Ambush

Well it happened.

I now happen to find myself in a peculiar situation, crouching between a cart and a wall while clutching a wooden bat in my hands with a dirty teenager lying knocked out right next to me.

I can hear all sorts of grunts and screams coming from the other side of the cart, and looking at my passed out friend over here, who is now missing several teeth and probably suffers from traumatic brain injury, i can't help but recall how it all started.

----------

As my giant cohort and I were heading back towards the docks things got a bit too quiet.

We were walking down the main street and while the port area isn't quite as populated as the other ones the streets are never empty. Except now. I was not the only one to notice this, Vun, the ex-soldier also seemed to be able to tell that something fishy is going on.

So he did something unexpected, he sent Finun, who was carrying the cart, ahead of the group while the three of us walked further behind.

He didn't ask for my opinion or permission, he just did it, i don't mind of course, after all i have no idea how to deal with this situation. So i decided to trust him and keep going.

And it was a wise decision indeed, for we got ambushed.

Finun got jumped by a group of people wearing masks that barely covered their faces and woorden armaments of all kinds.

Of course, to me it looked like a grown up man got attacked by children wielding wooden toys, only they were not children and they were not wielding toys.

It took a few hits before Finun reacted, yet his first action was flawless, he picks up the cart, yes, picks it up, and just chucks it at them, hits a couple people and scatters them while the cart lays broken next to a wall.

That was fine and dandy, problem is that it did not stop there, more people were coming from behind, so I in my infinite wisdom decided to hide, and what better hiding spot than next to the broken cart, it will at least provide me with cover.

Of course as the good employer I am, I can not leave without giving my men some words of encouragement, namely. ''F***ing deal with them will you!''. truly inspiring.

And so i bolted to the cart, jumped over, lost balance in the air and landed on my ass, it didn't hurt i swear.

I did not want to watch the fight, due to two reasons. I trusted my gigantic friends, and I did not want to get attacked, after all I am empty handed and carrying a small fortune, if 3 people come at me they could easily steal the bag.

Still that did not stop the sounds, ohh the sounds, people screaming, crying and falling to the ground, meat being slapped around and the occasional heavy grunt belonging to one of the giants.

As I was enjoying the profit gained from heavily investing in elite bodyguards, a body flew over, it hit the cart, did a roll in mid air and fell down right next to me.

Surprisingly enough he was still awake and clutching a weapon, the surprise and terror in his eyes quite easy to identify, still i wouldn't take any chances so i grabbed the wooden bat from his powerless hands, lifted it in the air and lowered it with the grace of an angry housewife right on the head of the youth.

It made a thunk sound, both the head and the bat, and so I was alone once again.

Well at least i can say that i contributed.

----------

A voice wakes me up from my thoughts. ''Sir Caspian you can come out now''.

i sprung up to my feet and witnes the carnage, this was not a fair fight, doing a quick head count there are at least 20 people, so it was a 20 versus 3, it was not fair, they should have brought more people.

''Well done, I will make sure to reward you more coins for the inconvenience''. I clap my hands twice and continue. ''Although i would love to stay and wait for the guards to come, we need to get going''. I don't quite know where all the sarcasm is coming from. Is it a self defence mechanism against the fear of death that i just experienced?

Having a mob of dirty bandits running at you is not a pleasant experience, let's just get going for now.

''You heard the boss, get going''. Ubam said that, duly appreciated.

We keep going down the road, I'm full on running at this point while the giants follow me in a moderate jog, long legs, how envious.

Every time I step my whole body makes a tinkling noise, it just repeats itself over and over, tink,tink,tink and so on and so forth. These are the coins I carry on me, hundreds of coins, worth about a hundredth of a castle or so.

It does not take us long to reach the meeting spot. No one is here as dusk is around 2 or so hours away. Now that I can relax I take a look at my bodyguards.

Two of them are fine but the other one looks quite roughed up, namely Vun and Ubam, the big ones are fine, and Finun, our vanguard, is bruised here and there, someone seems to have pulled on his hair, and his nose doesn't quite look right.

''So, how are you, any injuries''.

Vun scoffs and flexes his muscles. ''Tiny ones can't hurt us, too weak and slow, not worth the challenge''. Good to know bud.

''What about you''. I ask while looking at Ubam and Finun.

''No worries boss, i am fine, they barely touched me''.

''Give me my coin''. What? We all looked into Finuns direction, he was silent until just now.

''Pay me already, i am done with this, how dare you use me as bait!''. He is angry, very angry.

''Do not worry, you will be paid once night comes, as i promised you.''

''No''. He gets up. ''I refuse to keep doing this, no amount of coin is worth it''. I sincerely doubt that. Although I have to give credit to my other two bodyguards, they instantly got up and pushed Finun back down, Vun got in front of me and Ubam lightly body slammed Finun to the ground.

''Stay down, do you plan on breaking your promise youngling?''. Vun is the one to say this, I guess Finun is the youngest one judging by his size.

''There is no promise, I came here for a coin, not to fight humans, now you tiny one pay me or suffer''. He shouldn't have said that, I wanted to give him some extra for all his injuries. Not anymore.

''Take them''. I say while throwing ten coins his way, some hit his chest and fall down others go past him and roll on the ground.

''You did not respect our terms, i warned you all that we may get attacked, now go, your services are no longer required here'' He pisses me off so much, you think i want to get attacked or something, hope he falls into a ditch.

Ubam let's him go and the deserter starts trying to grab the coins off the ground, we three stare at each other then I have an idea. Make a small show of force, and an offer of cooperation.

''I shall also pay you 30 coins each, for your services, you deserve it'' Finun that was still gathering his coins in the distance stops and turns back to us. Both Vun and Ubam just look at me.

''I shall also present you with an offer, I need trusty bodyguards and even if we only met this very morning I can not help but admire you for your strength and courage, so i offer you this. Permanent employment as my personal guards, i shall provide lodging and a salary of 150 coins a month, this amount will increase depending on your services, of course. Now, what say you?''

They can not refuse this, i actually increased the amount i wanted to offer them, just to rub it in Finuns face, the coward. Ubam is a fisherman, he makes at most 4 coins a day, assuming the weather is good and the fish are plenty, he probably only makes about 100 or so coins a month minus whatever he pays for lodging.

Vun is a mystery, i know he was a soldier, but i'm not sure what he does right now, still, he should not refuse, after all it is a great offer. Following a human around for money, you get a free house and you dont need to work for pennies all day long.

As I expected Ubam is the one to speak first. ''I accept, no puny one can harm you while I am around, boss''. And I got the pirate, what about the soldier.

''Sir Caspian, will you leave this city after you are done with this trade?''.

''Good question. I will not leave the city, on the contrary, I shall now go and acquire a place we can use as headquarters''. My house that is.

''Then I accept your offer''. Vun then puts his hand on my shoulder and continues. ''Let it be known that a soldier's loyalty cannot be bought, only earned''.

Whatever you say, we've known each other for less than a day, the only thing I earned today was some coin.

''Indeed, now come over and grab your coin, you earned it''. I don't count the coins, I just push over the small leather sack to them, it is filled with about 100 or so normal coins.

To end it on a high note, Finun who was just standing there watching, sees the other giants count their coins then looks at his hand where the coins i threw on the ground were placed, they are wet and his palms are dirty from looking in the mud.

You only had to wait a couple hours, make sure you regret it, coward.