Kingdom Raiders

Prologue

I WAITED IN the shadows of the dingy side ally, overlooking the town square. Any minute now, it would be clear of people, shut up in their houses with their windows boarded so no one would break in.

The dirty cobblestone streets were lined with dimmed lamps as the sun began to set. The normal hustle and bustle of town was growing weary as night started to approach. This was the King's doing. "Protecting" the people he said. What a joke.

A loud horn sounded from the town hall, signalling another curfew. The townspeople started to scurry around trying to get home as quickly as they can, women picked up their skirts and scurrying away, shoppeople packed up stalls and shutting up shop, and men tensely made sure everyone was in their respective houses before heading to their own homes.

This was our time. The time when we would run under the cover of night without being recognised to get answers. Tonight, was another mission though. Get the weapons and get out.

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The sand crunched under my feet, moulding to fit the shape of my shoes. The street lamp cast light on the wall of the alleyway across the street, revealing posters of wanted criminals and town events. I checked my surroundings.

The light of the windows in the shops had dimmed and 'closed' signs hung on the doors as purples and indigos painted the starry sky. The streets cleared of all people, who previously ran inside at the sound of the town alarm. Rats scurried across the road into sewers - the only sound the faint echoes of birds and bats flapping their wings.

I took a deep inhale and prepared myself for the meeting. In the alley, I found a figure standing in the corner, arms crossed in front of his chest. I stepped into the alley light, where the figure looked up and eyed the hessian sack over my shoulder.

"Peddler," he remarked. "Have you got them?"

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"Have you got them?" I asked. The shady Peddler in a cloak nodded in my general direction, once again looking around to check if anyone was watching.

Not that this mattered. My Raiders were all keeping an eye out, making sure anything that dared breathed in our direction would be taken care of.

The man removed the sack from his back, trying to not make too much noise. He flattened the bag in front of us on the ground and opened it up to reveal the contents. A shield, seven swords and a few daggers lay in a heap. I did a once over, checking to make sure everything was accounted for.

"In exchange, I want the information we discussed." He said in a gruff voice, he shifted from foot to foot, obviously wanting to be out of here as quickly as I did. The Peddler, broad with black hair and green eyes, almost appeared to be hiding behind his beard, and was as anxious as I to get the meeting over and done with.

I nodded to one of my men, who lurked behind me in the shadows, he swiftly and noiselessly scooped up the bag of weapons.

"We have narrowed our search down to this town. Our interrogations and investigations have all lead to either dead ends or fingers pointing to nearer the Royal Castle. We will keep our promise. In exchange for you and your safety from raids and harassment, weapons still need to be traded. I'll have one of my men get a description of you and your daughter tomorrow so we know who not to bother. I am recruiting new people every night for our cause so they will most likely come around mid morning." We needed to be straight and to the point. The longer my men and I were out here, the more likely we would be to get caught, or have our descriptions taken down so The Guard could have us drawn and quartered.

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I tensed up at the mention of the raiders searching Kingsworth. I never wanted this for Asra and I, to be constantly looking over our shoulders. We led a simple life - Asra cleaning the house and waiting for a potential suitor - and me, making a living stealing and selling weapons. It wasn't something I was proud of, and it certainly didn't help the family reputation, but it's what kept me going. What kept us alive.