Avenger from a Distant Land (CLOSED)

[staceyshackleton]

The air was thick with smoke as the stranger stood at the entrance to the village. A heavy cloak covered his face, but even though his features were hidden, the man gave off a strong sense of uncertainty.

He'd stood there for five minutes now, while the few villagers who'd braved the cold outside had sized him up and decided to find other matters to concern themselves with.

Whether it was the heavy-set shoulders, or the no-nonsense sword that hung off his belt - casually swinging backward and forth in the gentle wind yet never too far from his hand - the stranger seemed to radiate an air of trouble. And for the decent, upstanding folk of Godwick, trouble was something they were already all-to-well acquainted with. Nor were they looking to supplement their own troubles by accommodating this stranger.

He sighed deeply, his shoulders dropping slightly as the last villager disappeared from sight, clearly afraid of someone, or something.

Was this what the people of this land had been reduced to? Scared peasants scurrying to the illusionary cover of their dark, cruck houses?

He'd heard things had turned for the worse while the wars had been on, but now that he was returned from overseas, he found that things were worse yet than previously feared. This was the third village he'd travelled through on the way to his final destination, and in each one there were almost-imperceptible signs of some malevolent force at play.

Sighing again, he realised that simply standing here was going to achieve anything constructive. Straightening up with renewed purpose, he pushed onwards. There was a lady still waiting for him, and a sacred oath to satisfy.

With a grim smile, Nicholas de Beaumont set forth once more, as the memories of the words he'd spoken to his dear fallen commander echoed through his thoughts.

"I'll see that she'll be safe." he'd said. Nicholas de Beaumont was nothing if not a man true to his word.

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

Yunn, mid-28, Easterner in a Western land, compassionate vigilante

Knock. Knock. Knock. “M’lady?” Knock. Knock. “Lady Bedford.” Knock. “Yunn!” The wooden door rattled against the metal lock. “M’lady. M’lady. Are you alright? Why is this locked? M’lady?” the voice became frantic.

The lump on the bed finally stirred as the sleeper groaned drowsily. A tawny colored arm reached out from under layers of blankets. With a flick of her bony hand, the lock unlatched and rushed in a chubby and short old woman. She set the kettle down and immediately ran over to the bedside. “M’lady, is everything okay?”

A pair of slender brown eyes stared back. “Y, yes. I’m fine, Nurse Abby. Just overslept, that’s all.” The lady sat up, stretching her arms and back.

The nurse sighed with relief. “Thank goodness.” She retraced her steps over to the dresser, picked up the kettle and poured the steamy water into the basin, warming the cool liquid from the night before. “I thought the Night Bandit got her, locked the door and held you captive. You gave me a good scared. Baron Burghley’s household was hit last night. They said he slipped in while everyone was asleep and stole all the gold and valuables. What a despicable act! He needs to be locked up in jail.”

Yunn yawned loudly and repeatedly. Dark circles lined the bottom of her eyes. She maintained a drowsy and sheepish expression as she shuffled off the bed and joined her nurse. These were all classic sign of someone had been deprived from good night rest. “He? No one knows what the Night Bandit looks like. It could be a woman.”

“Harhar! What kind of a woman in her right mind would do such thing? They said the Night Bandit is skilled with swords, can throw a punch or two, and has no issue playing rough with men he comes across. How can a woman possibly do all that?”

Yunn yanked the face towel off Abby’s hand, clearly annoyed and disagreed. She fired back calmly, “Anything is possible, ole nurse. Did you think it’s possible for a girl, from far land in the East, to stand next to you as a Lord’s wife?” She dipped her face into the basin, hiding a satisfied smirk after she had seen the nurse’s shocked reaction. The warm liquid instantly and fully woke Yunn.

Abby didn’t argue. She just stood and grabbed the lady’s long dark hair to keep them from getting wet.

“Nurse, any word from my husband?” Yunn asked while dabbed the towel over her wet face.

“Nay, M’lady. I’m sure we’ll hear from Lord Bedford soon. It only has been three months after all.”

“But he has always written monthly.”

“Maybe the messenger got himself lost. Maybe the horse decided to take a breather. Maybe the Lord was too tied up to write. Maybe th---.”

Yunn interrupted, “That’s a lot of maybes, nurse.” An invisible force tugged on her heart, making it felt like lead. Her gut tied in a knot. Something didn’t feel right…

“That might be true, but have faith. He’ll be back soon enough. Now come. Breakfast is ready.” The nurse draped a thick cloak over Yunn’s blue cotton dress.

Then the women exited and walked down the cold corridor, following a trial of delicious aroma of morning foods.

 

[staceyshackleton]

Nicholas half-stumbled up the path of Bedford manor, the weeks of travel finally catching up with his weary legs. Still, the sight of his final destination had delivered the only burst of adrenalin he needed.

With renewed vigour, he fought back the fatigue, the restless nights, and the side-effects of too many years in too many wars.

This place, this manor, this woman, would be Nicholas' opportunity to put all that behind him, and dedicate himself to a simpler, more straight forward life.

It was morning, and de Beaumont had marched under the moon-lit skies ever since leaving Godwick. It had been a lonely night for much of the walk. A man who had the look of an experience campaigner - and with the hefty sword to match - tended to discourage the occasional bandit and robber who may have been on the hunt for weaker prey.

Still, he had been accosted once, although mercifully for the other man he'd brought news to Nicholas rather than empty threats.

Nicholas had frowned when he'd heard that there was a powerful bandit striking the wealthy around these parts. Frowned both because this posed a threat to the one woman he'd been tasked with protecting - a woman he'd last seen over a year ago when he and his Lord had left for foreign shores. But he frowned also because attacks on such targets as the messenger had described would hardly strike fear into every villager he'd seen from coast to manor.

No, Nicholas reasoned, there was another force, a far more malevolent force at play here. That posed another threat to beautiful Lady Bedford. The messenger had continued on his way, and Nicholas knew that he'd head to the Manor House of Bedford soon enough. Perhaps he might even beat Nicholas to his destination.

His musings had distracted him from the pain in his sore calves, to the point that he came out of his thoughts only to find himself at the front door of the Manor House. He'd come all along the path lost in his own private world.

