Thieves of the Faith

'Hey, guys,' said Majvoc in a hushed panic, as he clambered through some branches to reach the warm light of the fire. 'I don't want to sound like a worryguts, but I think we may have some unpleasantness heading our way.'

'You don't say,' said Balar equally in whisper, with his axe readied.

'Where have you been?' asked Tiella, her dagger grasped in the palm of her hand.

'Oh, you know, here there and everywhere,' said Majvoc, jumping to his companions' side, 'Or did you mean recently?'

'Enough, thief,' snarled Balar, 'We may yet go unnoticed.'

From the dark came a chorus of laughter.

'You hear that, girls?' shouted one voice, 'They think we haven't got them surrounded.'

'Girls?' asked Luna aloud, 'Girl bandits?' It hadn't occurred to them before, but each voice they could hear was that of a female. All rough, ready and cracked from shouting and hard drink, sure, but still with a distinct female timbre.

'Bollocks,' cursed Majvoc.

'Know these people?' asked Balar gruffly.

'Kind of. I mean, I did know them. Once. Maybe,' stuttered Majvoc.

'What do you mean, 'maybe'?'

'There might be two all-female bandit troupes in the region?'

'I very much doubt it,' said Balar, 'I haven't even heard of one.'

'We don't usually come down this far,' said a woman, stepping from the shadows. She was clad in thick leather armour that was adorned with trinkets and decorations, trophies of her victories. 'Nice to see you again,' she said to Majvoc.

Majvoc's feet were rooted to the ground. His mind crunched through his options. Run? Hide? Fight? Joke?

'Oh hi,' said Majvoc, dropping his bow and sauntering confidently towards the tall, imposing warrior, 'Sigrid, of Ermskirk! Why I haven't seen you since...'

'You stole my sword,' she said with a smirk.

'Did I?' asked Majvoc, although he full well knew the answer, 'That seems like such a long time ago.'

'It was at the turn of the last season.'

'Who are you people?' asked Balar.

'The Sisterhood of the Old!' said Sigrid, proud and loud. 'Excommunicated worshipers of the Gods of Old.'

'Bandits,' explained Majvoc.

'We rob and pillage as the Old God tells us,' said Sigrid, 'Nothing more, nothing less. Now, the question is, what does the Old God want us to do with you?'

'Leave us alone!' called Luna.

'Oh, you have an elf with you?' said Sigrid, her smile coaxing an inkvine scar on her face to shimmer in the firelight. 'I wonder what the Old Gods will have to say for her?'

'Enough!' said Balar, 'Is it to be a fight or not?'

'A duel!' said Sigrid, 'The first to wet the ground with their blood is the loser. Our divine God will empower the righteous and lead them to victory Who among you will stand forth to challenge me?