"So. Was fun, yes?"

Cheshik tried to start up a conversation as the group walked with their creatures on the lightly paved road heading away from the city. The animals were loaded with supplies and food for a few months of survival. Cynthia rode on Kobel, keeping him steady while Iisska lead the way with Snickers in tow, Quin and Nyrette riding her. 

"Shut. Up." Iisska said.

Both the twins were bruised from Quin's fury. Tristain in particular had the worst of it with a possibly broken ripb and one of his eyes swollen shut from Quin's haymaker. Iisska and Cheshik's necks were bruised from Nyrette's stranglehold while their ribs were bruised from where she had planted her knees. Girl had power behind her small frame.

"Well. I think was fun." Cheshik said after a moment of silence. Iisska repeated the order from one ofthe twins.

"He's right though. It was fun." Nyrette said smiling happily. 

"The trip to the ship should be much faster this time now that we are much lighter and aren't dragging a pesky cart behind us." Cynthia said. "Which reminds me. Did you get your friend...um..." She went silent for a moment as her mind went a flutter. She realized that she never learned his name.

"Marquis?" Nyrette said.

"Your silver skinned friend? Yes. Him." She said, blushing at having yet to learn his name.

"Yeah. I found a nice rapier just before we left. I think he'll like it since he said he's always admired fencing but has never had the chance to apply it." She said then paused for a moment. "That reminds me actually."

She jumped off of Snickers and jogged up beside Kobel. She fished a small pouch of coin from her backside and threw it up to Cynthia, whom caught it without an issue. "What is this for?" She asked.

"It's the left over money from today. Iisska mentioned that we should give it to you when we left and I agreed, as did Pike." Nyrette said with a smirk.

"Oh sure. Fail to mention lizard that gave most money to pool." Cheshik complained.

"YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO SP-" Nyrette calmed herself and stared at him. "Shush, Cheshik."

"Yes mom." Cheshik frowned.

Cynthia held the bag in her hands and trembled a bit before handing it back to Nyrette. "N-No. I mustn't. I'm just a servant." Nyrette handed the back right back and spoke with a more determined attitude behind her.

"Nonsense. You're part of the crew now-" Nyrette was interrupted.

"FAMILY!" Cheshik yelled

"FAMILY NOW." Nyrette corrected herself, swearing to stab in his sleep tonight. "And you deserve a fair cut. Especially since CHESHIK ransacked your home for furniture." She finished.

"Admit, Nyrette. You have never slept in better way since bed taking." Cheshik said. He had a follow up statement but Quin hit him in the head with a left over vase that was determined to be worthless. He kindly shut his face then.

"T-thank you..." She said, holding the bag and watching Nyrette rejoin Quin. The bag jingled and jangled in Cynthia's hand She surmised that there was a couple pieces of platinum in the bag too. She felt conflicted on the inside, still attached to what she was but a few days ago. Her emotions were raging constantly. To the point to where she wanted to act out on nearly everything anybody said to her and elicited an emotional response. The guard from earlier made her want to break down and either weep or shed his blood. Or both. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself, but the rustling in the bushes off of the road stopped any chance of that happening.

A few bandits popped out of the bushes with bows at the ready to fire. They were all in pieced together leather and metal armor, looking like they had done nothing but fight one another and crawl through mud for a living. One walked forward with a short sword in hand, looking worse than the lot of them. He had a very gravelly voice and spoke with a badly imitated accent. "Listen 'ear govnahs. Yous be givin' over all the coin and dem pretty ladies sos and we'll be on our merry way. Ors else!" He raised his sword, opening his lips into a smile but with nary ten rotten teeth in his head he looked more like a simpleton than a threat.

"Now gentleman." Nyrette said dismounting from Snickers just before the others did. "Are you really go-"

"We ain't discussin' this with the likes of ya, wench. You. Mutant." He pointed at Cheshik as he grabbed his battle axe from Snickers' side. "Will ye be doin' as we say or not?!"

Nyrette was livid to say the least. She was just reaching for Quin's crossbow when Cynthia walked calmly past, placing a hand on her shoulder then stepping in line with Cheshik as he and Iisska came closer to the bandits. "Excuse me?" Cheshik said.

"I SAYS. Surrendah your coins and women ors else!" The leader said, clearly an illiterate.

Cheshik held his axe in hands and tensed up a bit. "Now ares yous reallys wantins tos dos thats?" he mocked him. The leader too offense and the boys readied themselves for a fight. But Cynthia spoke up.

"Might I handle this one, Cheshik?" She said. "I have not been able to show what I can do yet." Cheshik looked to Iisska next to him, whom looked worried but shrugged and put up his fists for some clobbering. Cheshik swiveled back to Cynthia and nodded.

"Ares you done?!" He questioned just before Cynthia leapt into action, her lower arms turning into twin blades of fury and offing the head of the leader in one clean slash, sending it spiraling through the air to land on the ground with a thud. Arrows flew from the others, but they were already moving towards the bandits.

Cynthia felt a few arrows pierce through her dress and hit her skin, but the bows that the bandits were using was weak enough that they didn't pierce and she was able to get close to them and chop them down in an instant, her blades slicing their their weak armor and bones with easy swipes and leaving them in pieces on the ground. Cheshik did the same to a few more as well as others that popped up from behind cover, blades already drawn. "Seems that this ambush was more like a gang attack!" Cynthia yelled as she closed in on more near Iisska and impaled them without a thought.