Now, he stopped, and took in the scene he'd waited so long for. The Manor House door was heavy set. The sturdy stonework surrounding it gave an imposing air, even if this was a residential place rather than the deliberately imposing defensive sight of a full-blown castle.

The building still towered over Nicholas, but there were some open slits in the walls on the second floor. He'd known them from his time here as a great vantage point to watch over the comings and goings from the Manor House. He also sensed a faint aroma - an aroma that a man more used to the finer aspects of life may have missed. To a man who'd been on the road for so long, and in the fields of war for even longer than that, there was no mistaking the wonderful aroma of a carefully prepared breakfast.

Summoning his composure once more, and stilling the hunger pains that now rumbled through his stomach, he breathed in deeply. Then, with a forceful knock, he announced his arrival to Bedford Manor.

He stood there for less than a minute before the door slowly opened inwardly.

Nicholas smiled, as he saw the Steward of the Manor House stand in the doorway, and saw the smile light on his face as he recognised this most welcome visitor.

"Nicholas de Beaumont!" the Steward cried. "We have waited too long for a messenger from our Lord. We had never dared to hope that it may be you that would come to deliver the message!"

Nicholas' smile flickered at that, and a grim countenance darkened his face. Now came the most difficult part of his journey. Delivering the news of Lord Bedford's demise. Telling the story of how he'd been assassinated in his tent, before battle had even been joined. Comforting Lady Bedford and ensuring her that all that could be well would be well, eventually.

"I need to see Lady Bedford." Nicholas replied, sadness now sweeping across him. "All will then be explained."

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

"Yes, yes. Of course, sir.” The Steward stepped aside for the guest to slip in. “The Lady has been expecting you! Come. Come. I’ll take you to her. She should be in the Great Hall by now. Hope you’re hungry. Lady Bedford would be delight to have you join her.” He continued to rant as lively as an early bird, completely overlooked the sadness sweeping across Nicholas face.

He led the guest directly to the Great Hall.

The Steward was right. Yunn was sitting at the long table in the Great Hall with an abundance spread. A servant set a plate full of little everything in front of the lady while another seeped a pot of tea.

The Nurse was the first to see the honorary guest. She dropped a plate of silvers; all eyes turned to her as she gasped, “Sir Nicholas!” She ran over to the knight and clasped his cheeks to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. “It’s really you. You bought news from the lord? See, m’lady, I told you we’ll hear from him soon.” She looked back for the Lady of the Manor, whom wasn’t as happy as her to see this messenger.

On the contrary, her face was long and sad. She had been yearning for a message from her husband. Yet now, she desperately wanted to get rid of the news. She wasn’t a mind reader nor a fortune teller; however, she felt no good news will come from this situation. Why would a Commander send away his most trusted, loyal, capable Second-in-Command? It didn’t take a strategist or a war hero to see this tactic only meant one thing…

“You look awful. You must be famish.” Abby continued to chirp, pulling Nicholas toward a seat at the table and waving her other hand for a servant. “Come, girl. Fix a plate for the good knight!” The teenage nodded and prepared a dish for him. “Come. Sit, Nicholas. Drink. Eat. Then tell us, what does the Lord say?”

Yunn sat back down, clutched onto a hot tea cup, and ordered quietly but firmly, “Nurse, leave us.”

The Nurse finally came down from her high and looked at her mistress, baffled. However, she didn’t question the request. She dipped her head and retreated, motioned the other servants to follow her.

Once they were alone, Yunn rose her gaze to the knight, waiting for a confirmation and begging to debunk her suspicion. She finally had enough courage to utter, “How… how’s m’lord?”

 

[staceyshackleton]

Nicholas took in the welcoming smiles of these fine people, yet could not bring himself to share in their happiness.

He made eye contact with the Lady Bedford for a moment, as the others fussed around them, and he knew in an instant that the dark news he brought to this House would not come as a great surprise to her. Not for the first time since he had met her - several years ago, in a time far lighter and full of mirth than now - de Beaumont recognised a keen intelligence and inner strength in this woman. She was... no, Sir Nicholas chided himself, she is the perfect partner to a man of Lord Bedford's standing. The way she carried herself reminded him that Lord Bedford had always chosen his companions well.

Nicholas now regretted that his first remark at the time had been that Yunn - a woman from the mysterious East - was a strange choice for the Lord to bed. With a flicker of a smile, he knew he had learned to see what Lord Bedford had seen in her.

Lady Bedford was now clearing the Great Hall though, and Nicholas realised that the moment had come when suspicions had to be confirmed, and fears realised.

Holding the Lady's eyes once more, Nicholas smiled sadly.

"M'Lady. I regret that I bring dark tidings to this fair House. Not six weeks back, Lord Bedford was slain in a most cowardly attack."

Nicholas grasped a drink that lay on the table, and flexed his muscles as he remembered that terrible night. The light of morning streamed through a nearby window, however he barely acknowledged it.

He looked down, unable to hold Lady Bedford's gaze while also re-living the final moments of Lord Bedford's noble life.

"Assassins, M'Lady. They crept in under cover of dark, before we'd even reached the battlefield. They slayed three brave Yeoman on their craven assault."

de Beaumont grimaced again, and paused for a moment to gather his composure before pushing on. He'd practiced this for all the weeks of his travel, but in the presence of Lady Bedford, the raw emotion of the situation brought vivid flashbacks.

"After disposing of our sentries, they crept into Lord Bedford's tent. A lesser man would have been killed in his sleep, but Lord Bedford surely slept with one eye open. When I heard his cry of alarm, I sprung to his Lordship's side."

At this point, Nicholas looked back up at Lady Bedford.

"As I ran into the tent, Lord Bedford had accounted for one of the assassins already. A second was also tasting the cold hard steel of his sword, before I could even offer my own sword as a passage to Hell for one of our wicked attackers."

"Alas M'Lady, a third snuck behind our Lordship, while the second drew his last breath and I engaged a fourth in desperate battle."

"The nick he delivered to Lord Bedford would normally have been no more of a scratch to a Bear, but alas, alas. Poison. The cur had in fact delivered a fatal blow, and Lord Bedford died mere minutes later, while I avenged him there and then by dispatching them with his own sword."

