The Way of the Warrior

Chapter 4: I'll be Your Army

"Ok... I think that should do it!" Reg declared. Before him was a wonderful system of pranks, made mostly from their equipment. The wind had calmed down, but now it was starting to rain.

"Hide in the bushes!" he commanded. All the boys took their positions in the greenery and waited. After a few anxious minutes, Aidan signaled to Reg that he heard someone approaching. Reg whispered to Nelson and Falworth to get ready.

"Now!" Aidan shouted. Nelson cut loose a satchel filled to the brim with mud, so the contents fell on the person. Falworth used a slingshot to launch pebbles and trinkets. Aidan and Reg pulled a rope that was concealed on the ground, so the trespasser fell and then Falworth ran over with a hefty stick to do some whacking.

"Wait wait wait, hold up Falworth!"

"Captain?!" Falworth dropped his stick. "Guys it's the Captain!"

The boys ran out as the Captain sat up, covered with mud and with a couple little toys and pebbles stuck to him.

"Well look at you kids." The Captain smiled proudly. "You did well!"

"Um...thanks!" Reg said. He could not believe his teacher thought he did a good job. By the looks of it, Falworth, Aidan, and Nelson felt similar.

The Captain wiped himself up a little then looked around, starting to look worried. "Boys, where are Iiren and Philip?"

"Well, it was really windy, and we were running. We didn't really look back." Falworth began nervously.

"We don't know." Reg said bluntly.

The Captain sighed and put his hand on his forehead for a moment. Then he looked at the children.

"I must find them, but first we have to stop the bandits. I know they are not far behind me. And we won't be able to outrun them. Or outnumber them for that matter. But we can still beat them if we're smart."

Reg looked up at him, "Can we use our pranks?"

"Yes, those will be essential."

~ ~ ~

"We should probably start heading back." Kiera said. Catalina nodded silently. The two young women started to hike through the rather barren valley between the mountains. It had been raining but it was starting to lesson and stop.

Suddenly Catalina's ears twitched and she looked to the side. There she saw a little boy and girl under an overhang fast asleep. She patted Kiera's arm.

"Look." She said.

"What are kids doing here?" Keira commented. They went over to the children to make sure they were ok.

"He is really hurt." Catalina said, looking at Keira with concern.

Keira picked the boy up. "Let's take them to our place."

*

Iiren felt a fuzzy softness draped over her and a bright heat warming her front.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw a fire burning not far from where she was. She was lying on a blanket and another blanket covered her up.

Iiren sat up and looked around. She saw a young woman with thick orange hair sitting nearby and an older man with dark skin and bald head. But what she noticed the most was that she didn't see Phil.

"Where is Phil?!" Iiren asked, sitting up fast. It startled the man.

"Ah! Geez little lady!" He said.

Iiren looked at him and her eyes widened. "Lance? Catalina?"

"Yup, that's me." Lance smiled brightly. "You remembered! Last I saw you, you were a cute little toddler."