Running full speed ahead Ntaj and Mordekai raced each other along the road. Ntaj's horse was a mare, built for speed. Mordekai had a stallion made for strength. In a straight race Ntaj's horse would have won, however there were a few obstacles and rough paths ahead. Ntaj's horse was fast and agile, but Mordekai's was better at traversing such difficult terrain. [color=forestgreen]"You're not defeating me today Mor! I've studied a new skill just for the occasion!"[/color] Urging his horse to go faster Ntaj bursted forward with speed, only to dig his heels into the side of his mount. This caused her to leap straight up into the air, and with a jerk of his body, brought her onto smoother ground. The side hop, a maneuver that Ntaj had been practicing for months. Very good for last-second dodging.

Unfortunately this also made Ntaj go off course as the road tooa sharp turn down a hill, and his horse ended up going straight into a forest instead. Ntaj tried to stop her but to no avail. [color=forestgreen]"Ah well, just a bit of a detour then!"[/color] This was fine. A bit of a surprise never hurt anyone. Ntaj continued to ride through the forest, going just a bit slower than usual this time. As he did so however he noticed something ahead; more horsemen. Perhaps they were lost as well? However upon closer examination he could clearly see that these men had weapons drawn and seemed to be riding away from something. Hunters perhaps, or maybe even poachers? Ntaj got his answer when he entered a clearing just as the other horsemen did; they shouted in his direction and readied weapons. [color=forestgreen]"Brigands! And I thought today would be boring."[/color]

The two forces moved swiftly towards one another. The two horsemen were armed with spears, suitable for mounted combat. However their luck had ran out now that they face Ntaj. In one deft motion he had unsheathed his greatclub upon his back; this massive smasher that looked more suitable in the hands of a berserker than knight. But for Ntaj, it was his humble cudgel. The first bandit tried to stab at Ntaj's horse, but his mare was no stranger to that tactic and avoided it easily. This allowed Ntaj an opening to swing his mace right into the bandit's face, crushing his skull upon impact. The second man tried to escape into the forest, knowing that he was outmatched. Unfortunately for him Mordekai had arrived, jumping off his horse to tackle the bandit off his horse and against the ground. [color=firebrick]"And where do you think you're going?"[/color]

Checking the bodies, these were certainly bandits. Coin purses, jewelry, documents. Ntaj wasn't surprised; plenty of wealthy people here. They were ripe pickings for brigands and thieves. Shortly after dealing with these two, three horses came through the forest without riders. [color=forestgreen]"Tie this one up Mordekai. Three horses are missing three riders. I'll go see if there aren't more in there."[/color] Running through the forests Ntaj's heavy footsteps would alert anyone of his approach. It wasn't long until he broke through a few bushes to find out what happened to the other three bandits; they laid dead on the ground, with a lone girl standing at the center.

This girl was armed, wielding a bow in her hands. Ntaj would have mistook her for a huntress if it wasn't for her dress; it was far too fine to be hunting attire. Was she a noble perhaps, or maybe just a thief who had stolen these fine garbs? Either way Ntaj wasn't too worried about retaliation: her bow and knives may work on these thugs and brigands, but she'd need a heavier weapon to pierce his plate. [color=forestgreen]"You there. Did you kill these brigands?"[/color]