Nicholas collapsed back in his chair, and suddenly felt weeks of grief sweep over him again.

"M'Lady, I swore on that night that I would deliver the manner of his death to you myself, and on my oath I would see that you were protected!"

With that, Nicholas sighed deeply, and looked long and hard at the beautiful, yet far-from-fragile Yunn - Lady of Bedford.

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

Her eyes fixed on the guest as he began to speak. Within the first second, her heart already sank into an abyss. She appreciated how Nicholas respects her enough to break the news without unnecessary fluffs. Though she had her suspicion and expected for the worse, hearing and accepting the demise wasn’t any easier. It still hit her like a ton of bricks; thousand horses galloped and stomped across her chest. Her worst fear came true. She was living in a nightmare. Her jaw clenched, holding back her emotion and keeping a mild expression. Her knuckles slowly turned white from gripping the teacup so tightly.

Even when he dropped his gaze and began to retell that dreadful night’s events, hers didn’t waver away from him. Her eyes were looking the man before her, yet they were staring far, far in distance. She was there, physically, listening and processing his words. However, her mind drifted away, back in time. Back when she first met and saved by a white knight named Cedric, who then became her love and husband.

Then, she was another object for sell along the Black Road. It was a trade route between the west and east similar to the Silk Road. Its primary trade was slavery and human trafficking. Even though the route was unregulated, it was very popular and a lucrative market. The demands were on a sharp raise. The sellers had to find creative ways to supply the man power. Instead waiting for poor family to sell their off-springs, they resorted to kidnapping. That was how Yunn ended up on the market thousands of miles away. After her whole village and family were burnt down, she was plucked from home, kidnapped and became a vase; something was so easily obtainable by anyone who puts in the highest bid.

A Duke had purchased her, along with a handful of other girls. To ensure the girls couldn’t struggle or escape, they were chained, beaten, and starved for days before they were deliver to the buyer. By the hand of fate, they ran into a small band of knights en-route. The knights, Nicholas and Ceddric were among them, couldn’t turn away from the helpless. So they fought and freed the captives. Yunn offered herself as a repayment since she no longer had a family to return. The Lord pitied her once again and took her under his wings. Over time, their affections developed and flourished. Soon after, she became the Lady of the Manor, a married woman, and a happy wife.

Although she learned how to live like a western lady, lived by society rules, and served her husband like a wife should, Yunn had this masculine side of her. She wanted pick up swords and fight, to protect herself and those who are unfortunate, like she was once. When she told Cedric, he not only didn’t dismiss her crazy ideology, but also became her teacher. The lessons were taught in secrets but effective. She recalled those lessons like it just happened yesterday. They would be sweaty and exhausted from sparring for hours. Although she was a woman and his wife, he fought her like she’s a warrior. Yunn appreciated and loved him for that. She also loved how he smiles, laughs, talks, kisses, and fights. But all that were gone. She could no longer see him, be with him, embrace him, love him... Her life took yet another drastic turn for the worse.

When Nicholas had finished and looked at her, her gaze turned venomous and hostile. Both anger and sorrow seeped through. She spoke, steady like the dead, “Have you really avenged his death? You killed those who attacked him, but did you bring the mastermind behind the scheme to justice? Didn't you too swore to project m’lord? How did that end?”

She didn’t mean to be bitter or blame the messenger. Moreover, she knew Nicholas was as agonizing as her and would die for him within a heartbeat. Yet she had said them, insinuated his ineffective and failure. It was out of spite, pain, confusion, shock, fury, but none was or should be directed to him. She was just … so lost! Her husband was dead! Killed! He wasn’t coming home. He wasn’t going to hold her. She was never going to see him again. The thought brought tears to her eyes. She couldn’t stop them. They just appeared and overflown down her cheeks. Besides those traitorous tears, she tried her best to stay composed. She was frighten but must stay strong.

Cedric’s first lesson: never show fear. You look it right in the eyes and make it fear you.

 

[staceyshackleton]

Nicholas flushed a dark red as Yunn rebuked his bold vow that her husband's death had been so cleanly avenged.

That she was right made the verbal slap sting all the more. While in his heart he knew that the words came from a place of raw emotion rather than considered reason, nonetheless the red flush in his cheeks was fed as much by anger at the words as the embarrassment at the truth.

Of course, a seasoned campaigner such as Sir Nicholas de Beaumont knew that assassins such as the ones they'd faced were unlikely to have been sent by their traditional opposition. While Lord Bedford and he had marched off to war at the will of their King, both were born warriors, and respected their battlefield opponents even if they sought to defeat them in mortal combat.

No, the assassins that were sent that night was an act of unchivalrous behaviour beneath that of the proud men they'd planned to face the following morning.

That had meant only one thing - that someone else had wanted Lord Bedford slain - and killed in a manner that sought to rob him of a true warrior's death.

After a few seconds of seething though, Nicholas steadied and reprimanded himself sternly for taking to heart the agonised cries of a woman who'd just lost her husband, and a good man at that.

"M'Lady..." Nicholas said, forcing a grim calm into his voice even as his mind felt like it was being buffeted like a Galley on an angry sea of emotions.

"... M'Lady, I regret to say that while the assassins have been dispatched, the issue of which mongrel dog sent them forth on such a dastardly mission remains unanswered."

Nicholas sprang to his feet, pushing the chair he had sat on backwards with a rough force. Leaning on the table for a moment with his strong hands splayed out, he then took hold of the Lady Bedford's gaze once more, and a fire danced in his eyes.

"... the assassins that sought us out would not have taken to the task cheaply. Moreover..." Nicholas hesitated, almost not sure how to phrase this next part in the finer language of politics, "... our Lord was not a man to hide meekly from the darker forces that plague our own land!"

Nicholas began to pace around the hall, hands now clasped behind his broad back, head lowered in conspiratorial thought. He paused to look meaningfully at Lady Yunn of Bedford. Her own release from a perilous fate had been just one example of Lord Bedford's desire to fight evil.

"Too late we learned that the assassins had been tracking us for weeks... waiting for a moment of weakness to strike. Alas M'Lady! I fear that for them to have known our position so well so early on, they may have been fed information by someone from our own land. Someone with access to the King's own court!"

