Further in the cave, concealed by shadow and rocks, [i]something[/i] stirred.

"Oh I-" the Knight started to speak but all of a sudden a man dashed out of the shadows.  He moved so quick Leonid would have no time to properly react.  The figure wrapped his left arm around Otto's neck and used his free hand to threaten him with a knife.  One wrong move and he would slice the Brother's throat.

"Don't move!" the man croaked.  He was joined by three other figures who lurked from behind him, two wielding knocked bows and one a hatchet.  They were scraggly, dirty men, with ragged clothes.  These men were robbers; ne'er-do-wells who lurked on the battlefield or in ruined villages, looting and stealing what they could, and raping whoever was left behind.

Leonid might have had time to draw weapons, but he was nevertheless threatened by two arrows and then the other man.  Despite his precarious situation, Otto was slowly and inconspicuously moving one of his hands down next to his waist where a dagger was resting.

"Look here friend," bandit addressed Leonid, "this man... he's a German!"  The bandit and his allies sounded Estonian; they would be able to recognize that Leonid was not German as well.  "We don't want his kind here!  We'll kill him and take his things... what do you say?"

Another man spoke up, the one holding the hatchet: "Aye, and in return for not killing you - you'll help us bypass the patrols, so we can get back north to Estonia!"