Part LVI

Early in the morning after a light breakfast the whole group got ready to depart. The wagons' wheels were rattling and Joel enjoyed the fresh breeze of the morning.

Bregon with a severe hangover was sitting on the first wagon looking at Joel from time to time. Tanim, who was sitting next to him and followed his gaze, only shook his head and sighed.

"I will ride forward, I heard that there is a bridge on the way and I want to check if we have a smooth passage." Joel reported to Jarret, the eldest of the group.

Jarret acknowledged and Joel rode off. The route was quite comfortable. First it led through some fields and meadows but then he entered the forest. There were crossroads and some more forest. It was noon when Joel reached the bridge. It was a wooden construction and it didn't look very solid.

Joel dismounted his horse and went across the bridge checking the thick wooden boards. In two places they were uneven. It was possible to cross it however they must be really careful. After giving it a careful look one more time Joel was ready to head back. The whole group must have reached the forest by now.

Joel wasn't in a hurry, he took his time. This job was a piece of cake, easy money in a short time. After all he will be able to come back home, without a chest full of gold but still it could be worse. For a moment he thought about Michael. The way they parted was depressing. If the duke was only a bit different, Joel wouldn't have left him. He even caught himself missing the duke's touch. Was he that pent up again? His thoughts were broken by some commotion right in front of him.

Joel saw a group of well known people tied together standing in the middle of the road screaming at each other. Joel rode faster.

"What happened?" He asked while cutting the ropes.

"We were attacked. They didn't kill anybody but we are left with nothing." Jarret had problems getting up.

"Where are the guards you hired?" Joel looked around looking for the bodies.

"They were cooperating with the ones who attacked us. It was a set up, they planned all this from the very beginning." Sangram lowered his head.

"Let's get and kill them" Piro with a red face was ready to follow the thieves.

"We need to get that back or we are finished. This order was for the king." Jarret looked with a blank expression at the road ahead of them.

"They took the wagons so they can't move very fast and need to be careful because the thing may blow up. They haven't rode past me so they must have turned. There was only one crossing on the way." Joel knew they were in deep shit. His money and easy job was slowly vanishing in the air. Since he took that job to save the damsel in distress, he seemed to be followed by ill luck. He needed that money.

"Will you help us?" Jarret asked, looking with hope at Joel.

"Yeah, I want my money." Joel replied without thinking. "We need to hurry up. We are on foot and they are using horses and wagons. Jarret and Sangaram get on the horse, we need to move before the night falls, or we will lose the track." Joel walked first, he saw clear traces of wheels. Soon they reached the crossroads, where he turned left following the trace. Nobody was talking, dead silence and only heavy breaths as they were partially running.

It was getting dark when they reached the outskirts of a small city.

"I will ask around and you should stay here." Joel was quick. In a moment after talking to a few local men he learned that there were two inns. One was more expensive and offered additional attractions, namely women while the other was a bit runned down. Joel checked both. The wagons were in front of the better one. Joel counted the horses, it was possible that there were about twenty men. Half of them were on their watch.

Joel returned only to see that his companions were discussing nervously.

"Joel, you are back, I knew it." Bregon almost hugged him.

"Calm down, I found them." Joel tried to keep his distance from Bregon.

"Great, let's get back our stuff" Piro clenched his fists.

"Not so hasty, we know nothing about them. How many are there? Who is the leader? They have ten men to watch the wagons. We need a good plan." Joel looked at the beaten men.

"There's an inn, let's go there. Do you have any money left?" Joel asked with a slight hope.

"We do, no need to worry." Jarret assured him.

The inn was shabby, but the food was good and warm.

"We need someone to enter the other inn." Sangram stated the obvious.

"Yeh, but the problem is that they all know our faces, after all those bodyguards know us all." Tanim looked with a grim expression at Sangram.

"Maybe we could dress up?" Piro wiped his face and put the fork aside.

"Joel said that this place was a brothel so many men go in and out. It might be possible." Piro continued.

"You all have a dark complexion, you stand out." Joel remarked only to notice an intense gaze fixed on him.

"You could go dressed as a woman." Bregon suggested.

"What?" Joel wanted to say something more but suddenly they all looked at him with judging expression.

"Could work." Jarret seemed to favor this idea. "We will pay you double." Everybody nodded in agreement.