He stopped, and turned to face his Lady one more time. As he stood and watched the emotions and conflicts dance across her tear-strewn face, he couldn't help but admire the strength that undercut the tension in her body.

"M'Lady. I've heard from afar that you have not been quiet in your own activities here. My Lord was cryptic by necessity, but spoke often that you would be a most careful guardian of our interests. I cannot pretend to know everything, but perhaps M'Lady might have some thoughts on the matter?"

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

Her sight finally flattered when she realized that her words painted his face crimson. She felt guilty, yet said nothing. She should own up to her brashness, but couldn’t bring herself to do so. She was still too hurt, raw and upset to show any sympathy for anyone. Deep in the bottomless pit, she still hoped for a miracle. Maybe Nicholas had made a mistake; Cedric might had overcome the poison. Maybe there was a mistake in identity; Cedric might had not be in his tent when the assassins strike. Maybe this was just a cruel joke; Cedric might be standing just outside and waiting for his queue to come in and save her aching heart once again.

Yunn stared at one door to another around the Great Hall. Nothing. No one.

One of her hands released the cup and ran across her cheeks, wiping the tears, ridding the sign of weakness. Her eyes returned to Nicholas as he stood up abruptly and spoke with calm and control. When their eyes locked, she noted his fiery anger and hurt were equal to hers. Yet, he was handling the lost more finely than the Lady, both emotionally and logically. He not only understood and accepted her way of channeling her raw emotion, but also was rational and logical as he dissects and unravels the assassins’ employer.

While he paced the room, Yunn bought the tea to her lips, sipping and smelling the aroma. Many was turned off by the distinctive smell of Pu-erh, a fermented dark tea, but she found the scent soothing and homely. This became one of Cedric favorite drinks after she introduced it to him. At first, she had to practically force the Lord of Bedford to taste, like a mother coerces a child to eat their vegetables. The memory bought a faint smile on her face, which disappeared as quickly as it came.

In her peripheral, the knight stopped and faced her while she continued to look at the dark liquid in the cup in her hand. She responded to his question steadily, almost monotone, “Aye. Behind the Castle Walls, one person reaps the most benefit from Cedric’s death. It is Baron Burghley, the woodcutter turned business tycoon.”

Yunn placed down the cup, stood up as gracefully as a widow can, and walked over to the panel-less window. She continued while aimlessly stared out to the horizon, “Surely you remember when Cedric fought against the Baron’s plan to use the forest south of here? Those trees sit between our land and the long river. It’s our natural defense against the river’s flood during monstrous storms. Burghley doesn’t care, however. He only sees coins and gold producing from those trees. He has made a fortune with timberland west of here, and his greed yearns for more. No one will stand or dare to stand in his way once Cedric is eliminated.”

Yunn faced the knight. Her eyes burnt with the same fire his did. She looked attentively at him, trying to read his expression and seeing if he agrees with her or not. She had no proof to her claim, yet she was so certain of his involvement and guilt.

If only she had known about this last night, his head would be missing instead of his fortune... After last night's raid, it would be hard to sneak into the household again. He surely was on high alert now and stacked more guards after the Night Bandit cleared out his gold and jewelry. If only the Night Bandit slits his throat in his sleep last night... If only...

Her head raced with ifs, her vocal expressed firmly, “He must answer for his crime. Justice will be served by our system. Or not.” She bit her tongue and held her bold angry statement to herself, I will kill him myself if needed to.

Nicholas was not only loyal to his Lord and cause for justice, but he was also an honorable knight who lived by the Code of Chivalry. She wouldn’t be surprise if he questions her proof-less claim and is leery to bring down the blade over a woman’s words.

Cedric’s voice echoed in her head: if you can win them with words, show them with their own eyes.

A plan sparked and formed in her head. “Seeing that you’re here alone, Nicholas, does that mean the Lord’s demise has not reach the mass? If that is true, we can use it to our advantage. If the Baron hears the assassination was unsuccessfully, he will surely launch another. Once he contacts new assassin, he’ll be caught red handed. We’ll claim revenge right then and there.”

 

[staceyshackleton]

Nicholas permitted a grim smile to grace his grizzled cheeks, as the thought of avenging his fallen master beckoned at the forefront of his mind.

He knew all to well what the Baron was capable of, and the manner by which he dismissed human life as an inconvenience in his quest for power. That the Baron had found too many friends at the King's Court this past year was as dark and foreboding a thought as that any mere nightmare could conjure.

Still, the demands of propriety required that justice be served by harder proof than mere circumstantial evidence. A flicker of doubt crossed his face, and he looked at Lady Yunn of Bedford with the expression of a man caught between two conflicting duties.

"Aye, M'Lady." he said, the uncertainty in his tone betraying his hesitation. "I know well of the Baron's intentions, and most assuredly he is a scoundrel capable of essaying this crime. The question then remains whether it was truly him, or someone who wishes us to believe it of him."

Nicholas sighed deeply, and placed his firm, square chin in his large hands. For a minute or two he simply stood stock still, staring into the middle distance and lost in thought. Only the occasional blink or narrowing of his eyes would give the casual observer any warning of the battle that was raging in his mind.

Finally, he seemed to reach a decision, and re-focussed his eyes back on the beautiful, grieving, yet-still-defiant Lady.

"As to your plan M'Lady, it is true that news of our Lord's passing will not be widely known. A message was sent to the King's Court at the same time as I left for home, and truly I do not know whether the messenger would have informed our liege of these tragic tidings."

Nicholas de Beaumont stated to pace again, as the machinations and consequences of actions past and future started to form in the mind of a born tactician.

"That I walked these final few days would suggest that the messenger has already discharged his duty, and that our King already grieves as we do now. Still... " Nicholas paused and looked hard at the Lady Yunn. "Still... news of our Lord's death on foreign shores would not have yet made it to the walls of the Baron's castle. Perhaps if we act with all due speed, we may yet be able to enact your plan before Lord Cedric's untimely death is announced across the lands."

A plan was already forming in head.

