26.Clan Rules.

Maria rested under a tree.

She had been tracking for hours and did not seem to be any closer to her mark than when this chase had begun.

"It shouldn’t have even started." she thought to herself. "If he hadn’t riled up the citizens into wanting to hang him right then and there."

She had found him in a small village in the northern lands almost the minute she had entered the village. It looked like it was going to be a simple walk up, take him down, and then just go as mother came to collect him.

That was until the angry mob came. They were accusing him of being a sheep rustler, a very big offence in these lands according to Paul who came from here, and were ready to take him away for trail, though some wanted to dispense justice right there.

They had come and surrounded him so fast that Maria had no time to even get near him. By the time the chaos had subsided the man everyone was looking for had gone.

A search party was organised but quickly Maria learned they were going in the wrong direction. Knowing they probably were not going to take the word of a stranger in town, and feeling a little miffed about the mix-up causing her to have to spend extra time here, she went off on her own in the right direction.

"And now I am stuck here, it is raining and cold, I am uncomfortable and seeking shelter under a tree." she finished to herself.

"You’re uncomfortable?!" said a muffled voice under the folds of her skirt.

"No, not skirt." she reminded herself. "They don’t call it that here."

When she had realised where she was going, she talked to Paul of his lands to better blend in and cause the least suspicion possible.

He decided that it would behoove her to dress in the traditional garb worn by both women and men and even went so far as to henna her hair a little to look more like the locals.

"But you are so fair haired." she had said, referring to his very bright hair, more reminiscent of the upper northern lands.

"True." he had answered while putting some awful smelling stuff in her hair. "My ancestors invaded and partly conquered some of the land. Some returned but others liked the land they had found and decided to stay, adopting the ways of its people. So even though I still have the upper northern look I am a native of these people."

She hadn’t minded the hair, but the lower portion was a bit putting off, as she was used to wearing pants and had not fought in any garb resembling anything close to this.

Plus the fact that they wore no under garments underneath was a little disconcerting to her.

She had found out this fact once on a windy day when they were practising outside, and a gust of wind showed everyone what Paul wore under there. This caused his lady fair to say that she loved windy days.

She bulked at this lack of garment but gave in saying that it could be a give away if found out. She was assured that it would most likely never be found out by anyone, but she had her doubts.

Now here she was with a ferret trying to take shelter under there.

She shoved him out from under there.

"Get out now." she said pushing at the lump under the garment.

"All right." he said after a struggle that he was bound to loose.

Theodore emerged from under the folds looking the worse for wear. His coat was matted with clumps of dirt, and he had that smell of damp hair about him. He looked very unhappy.

"Why did I come here again?" he asked in a petulant voice.

"Because cook was angry and looking for you, because you had taken some of the newly baked bread." she said. "So you decided to accompany me until she calmed down."

"It was sitting on the window sill cooling." he said. "Any animal could have come and taken some."

"Except she saw you."

"I was hungry, and it was not a big piece."

He sat at her feet looking miserable.

Maria felt sorry for him and reached down and stroked his back for a little while.

He made agreeable sounds and closed his eyes.

After a while she stopped and said.

"We have to go. I don’t want to give him too big a lead."

She stood up and straightened herself.

"You seem to be having troubles with finding this guy." said Theodore.

"He is in his native woods." she answered. "He knows these places better than I do and so can cover his tracks better and I am not used to looking for the right signs."

"How sure are you he knows this place?" said Theodore. "He could have just been a regular villager who rarely ventures beyond the borders."

"True." said Maria. "But if you recall, he was wearing clothes that were a little different than the local villagers, and more like what Paul made me wear."

"Paul gave you hunter clothes." said Theodore. "I just thought he was being funny or is it ironic?"

"No." she answered. "He said that a hunter walking into a village would not be too unusual and so not cause any suspicion in anyone."

"So he is a hunter and so he would know a lot about hiding in these woods." said Theodore.

"Correct." said Maria. "But I also think he may be more, and that stealing sheep is not the only thing he has done or been accused of."

"If he is more than that," she continued. "He may have a hiding place of some sort and he is going there."

They began to walk.

"How could some thief or brigand be able to cheat Death?’ asked Theodore after a while. "So far we have always found strong magic has helped in this. But how would a common thief be able to do that, or find someone to do it for him?"

"I don’t know." answered Maria. "He could have found or stolen a talisman and figured out what it could do. Maybe he blackmailed a wizard for a spell. Anything could have helped. We won’t know until we find him."

"And that is not going to be as easy as I would like, is it?" he asked.

"I am afraid not." said Maria.

There came screaming and cries of commotion from the direction they were walking in.

"Or maybe we will be a little lucky today." she said.

They ran in the direction of the sounds, and emerged at the top of a small hill that overlooked a road.

In the road was a small caravan of carts and fighting was going on.

There was a small group of mask men attacking the caravan. Some were fighting, and subduing, the men guarding the group of travellers, and others were taking stuff from the carts and off the people being held at sword point.

Maria looked around and pointed at one of the masked men.

"There, I was right." she said, "I know that is him even with the mask on."

"Come on then." said Theodore.

Maria pulled out her sword and ran down the hill.

One of the men spotted her, and gave a shout to the others. She met him at the bottom with swords clashing. She could tell he was not proficient and he knew she was, judging by the look on his face.

She began to push him back toward the others, trying to reach her man.

The other men saw the trouble that was coming and quickly assembled what they had and began to leave.

Maria saw her prey run into the woods but had little time to do anything when one of the few bandits who had a horse, came riding at her and she was forced to get out of the way as the one who was fighting her grabbed on and swung himself behind the rider.

She was about to go into the woods after them when a scream made her stop.

"Morag!" a woman was screaming. "They took Morag. They took my little girl."