The Rewrite, part 3

I've been quite productive today in my output of this little project. I'm slowly running out of material in my inbox; I do recall there being more material elsewhere, but that txt document is somewhere far and away. Perhaps if I dig around enough, I could find it. If not, we write by memory! 

             In the afternoon, a crossroads appeared. A beggar sat between the two roads, and Kyle dropped a coin in the man’s cup. Ailith had only seen a beggar once in the village by their keep. He’d been chased out by the priest after stealing from the parish. It had been humorous to see the priest violently waving his ax about, raining down God’s fury on the snivelling man. She and Rurik had laughed. 

This beggar was...different. She quickly noted his odd demeanor. He seemed quite at peace until Kyle put in the coin. It didn’t make sense. 

“Which way to the next village, sir?” Kyle asked him. 

The man stood up and bowed, very deeply, then sat back down with a sigh. 

“Kin sir, pretty maid. If you take the left path, a village is in a few hour’s walk.” Ailith sighed in response. She did not want to be walking until night. But there was no other option. 

“Thank you,” Kyle replied. They headed left, continuing round a bend in the road, deeper into the forest. Kyle suddenly stopped. 

“Well, that was interesting.”

Ailith noted his tone of voice and knew something was suspicious. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” 

“Didn’t you notice something odd about him?”

“Yes,” she breathed. Her heart started to race. What was going on? 

“If that was a real beggar,” Kyle ran his fingers across the hilt of his shortsword. Ailith did not miss the gesture. 

“If-?” 

“He’d have asked for another coin before he gave us directions. Most beggars only talk after money. Also, did you notice the bow?”

She had noticed it. 

“He knew who we were, to some degree,” she said quietly. 

“Exactly. Much as I prefer not to, maybe we should cut through the forest here to the other road.” Kyle’s expression was a dead giveaway. Sure, he and Ailith had grown farther apart in recent years. But she knew the meaning of such a gaze; she’d seen it countless times. He was scared. 

Her heart jumped again, beating like a drum now. She knew, though she didn’t wish to admit it, that she would have trouble cutting through the woods in her current outfit.

“What about-- it’s getting late. What if we’re just being overly suspicious?” 

“Could be. Are you just saying that because you can’t make it through the woods in that frock?” His tone was bitter. 

Ailith narrowed her eyes at him. There it was again, the blasted attitude from earlier. 

“I can. I’ll have you know I am more than capable of tying my skirts above my knees! Stop being a jerk.” 

“A jerk? I’m just worried about you. If you tie your skirts up, your legs will get all scratched.” 

“I’m wearing stockings and a chemise! What do you want, an inventory of my underclothing?” She watched with satisfaction as her brother’s face reddened. 

Serves your right, she thought, treating me like a liability. 

“You...you’re being ridiculous! All over some time spent in the woods. If we get attacked, you can’t fight! What do you want me to say? That you aren’t a burden, that you’ll be just fine on your own?” 

Ailith took a step back, tears welling up. It had been years since they’d fought. 

“That’s not my fault! Which of us was born as the oldest son? No one taught me to fight!” 

Kyle was about to respond when four men appeared on the road, two in front, and two behind them. Ailith stepped closer to Kyle, and he drew his sword almost simultaneously. 

“State your business,” he barked. One of the strangers cackled. 

“Oh, I think you know,” he said, and drew a sword. They descended upon them, all at once. Kyle slid into a ready position and parried a thrust from the first attacker. Ailith watched, dagger in hand, but body frozen as her brother dodged and blocked, shifted his weight, and took care of one man in what seemed like mere seconds, his sword plunging into the stranger’s gut. Kyle pushed the man’s body off of his sword and blocked a strike from another oncoming attacker. 

Suddenly, a large hand clamped over Ailith’s mouth. She tried to scream, but the bandit squeezed her nose between his fingers, blocking her from breathing. 

He was a huge man, lifting her off her feet and holding her in one large arm. As she lost consciousness, she saw the bandits hit Kyle on the back of the head. 

Kyle…