Sam Barone: Rogue Warriors 2

“Take the sack, damn you,” Eskkar shouted. He swung the heavy bag over to Bracca, who had started laughing and now couldn’t stop. “You nearly knocked me off the horse, you fool!”

The two men kept riding until the bandit’s camp was at least a half mile away. By then the other horses had slowed or turned aside. Eskkar eased his mount to a walk, and then halted. No sense galloping a horse through the darkness, always a good way to injure man or beast. He faced back toward the camp, but heard no sounds of pursuit, only confusion.

“Will they come after us?” Bracca glanced behind him, but could see nothing.

“Not tonight. In the morning they’ll have to recapture their horses first.”

“No one is going to go off chasing after horses,” Bracca gloated, “not and leave the loot behind. By the time they finish killing each other and the survivors figure out what happened, we’ll be long gone.”

Eskkar laughed as well. By morning there might be only a handful of thieves still alive. “I killed at least one more of the warriors, and wounded another.” He heard the hint of pride that had crept into his voice. “The bandits may finish off the rest of them. By then any thieves still standing will be fighting among themselves over the spoils. I doubt anyone will come after us over a couple of horses.”

“And a bag of loot,” Bracca said. “Wonder what’s in it?”

“I hope it’s something worth risking our necks for,” Eskkar said, “and not a pile of cooking pots.”

Bracca reached over and clasped Eskkar’s shoulder. “You were magnificent! Your war cry scared even me. But as soon as I gave you the signal, I started moving toward the bandit leader. After all that walking and running for the last few days, I didn’t intend to leave with just a couple of horses.”

“Well, when the word gets out about all these raids, we’d better be far away. If anyone catches us with the stolen goods. . we’d better put at least a hundred miles between us and this place before we try to sell whatever we’ve got.”

“That we will, friend Eskkar, that we will.”

Eskkar turned his mount away from the campsite, and Bracca followed his example.

“Stop! Wait for me!”

The piercing words seemed to hover in the night air. Both men whirled around, ready to fight or flee. But the voice belonged to a single woman, not the cries of men giving chase.

Sword in hand, Eskkar stared back toward the camp. He heard the sounds of men shouting, but no drumming of horses’ hooves. In another moment, a dim figure appeared, running toward them. “Wait. . don’t leave me!”

“One of the women,” Eskkar said. “She must have seen us ride off.”

“Damn the gods,” Bracca grumbled. “They’ll follow her right to our trail.”

“Not at night.” Once again Eskkar swept his gaze over the dark ground. “We would hear the horses.”

The shadowy figure staggered toward them, clutching her bosom as she tried to catch her breath. By now the girl had stumbled almost within reach. She fell to her knees, only a few paces away.

“Take me with you,” she gasped. “Please don’t leave me behind.”

“Find your own way,” Bracca said. He turned his horse around, and started to move off.

“Wait,” Eskkar said. He recognized the girl, the one with the torn shift. And the same one who had slowed the bandit leader. “Come girl, you can ride with me for awhile. I owe you that much, at least.”

Returning his sword to its scabbard, he leaned down, grabbed her by the waist, and lifted her onto his horse. She swung her leg over the animal’s neck, and leaned back against Eskkar’s shoulder. She still hadn’t caught her breath, and her shoulders rose and fell.

But Eskkar didn’t concern himself with her shoulders. He had his arm around her waist, already enjoying the feeling of what appeared to be an ample pair of breasts.

“She’ll slow us down, friend Eskkar. Best to get rid of her now. What if we have to run for it?”

“Then we’ll see. But she may have saved my life, not to mention your bag of gold.” He touched his heels to the horse, and they started moving, keeping the pace to a fast walk.

“My name is Sesta. Thank you for saving me.” She took his hand from her waist and held it against her breast. “They said they would sell me as a slave in Yarmo.”

In the darkness, Eskkar felt himself grinning, relishing the girl’s warmth against his chest. This was much better than carrying a heavy sack.

They rode in silence for some time, each man taking care to guide his mount safely through the night. When they’d covered another two or three miles, Eskkar decided they’d put enough distance between themselves and the bandit camp to halt until morning. He eased Sesta to the ground, then swung down from the horse. Taking his time, he secured both animals, using the halter ropes, to a bush. Sesta stayed with him, unwilling to leave his side. With the horses attended to, Eskkar relaxed on the grass, facing his companion.

Neither man spoke, and Sesta leaned against Eskkar’s shoulder. Within moments, her eyes closed and her breathing deepened.

At last Bracca broke the silence. He stretched out his legs, his back supported by the bag of loot. “You know, Eskkar, we make a good team, the two of us. Together, we might be able to accomplish much.”

To his surprise, Eskkar had been thinking much the same thing. “Maybe some day we’ll be able to steal enough so that we can settle down without worrying about when our next meal is arriving, or if someone is going to put a knife in our ribs while we’re sleeping. I’ll settle for that, friend Bracca.”

“Not me,” Bracca said. “I want at least a village all to myself. Along with a handful of women to care for me.”

“And who will protect you from your wives, let alone all the enemies you’re sure to make?”

“That’s where you come in, friend Eskkar. I’ll always have a place in my service for a man with a strong back and weak mind.”

Though he would never admit it, Eskkar thought it more than likely events would happen just that way. He grunted in annoyance at the idea, but really couldn’t see much of a future for himself. Staying alive was about as much as any outcast barbarian could expect. But no sense admitting that to his carefree companion. “We’ll see who ends up with a village, friend Bracca, and who ends up in the demons’ pit. We may both be surprised.”

Bracca laughed. “I’ll take that wager, my friend. But I’m sure we can both find what we need.” He patted the stolen sack, and the dull clink of metal could be heard.

“Well, enjoy your half of the loot, friend Bracca. But this is one woman we won’t be sharing.”

“I thought we agreed. .” Bracca never finished his words.

“There will be no sharing,” Sesta announced. “You wanted to leave me behind. If you lay a hand on me, I’ll cut your throat while you’re asleep.”

Oh, yes, Eskkar decided. The gods had indeed favored him through another fight. Now something told him that Sesta would provide more than a romp in the grass. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and drew her close to him. He had a feeling that the next few days would be very interesting.