The company had marched from their barracks on a hot summer day, escorting what

Sylud had surmised was a pay chest. The training and endless drill had changed the

recruits, both willing and unwilling. Their easy strides ate up the leagues and by

day’s end they were far from Caer Coranan.

Sylud marched, conversing with his squad mates from time to time, but mostly in

silence.

Paying little attention to where they were going, and even less to the getting there,

Sylud soon found himself encamped with his company at the Legion garrison in the

settlement of Ostenor. Captain Ostardas had the training company stand guard as the

local garrison were mustered and received their pay.

Sylud, always looking for the main chance, soon had a dice game going and managed

to win a bit from the local garrison. “At least these lads’ll play” he thought. Since

Grunth’s crunching fist had put paid to Cadet Pilik, no-one in the company wanted

to gamble with Sylud. “Bastards,” he said to himself, “an’ after all I’ve done fer

‘em”

Later that evening, feeling lonely and alone, Sylud went in search of some female

company. Concluding the financial side of the transaction, he enjoyed himself for

several hours with a buxom peasant girl. Lothar and Nico did not join Sylud and

Grunth in their trip to the brothel. Sylud reasoned that their preferences must run

elsewhere. Grunth’s certainly did as Sylud soon found out. While he was with the

girl, she said “’Ere, there’s someone lookin’ through the window.” Sylud saw that it

was Grunth. He had declined the opportunity to pay a few pennies to spend a couple

of hours with a pretty lass, but instead peered through the window while Sylud was on

the job, and presumably took care of himself.

Two days later, while on the march, they encamped in a field near the road. In the

morning it transpired that the pay chest had vanished.

“What you look’n at?” Sylud glared back at the eyes that immediately turned to him.

However, it transpired that one of the men had also vanished. “Untrusting bastards”,

he thought. “That is the last time those ungrateful pricks get anything extra in their

rations courtesy of me!”

Sylud ran about with the others, trying to figure out who had stolen it. They found no

evidence of anyone making off through the woods and became increasingly frustrated.

Captain Ostardas was almost apoplectic in his rage, and was alternatively threatening

the company with mass hangings and offering rewards for the recapture of the pay

chest. At one stage Sylud and Grunth thought that the two soldiers who had been on

guard duty during the night, who were still present, must have been the culprits and

they reckoned that some tickling with a knife would loosen their tongues, but no-one

took any notice of them. As it turned out they were right, and Lothar, acting on

Sylud’s suspicions, suggested searching under all the tents.

When they came to the tent of the two suspects, the two men immediately ran but

were soon apprehended. Under their tent was found buried the body of Cadet Mund

and the pay chest. The Captain was very happy and rewarded Lothar with 100

pennies, much to Sylud’s disgust.

Grunth volunteered for the job of hanging the two thieves, a task he took to with

much relish. Sylud shuddered at the thoughts that must go through his squad mate’s

head. Then he cursed himself for not thinking of the money he could have made by

collecting some souvenirs from the hanged men. There were folk who would pay

well for hanged man’s hair, hands and seed. They made powerful potions and

apothecaries paid well for them.

“I told you it was them two,” Sylud insisted, “didn’t I Grunth?”.

“Yeah. We knew all th’ time, didn’t we Sylud!”

“Sure did. Now Lothar ‘as got all cozy with th’ Captain. Lucky bugger”

“Oh well, least he split the reward with us,” said Grunth, the pleasant weight of 25

pennies in his hand.

“Don’t go spendin’ it yet, Grunth. Ya still owe twenny pennies fer getting’ ya off th’

hook about killin’ that fool. Hand it over!”….

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Next Story.

Written By: Brian Smaller (a.k.a Sylud of Maladon)