In the late afternoon, after a day of walking, Marcus Sureshot, William, and Harald were starting to look for a likely place to camp. However, as they rounded a bend in the river, they were greeted by a most unnerving sight. A barge, loaded down with goods, had been pushed towards their bank. More importantly, the vessel in question was under attack by four knights in dark armor.
"What the ...?" sputtered Marcus, as he took it all in.
"Come on," cried William, "we must help them!"
Even as the trio pulled out their weapons, one of the barge's defenders made a leap at his attackers. He didn't get very far, as the enemy knight bisected him in midair; the expected screams followed. Quickly, Marcus and Harald opened fire, drawing attention, and along with it, an enemy knight.
"Aim for his face," yelled Harald, "we can't pierce his armor!"
Both did so, but the foe got almost within halberd reach before they brought him down. Meanwhile, William had charged towards a knight that was trying to subdue the horse that had been pulling the barge.
"Nobody hurts horses on my watch!" he muttered, as he sent a knife whizzing past the frantic animal. This first projectile bounced off the enemy armor, but his second lodged in the knight's shoulder and the third hit home, ending the threat to the horse (and William). Back on the other side of the battle, Marcus and Harald continued to pour arrows at the remaining knights, taking care not to hit the dark haired man who was dancing all around his barge, warding off the attack. By the time it was all over, the attackers looked like porcupines from all the arrows in them, Marcus and Harald had exhausted their stores thereof, and the mysterious man had several cuts that required attention...