"We would need evidence of the Baron's guilt before the King would act against one such as Burghley. He may not trace his lineage through noble blood, but in these war-torn times, the Baron's wealth has been most useful to the Court."

"A man as cunning as the Baron is unlikely to meet an assassin directly, nor would he be so foolhardy as to put his seal on a contract."

Nicholas paused again, and looked hard at the strong, independent woman who stood in front of him.

"We could allow the Baron to learn that Lord Cedric plans to arrive at the King's castle on the morrow, with evidence of a plot. The suddenness of the announcement may panic the Baron into a response. There is but one problem. Our Lord would not have hesitated in bringing any evidence to the attention of our King immediately, for justice to be handed down by the highest authority in our Land. The Baron would not be able to strike in time, but likewise we can not delay for fear of Lord Cedric's real demise finding it's way from the King's Court to our local ears."

Nicholas' eyes narrowed, as he continued to improvise with this line of thought, and wondered just how much Lady Yunn knew of - or perhaps even, was involved with - the mysterious figure who Nicholas intended on involving.

"We need a figure of less noble reputation - a figure who might be heard to have accosted our beloved Lord, steal our fictitious and non-existent evidence, and threaten to blackmail our Baron."

Nicholas paused again, uncertain of exactly how to broach what he needed to say next, before deciding simply to push on and let sensibilities be damned.

"M'Lady. The villagers speak of a mysterious stranger who has struck fear into the hearts of the wicked and powerful. They speak of him as the Night Bandit, and I saw the fear in their eyes of the reprisals from the Baron and his ilk should they be caught helping anyone such as the Night Bandit. Verily the Night Bandit must have made his mark to strike such fear into the Baron's dark mind."

Nicholas continued, speaking rapidly and urgently as if every second that was wasted now would be a precious second that brought the Baron closer to escaping the noose.

"With our own strength still marching back from overseas, we now need this Night Bandit's help. Perchance, if he despises the likes of the Baron as much as we, then he would be the perfect figure to panic the Baron into an inadvisable response. If luck be on our side, then when news of our Lord's death does reach the Baron, he may believe the real death was due to our fake assassination by the Night Bandit just prior to his arrival."

"Then, if the Baron is truly guilty, and he believes the Night Bandit finally killed off Lord Cedric so that the outlaw could blackmail the Baron with the fictitious evidence of his own attempt, then he may believe me when I offer my own services to seek revenge. After all, the Baron may believe that I truly think the Night Bandit responsible for my Lord's passing."

Nicholas winked at this point. "Giving me the perfect chance to find evidence of the Baron's culpability in the true crime, while we pretend to hunt down the Night Bandit".

He took two steps forward towards Lady Yunn now, as if afraid of voicing what he had to say next above the barest of whispers.

"Lady Yunn, forgive my presumption, but I do believe you may know more of this Night Bandit than a Lady of the Manor many ordinarily be expected to know. Do you have the means to contact and convince this Night Bandit of our need?"

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

As much as Yunn tried to stay strong, be level-headed and think reasonably, she was still a woman at heart, a grieving one at that. Unlike Nicholas, who logically assessed the situation, she was guided by emotion and wanted vengeance and justice. She knew there’s no tangible evidence that tied Baron to her love’s death. It was all speculation, a derived conclusion from a widow. Yet, she was certain of Baron’s guilt. She felt it in her core.

When Nicholas looked at her with skeptical yet heartfelt eyes, she knew Nicholas didn’t share her verdict. She questioned with a calm bitterness, “Why would someone frame the Baron? What will they gain?” She was not only blinded by bloody woe, but also inexperienced with Court politics and power plays.

She studied that tiresome face as he silently stared into the distance and lost in his thought. She could see the resemblance of Cedric in him. It wasn’t by their appearance, but of their auras. Nicholas served the Bedford House for decades. He practically grew up with Cedric. The two trained, enlisted and fought together for years. They entrusted and shared so many hardships, more than this wife could ever catch up. They hardly seen separated and were practically brothers. So seeing him before her felt like Cedric... Cedric’s spirit is nearby.

Her gaze didn’t waiver when his re-focused on her and spoke his thought out loud. Even when he paced the room again, she thought how Cedric paces when he needs to think and plan too.

The Lady sighed at reasoning. Yes, it was safe and logical to assume the King had already learned about the news. So her plan faltered. She reluctantly looked away from him as he continued to lay out his strategy. Those eyes reminded her so much of the Lord’s. Those saw and experienced many things like Cedric had. Oh, how much she missed him…

Her eyes closed half way, trying to remember her late-husband and listening to the knight’s words. Her head inclined here and there to assure him that she heard him.

Yunn snapped out of her trance when he mentioned the Night Bandit. She turned back to him with almost a grin on her whimsy heart-shape face. She held her ground when he stepped closer. She wondered how much he knows about the mysterious stranger, thought over his plan, and debated how to answer his question.

Her voice lowered to a whisper like his did, “I will do it. I meant, I will convince her to help us,” Yunn made an emphasis on the pronoun. “The Night Bandit dislikes corruption and those who abuse their power. Unlike many Court officials, she isn’t afraid to oppose the Baron. She will take claim of Cedric’s death and extort the Baron on his failed assassination attempt. Then, you will have a reason to offer your service to the Baron. She will fight for our cause,” she boldly stated with all the confidence in the land that the outlaw will help them. “I’ll send for her tonight, then we’ll speak more of this.”

A tiny part of her elevated since there was a solidified, actionable plan. Yet her heart still felt like led. Before she caught herself, her hand spontaneously reached up and touched the square chin. Her eyes softened and lips curled up into an appreciative smile. “Thank you, Nicholas. For personally delivering this news and your support bringing the real culprit to light. Forgive my harsh remarks earlier. I shouldn’t have questioned your aptitude nor your oath. I know you’ve kept true to your words, protected our Lord time and time again. I know you would take his place in a heartbeat; just as I would die for him.”

She fell silence for a minute, biting the inside of her cheeks and holding back the bothersome tears. Her hand and eyes fell away, broke their physical and visual contacts. Once she reclaimed the control of her emotion, she offered, “You’re always welcome in this Manor. It will be your home if you chose it. I’ll see to it that Nurse Abby properly prepares a chamber for you and draws you a bath. I should have her prep the horse as well. I need some fresh air.”

