Classic bandits

The rising sun peeked over the horizon, casting a golden glow on the dusty, solid road. Alex, her black hair pulled back in many braids, steered the rickety carriage with a confident hand. Fear, worry, concern, anxiety… all that was a stranger to those heavenly blue eyes.

"Ahem. We've got company, everyone."

Behind her, amongst the worn cushions, her companions shifted. Elio looked from the open front, and Sera came back inside from the open back.

A comical cough escaped from one, a curious glance exchanged between the young girl and her mother. 

Up ahead, a ramshackle barricade of scrap wood, metal, and stones blocked the path. Around ten figures, bandits by the looks of them, lounged with haughty looks, their faces covered in pleased smirks.