her next target.

Jarel pushed against his assailant, knocking the ferrun back with his shield before delivering a slash with his sword. The blow took the ferrun across the chest and the creature brayed as it went down.

“Watch your back, brother mine!” A voice called from above and Jarel turned quickly and delivered a rising slash to a ferrun sneaking up on him. After making sure that there were no more foes coming up on him, Jarel looked up and gave a salute to his younger sister Sari, who was perched on a thin branch, bowstring drawn taut as she eyed her target. She let loose and even before her target had gone down her, she was on the move again, her lithe body moving over the thin branches with ease.

“Keep going Jarel. No time to rest yet.” A cool hand touched the back of Jarel’s hand and he felt his strength return to him. He smiled and nodded at his older sister Kamelia. The two siblings stood back to back as ferrun rushed them from either side. Jarel parried a ferrun’s axe with his sword and smacked the brute back with his shield while behind him, Kamelia, her mane of curly red brown hair flying as she spun her staff and knocked a ferrun off its feet with a strike to its shaggy furred knee.

Dispatching his foe, Jarel looked for his next opponent. The nearest ferrun went down with a gurgling groan as an arrow shaft sprouted from his neck. Sari’s handiwork. Another flew through the air, sparks of arcane energy fizzling off its fur as it hit a large boulder with a wet thud. Only a few remained and had clearly noticed the tide of battle turning against them. These last ferrun gathered whatever they could grab from their camp, and began to leg it away from the party, braying angrily as they fled.

Jarel made to chase but Kamelia grabbed his shoulder and shook her head sternly. “It is done. They will not be harassing travellers down the Mink Road.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to make sure they don’t come back?” Sari said, jumping down from the tree and slinging her bow over her shoulder.

“Their spirit and numbers are broken. Anything more we do would be just an act of vengeance.” Kamelia explained as the group gathered around her. “I’m proud of you all. We won that fight because we looked out for each other and supported one another. The honour of Meadowfort Starlings is upheld. Our parents will be proud.”

Kamelia, Sari and Jarel’s mother as well as both of Sabina’s parents were retired members of the adventurer’s guild in Marth. They had been part of the original Meadowfort Starlings and had proudly allowed their offspring to continue the group’s legacy. They had travelled to Marth only a few months earlier and had helped the four young adventurers register with the Guild.

As Kamelia spoke Sabina noticeably swayed on her feet. The casting of spells had sapped her strength considerably and she was struggling to stay up.

“Are you ok, Sabina?” Jarel, noticing the sway of the party’s mage, placed a hand around her shoulder and held her up. She smiled wearily at him and Jarel felt a spark of heat deep in his chest.

“I’ll be ok. I just need to rest.”

“We should head back home.” Sari said, giving Sabina a concerned look, “We can report our success to the Guild post tomorrow morning.”

“Agreed.” Jarel said with a nod and began leading the fatigued Sabina back to the Mink Road.

The sisters gave a cursory look through the ferrun’s camp for anything of note. Most of what the ferrun had was in poor condition or were incredibly old. Axes, spears and swords of dubious quality. There was also some jewelry and gold, clearly taken from waylaid travellers. These, Sari placed in her pack. The Guild would take them, either to return to their original owners or to sell on if an owner could not be found.

Sari glanced into one of the ferrun’s makeshift tents and her eyes were immediately caught by something definitely out of place. The tent was full of rotting food, soiled clothes and broken tools but sitting at a haphazard angle upon a pile of what looked like used bandages was a small chest. It was made of a rich red wood and lined with brass. On one of the wooden panels there was stamped the image of a gauntlet, its fingers closed about an eye.

“Kamelia...come look at this.”

The elder sister approached and peered into the tent as Sari reached in and grasped one of the handles and tugged the chest free of the filthy confines.

“Yuck.” Sari protested dropping the chest onto the trampled grass and stepping back gagging.

“Check it for any traps, Sari.” Kamelia said kneeling by the chest and looking it over.

Sari wrinkled her nose and kneeled by her sister. She reached out with her fingers and felt along the joins between the brass and the wood, along the opening seam and around the hinges and latch.

“Seems clean.”

Kamelia, fearless as anything, wasted no time undoing the latch and opening the chest. The inside was lined with plush red velvet and sat in the middle, strapped down with quality leather was a long thin dagger. It was beautifully made, its flat planes reflecting the sister’s faces like a mirror.

“What are the ferrun doing with this?” Sari asked as Kamelia unstrapped the blade. She looked at it once before handing it to her younger sister and reaching back into the chest. Sari tested the balance of the dagger as Kamelia pulled a small note out of the chest.. It had been lodged under the dagger, a small piece of parchment folded in half. Kamelia spread the paper out and frowned as she examined it.

“What does it say, sis?”

“This is just a sample. Those who work for me receive far greater reward.” Kamelia read, “Whoever wrote this signed it only with the initial K.”

“Weird. Reckon it's something they took from a traveller.”

“Probably.” Kamelia said smiling at Sari, “Grab some rope and we can make a sling. It will be easier to carry it over our shoulders.”

The sisters left the ferrun camp and headed back to the Mink Road where Jarel and Sabina were waiting for them. It was another successful job for the new Meadowfort Starlings. It had probably been their most challenging to date but they had handled it deftly.

Clearing out less threatening monsters and small groups of bandits, was the job of less experienced parties. It wasn’t the most glorious of work but it helped to keep the Guild in business and it allowed young adventurers the chance to work up some experience before moving onto more dangerous work or even delving into the Machine.