“You should eat. Replenish your strength.” She then curtsied and excused herself, “Pardon me.”

Yunn headed for the door, but she stopped just after a few steps. Without looking back at the knight, she asked as steadily as she could, “Did. Did he go peacefully? Did the poison give him much discomfort? What were his last words? Were you with him til the end?"

 

[staceyshackleton]

"Aye, M'Lady." Nicholas confirmed, imparting as much warmth in his voice as he could manage in such trying situations.

"He did not suffer. The poison was swift-working. I thought perhaps that it was designed for killing someone without giving up the attackers' intentions through the screams of the condemned."

The days of travel - following on so quickly after months of campaigning - were beginning to catch up on Sir Nicholas de Beaumont, and he was thankful of the Lady's kind hospitality. He ached to take advantage of a good bed and a bath.

"He knew in his heart, upon receiving that fateful knick from the assassin's blade, that his time on this Earth would be cut so desperately short. After I delivered a swift verdict on the murderer with his own sword, he bade me to come to his side."

Nicholas sighed, but then continued, knowing how important these words were to Lady Yunn.

"It may give m'Lady some solace that our Lord spent his final seconds concerned only for you. Every ounce of strength he could summon, as the poison worked it's wicked mission throughout his body, was expended in thinking of you."

Nicholas gave a small smile. "As you know m'Lady, I have known Lord Cedric for many years. In all that time, I have seen many a woman catch his eye." Nicholas paused and stared into Lady Yunn's eyes, momentarily losing himself in the beauty contained within them. "However, I have known only one woman to hold his attention."

Nicholas certainly could appreciate and understand what Lord Cedric had seen in Lady Yunn. Beyond her exquisite oriental beauty, there was a steel and strength that hinted at something more than just a common wife.

"His last words were a final message for you. He told me to tell you that you no man could have wished for a stronger woman to stand by his side. He told me to tell you that even though he may never see you again, that he would forever watch over you. And finally, m'Lady, he begged me to stand fast at your side, and ensure that what you both had started would not come to an untimely end."

Nicholas looked slightly puzzled at that point. "I confess I don't fully grasp the subtleties of that last part, but I do know that Lord Cedric would want me to assist you in whatever capacity is within my means."

Bowing slightly, Nicholas then stood as tall as he could, broad-shouldered and face set in a determined expression. The hardy travel clothes that he still wore, dirtied by days of hiking as well as more than a few minor skirmishes along the way, may not immediately have suggested a knight of the realm. However, it most certainly spoke of a veteran of many a tricky encounter.

"I pledge myself to thy side in whatever capacity her Ladyship deems best."

With that said, a relief swept over Nicholas, and he breathed deeply. It was good to say those words, and to honour his Lord in doing so.

"If you can contact the Night Bandit, then I will set forth for the Baron before the sun has set on this day."

With that, Nicholas waited for the Lady Yunn to finally depart before he himself would seek much-needed rest. Before she could disappear from view though, something flashed in front of Sir Nicholas' mind, something that elicited a startled gasp.

"M'Lady!" Nicholas cried, calling after Lady Yunn. "Did you say 'she'?!"

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

Her fists balled as she listened. Rage continued to blind her. She was not only mad at those assassins, but also at herself. She should have been there, fight with him, fend off the assassins, and stay by him to his last breath. However, Nicholas’ words soothed her. It was comforting to know that he had fought until his last breath and didn’t suffer in agony. To know Cedric had thought of her gave her peace.

Her eyes fluttered, rose to meet his gaze and caught his small smile. Her expression softened and cheeks blushed slightly at his compliments. “And he was the only man to hold my heart,” she confessed freely. She was smiling, faint but visible, as Nicholas delivered the lord’s final message.

“I will not end,” Yunn vowed without further clarification. She stared up at the weathered veteran as he pledged himself to her. She smiled with appreciation and voiced her gratification for his loyalty, “Thank you, Nicholas, for being there for Cedric and your kind words now.”

“Then I’ll have the stable boy ready a horse for you too,” she offered when he decided to visit the Baron. “I’ll have Nurse come get you when she has everything ready. In the meantime, you should rest.”

She curtsied and then walked off but stopped at the doorway. Looking over her shoulder, Yunn nodded once firmly and confirmed, “Aye, sir, I did say ‘she’.” She couldn’t help smirking at his startle reaction.

 

[staceyshackleton]

The journey to the squat, severe castle of Baron Burghley had not been the meditative experience that Nicholas had hoped for.

The hours that passed since that meeting in the Great Hall had been a blur. A dozen different threads of thought were competing for attention in Sir Nicholas' mind. Not least among these was Lady of Bedford's bold announcement regarding certain salient details of their shadowy ally.

A woman! A member of the fairer sex, dabbling in such dark matters as that which this Night Bandit had apparently made his... Nicholas caught himself again, and shook his head slowly... made _her_ mission.

He had left his fair land only to journey to a bleak battlefield, where before even battle could be joined he had suffered the blow of losing his beloved Lord. Now he had returned home to find the natural order of things had been dealt a more stunning blow than he had dared imagined.

And yet...

Was it such a surprise? Lord Cedric had never been one to let the accidents of one's birth truly define their character. The Lady Yunn herself was a living, breathing example of just that, and who was to say that another woman hadn't found herself in such a perilous position that to take up arms was the only just way?

Still, he could not lie to himself and say that - as a Knight of the Realm - he was altogether comfortable with the latest revelations. He had sworn himself to the sacred duty of protecting the Lady Yunn, and knowing that she might yet draw inspiration from a fellow woman to risk her own life, well, Nicholas de Beaumont was not going to lose a second noble of Bedford.

He ducked his head slightly so as to avoid a low hanging branch that carelessly dangled over the rough road. Allowing the horse to do the bulk of the direction, he cast another quick glance around - a habit born of a warrior who had survived many an ambush - and then peered into the distance ahead.

The castle had hovered into view some minutes back, and the ugly grey affair seemed to glare out over the countryside.

