The Road

dang it

Chapter Three

The law hated me here in Elgain. That was because of the fact that more than one of my hobbies was illegal. I admit that I do my fair share of poaching, but that is only one of the two things I do that is illegal. The other is, interesting. I am a highwayman. Yes it’s hard to believe, I know. It’s only a part time thing thankfully. I am still quite new to it so, I have to practice. 

I stood in the woods on the side of the road, making sure I couldn’t be seen from the road. I had heard the clip-clomp of horse hooves, and took my position. I made sure the handkerchief was fully covering what my hat didn’t. Once I was sure I couldn’t be identified, I took the pair of pistols I kept in my bag out and got ready. As the sound of the carriage got steadily louder, Olive started inching toward the road. I patted her head to calm her. But, the time to reveal ourselves had eventually came. Olive carefully stepped toward the road and eventually broke free of the trees. Once we were fully in the road, the carriage had stopped. I also stopped about twenty feet from the horses. I rose one of the pistols and pointed it at the driver.

“Fight.” I shouted to them. 

I swung my leg over the saddle and leapt down from Olive’s back. I gracefully walked over to the carriage door and knocked on it. I told the passengers to show them selves and, they immediately emerged from the carriage. I threw a small leather bag at the three passenger’s feet. One of the men looked awfully familiar. I tried to ignored him. After they had put all of their riches in the bag, I picked it up and bowed to them.

“My thanks to you.” I said.

I then walked backwards to Olive, and then jumped on her. Olive galloped down the road as quickly as she could.

As we were riding down the road, I took out the bag of money and tied it to the inside of my belt, so it was out of sight. I grinned at my success. Now I could use the money to rent a room for the night. Thinking about night, I looked to the sky, and was surprised to see that it was starting to get very dark. I frowned. 

I will have to set up camp, the next inn is at least an hour’s ride.

I sighed. I hadn’t wanted to have to spend another night in the open. Olive went to the side of the road and continued in to the woods. I leapt down form her back and grabbed my saddlebags. I yanked the blanket form one of the bags and placed it on the ground. Laying down on top of it after unsaddling Olive, I scowled at the dark sky and went to sleep… Only to be woken up hours later with the cold metal of a knife blade pressed up against my throat. 

My eyes strained to see my captor. “Who are you?”

“No one of consequence, now get up.” Commanded my captor.

I did as he said. I wondered who he could be. It did not sound like Hugh, John, or Alex. Nor did it sound like one of my brothers. The man told me to walk forward. I did. I felt him lift me up onto a horse that was not mine. He then flung him self onto the saddle behind me. He took the reins and beckoned the horse forward. As we were riding, I continued to pester him with questions about who he was, where he was taking me, and why. He answered none of them. For some reason, I wasn’t scared.

When the sun started to rise, he left the main road for a small side road. He stopped near a very small barn and climbed off the horses back. When I got to look at his face, I realized he was about ten years older than me from the looks of it, and I was twenty. He had light brown shaggy hair covering his eyes and very straight angular features. He looked very serious. My captor commanded me to get off the horse, and I obeyed. 

“Where’s the purse?” He asked. 

“What?” I replied.

“The money you got from the carriage yesterday!” He yelled.