He nudged his steed into a faster trot, and then urged a gallop out of the sturdy horse as came out from under the few remaining trees that had dotted the countryside. He was out in the wide open now, and visible to the inevitable sentries that would be casting a watchful eye over proceedings beyond the castle walls.

It was time to play his own part, and play it well. For the moment at least, the Lady Yunn and the mysterious woman would need to fend for themselves.

He was soon within earshot of the castle walls, and wasted no time in letting out a tremendous bellow.

"Bring me Baron Burghley!" he thundered, raising himself to his full height while straddling the saddle. He pulled the galloping horse to a halt just before the castle gates, and gave the impression of a man seething with rage.

"Bring me the Baron now!" he stormed. "Tell him Sir Nicholas de Beaumont demands an audience! Drag him away from whatever petty entertainment he wastes his time on now!"

All the while, Nicholas gave the impersonation of someone struggling to contain their own rage, with anger and bitter regret clouding his expression. He had to maintain this for a few minutes, never sure if anyone behind the battlements had truly cared for this performance, secretly wondering if their plan was to die before it had even begun.

Finally however, there was some sign of life behind the walls, and three figures came into view. Flanked by guards, the pampered, callous face of Baron Burghley looked down in odd amusement.

"And what pray tell, would such an illustrious Knight of the Realm want with a Baron in his humble abode at this time?" the voice couldn't hide a cruel tint to it's tone, even if the words suggested an innocent request.

"Lord Cedric of Bedford!" Nicholas shouted back. "My Lord will arrive at the King's court on the morrow, and he brings evidence of a plot! A plot to assassinate the rightful Lord of these lands. To think that while brave men fight on foreign shores, snivelling cowards do play politics behind the safety of their own castle walls!"

With that, and making sure that the Baron didn't have a chance to answer any tricky questions that might lead to half-thought-through answers, Sir Nicholas' immediately wheeled around and headed back the way he'd came.

Hopefully - he thought, trying to suppress a grin - the seed of panic and doubt might have just formed in the Baron's grubby mind. When the Night Bandit struck tomorrow, an enraged Sir Nicholas would be back, only this time to offer his services to a Baron who would quickly be seeing their world unravel in front of their eyes.

Now though, it was finally time to face up to a shocking new truth. It was time to meet her - it was time to meet the Night Bandit.

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

Years of politic and court schemings, the Baron mastered a way to hide his emotion off his face. He kept an indifference expression as he listened to the knight’s report. A storm and unease boiled under his skin.
As soon as Nicholas wheeled around and headed off, Burghley seized the collar of the man to his left. His eyes filled with rage and knuckles turned white from clenching to tightly. He snarled, “He’s alive? He’s alive! How is that possible?! Bring me those men!”

“Mi, mi, mi’Lord, we, we haven’t heard from them since ---.”

“Useless!” the Baron’s fist met at the man’s face before threw him to aside.

“Sire,” the man on his right chimed in, “we need to focus on the present. Though we don’t know what Lord Bedford possess as evidence, we can’t let it get to his Highness.”

“Indeed.” The Baron stared down at the bloody-nose man at his feet. “You see to it that Cedric is dead this time or serve me your head on a silver platter.”

“Yes, mi’lord. Of. Of course. Right away,” he hurried to his feet and scrambled off.

----

Yunn didn’t return from the horse ride until the last sunray disappeared. Both her and mustang were huffing and puffing. They reeked of sweat and sun. She asked the nurse to draw her a bath.

“So, mi’lady, how’s the Lord? He’ll be returning soon? Nicholas darted off before I could ask,” the old woman inquired as she undressed the petite figure.

Yunn climbed into a big tub of steamy and aromatic water. “He’s---.” She used the hot temperature as an excuse to cringe and disguised the true reason for her discomfort soft cry. She slowly submerged until her chin barely touched the surface. “---Well. Cedric. Is. Well.”

----

After the soak, Yunn dismissed the nurse and retreated to her chamber, claiming to turn-in for the night. She even added a few yawn to justify her claim. She kept up the montage, pretending the Lord is still alive and playing the wife-in-waiting role. As much as she wanted to grief for her husband, she needed to avenge him even more. Maybe then her gut would stop charring and heart stop racing, pounding, and breaking like a delicate piece of glass.

After a long while of silence and darkness, a dark figure began to stir in the Lady's chamber. The shadow worked on the beddings and changed, making no sounds nor bumps in the night. It knews the layout very well.

Minutes later, the womanly figure, dressed in complete black garmet figure emerged through the window. She gave the bed a second look at thelarge bundles that she had created under the comforter. It looked like someone is laying and sleeping soundlessly under the covers.

She then fished for the hidden rope, which was camouflaged with the vines growing up the castle walls, and scaled down the three stories with ease. This wasn't her first time after all.

Once on the ground, she stayed in the shadow and headed to the stable, hiding and waiting.

 

[staceyshackleton]

Sir Nicholas' horse thundered towards his rendezvous with Lady Yun. His head swam with the myriad of duties, tasks, and strokes of good fortune that their hastily-formed plan relied so heavily on.

So many unknown variables, and so much that could go wrong. Not least amongst these concerns lay the uncomfortable truth that Sir Nicholas was relying almost entirely on the goodwill and talents of this mysterious Lady of the Night. The Lady Yun seemed to think quite highly of her, if Sir Nicholas was any judge of a woman's body language. He hoped that the Lady Yun's positive impression of this shadowy vigilante was both deserved and reciprocated.

The moon broke through the clouds and lit the ground in front of him as he approached the stables, and he barely waited for his stead to come to a snorting halt before he swung himself down to the ground.

He adjusted his heavy clothing in mid-stride, and set his jaw tight as he found the door to the stable partly open.

He slowed down as the darkness of the stable enveloped him, and Sir Nicholas paused momentarily to alight a nearby torch. The flickering light cast a pale illuminance over the straw-strewn floor, and a couple of horses whinnied quietly at the gentle disturbance of their sleep.

Sir Nicholas peered into the dark. The well-built warrior subconsciously placed a hand on his sword hilt, as any Knight worthy of his training would in the situation.

"Night Bandit." he called out.

"Night Bandit, I have come to talk with you."

He paused for a moment as he fancied he saw movement in a shadow.

"We have a common enemy, you and I." he added, before taking half a step forward. Painfully aware that a well-trained archer would have him dead in their sights, especially with him holding a torch as a veritable bullseye, he put his faith and his life in the Lady Yun's generous assessment of their would-be ally. Now was the time to find out how much that faith could be re-payed.

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

The Night Bandit stood in the darkness and inside the unlit stable. Memories of the past played out in her mind while she waited all by her lonesome self. They brought back his voice, smile and touch. On one hand, she wanted to remember him. On the other, the more she remembered, the more she missed him. There wasn’t anything in the world that she won’t give up to see him, her him and hold him one more time. She wouldn’t hesitate to give her life or reveal the identity behind this mask for that chance.

All were too late…

She continued to stand still and calm as heard the horse’s hoofs pounding and approaching. Even when she could see the rider dismounted and went to find a torch, she didn’t move a muscle. Her eyes did narrowed slightly by the brightness of the burning oil.

The shadow just watched, studying the knight before and noting his defensive posture while calling out. She reached for the dagger sheathed behind her back just as he reached for his sword. Neither was willing to draw their weapon first, but both were ready to fight for the preemptive strike.

She scoffed when he talked about a common enemy. “The Lady had said the same,” she said. The cloth masked slightly muffled and altered her tone. She intentionally spoke deeper and dragged out her syllables to disguise her real voice.

She took a couple steps forward so that the orange glow could illuminate parts but still not her whole body. “Nicholas it is?” she played coy, quite convincingly. This wasn't the first time she had to lie or play clueless after all.

She continued, “What is it that you want? The Lady had asked me to help.”

 

[staceyshackleton]

Sir Nicholas squinted into the darkness and tried to size up the woman facing him. While he clearly had the advantage of size, should anything about this encounter go badly, he nonetheless had the uneasy feeling that this Night Bandit knew how to handle themselves in a fight.

He had been on enough battlefields and seen enough man-mountains topple to the ground in the face of smaller, seemingly innocuous opponents, to know that size didn't count for much. Not in the kinds of close-quarter scraps against an opponent at home in the shadows.

He paused a moment and re-considered his approach, but then silently shrugged his shoulders and ploughed on ahead with the plan. It wasn't as if he was furnished with a multitude of options at this point.

"The Lady Yunn speaks highly of you, Night Bandit." the Knight rumbled, forsaking the formalities he might use in more noble quarters and getting straight to the matters at hand.

"I've been in too many wars and been witness to too many injustices to second guess your motives. Know this though. Less than two months ago, Lord Bedford fell to an attack of the most cowardly character. You may not have known of, or cared for Lord Bedford himself, although I know you hold his Lady in high regard. But know this, Night Bandit, he cared for all the people of this shire, and his passing brings a dark cloud to our fair land."

Sir Nicholas paused momentarily, and took one small step forward, closing the gap between himself and the Night Bandit, and lowering his voice further for effect.

"The Lady and I seek to avenge his death. To bring righteous justice to where there is currently only the most despicable of crimes. We believe none other than the Baron may be responsible, but we need help on smoking him out."

The knight let a small smile play out on his lips.

"And that's where you come in."

Throwing his head back and looking up at the pitch black ceiling, Sir Nicholas slowly walked over to one of the stalls, and leaned against it with a weary sigh.

"We need you to take the credit for a crime you'll never commit. We need you to make yourself a target for a Baron panicked over fear of being discovered. We need the Night Bandit to not just threaten to take some mere trinkets from a sleeping house, but to threaten the Baron's very legitimacy and standing in the King's Court."

Stopping for a few seconds and looking directly at the dark figure with the sternest of gazes, he finally added "Interested?"

 

[Lotus_Maiden]

She watched him as he watched her. There was doubt that he’s sizing her up and anticipating any sudden movement. She expected nothing less from a fine knight like him. At first glance, he did have the upper hand because of his stature and field experience. He was bigger, sturdier and most likely stronger. He had been in and won countless combats with the late Lord Cedric. Based on technicality and raw strength, he would win in a spar.

However, she had the element of surprise by her side. Many had underestimated her due to her size and gender. She had taken many off guard and bought many mountain men to their knees. Her strikes weren’t as powerful as the next man, but they were stealthy and as deadly. Moreover, she knew the knight before her. She had seen him fight and discovered his weaknesses, which weren’t many nor easy to exploit but he had them just like she has hers.

Of course she wasn’t about to reveal that she knew him. On the contrary, she acted like he’s a stranger, someone that she just learned from Lady Yunn. She scoffed after his rumbles and returned a similar approval, “And she speaks much about you.”

Night Bandit then stayed quiet as he continued to speak. She didn’t show any sign or emotion over the news. Her stance didn’t waver and her masked expression unchanged. She either didn’t care for the late Lord or too numb and controlled to show her shock. Nicholas probably concluded her coldness from the former but in reality it was the latter reason. His words didn’t come as surprise to her because she had heard them once and thought over with a fine comb thousand times.

Sir Nicholas didn’t know that or the fact she was offended by his accusation about not caring.

She leaned slightly back when he advanced, and then corrected him, “I cared for Lord Bedford more than you can possibly imagine.” She then quickly added, redirecting the focus, “He was Lady Yunn’s husband after all. And I do hold her with highest regard. Ah, the Baron. We do indeed have a common enemy like you had said earlier, Nicholas.”

Her eyes followed him, noticed his faint smile and stayed on his face as he looked to the ceiling. Their sights locked on each other when he gazed back down at her and added, “Interested?”

This time it was her who stepped forward, toward the stall and leaning knight. She stopped an arm length in front of him and confirmed, “Very. This fictitious crime am I to commit, is it to claim I’ve killed Lord Bedford and obtained the evidence that can bring down the Baron and his legacy if it makes into the King’s Court? That way, you can legitimately offer your service to the Baron with the pretense going after me to avenge the Lord. While under his flag, you can working from within to find real evidences of his secret crimes. Does that about sum it all? I’m paraphrasing from Lady Yunn, of course,” she added in case it was too unbelievable for her to have had drawn a plan similar to his in such short period of time and from just this encounter.