[color=A0A0A0][h2]Fleuri Jodeau[/h2][/color]
Fleuri drove the two bandits further back, swinging his sword and dagger with seemingly wild abandon.  He was determined to ensure they would neither escape nor come to their leader's aid.  The brigands had the sense to stay out of the reach of his greatsword, and continued to back away from the aggressive knight.  One of them seemed to be looking for an opening, several times stepping forward in hopes of striking Fleuri while his greatsword was being swung back around.  Every time she did, however, Fleuri stepped forward as he swung his dagger, threatening to strike her if she drew any closer, causing the bandit to shrink back rather than take the risk.

"Perhaps it would be a good time to surrender?" the other, more wary bandit asked as Fleuri's swings slowed and his aggressive assault subsided.

"Why?  So you can have another week of life before you're hanged from the gallows?" the other berated him.  "Or even worse, whatever Jeremiah will do to you after he's finished with their captain?  Look, our foe is already tiring.  Work with me and we'll take him down."

Indeed, Fleuri's movements were slowing.  He was momentarily fatigued, for sure, and assumed a more defensive stance.  The more aggressive bandit moved around to Fleuri's right, seemingly intent on giving her companion an opportunity to flank him.

"Are you paying attention?" the other bandit shouted, "Even Jeremiah can't kill all of them!  And even if he kills their captain and calls that a win, it won't save us!"  Fleuri breathed a sigh of relief beneath his helmet upon realizing the man's panicked hesitation.

[i]This might not be as hard as I anticipated, No, not nearly as hard[/i], he noted as he noticed a knight approaching the female bandit, unnoticed.

"Then if you're going to die, die with a weapon in your hand, not with shackles on them,"  she indignantly shouted, her rage with her companion's cowardice and wariness of Fleuri blinding her to the approach of the fourth combatant.  "And maybe take down a few of our killers with...aaahh!"

The approaching Iron Rose knight skewered the bandit woman on her sword, and tossed her expiring body to the side.  "Do you need any help, Sir Jodeau?"

"Affirmative, knight-sister," Fleuri nodded, turning to who looked like he was ready to soil himself.

"I surrender!" the brigand cried, dropping to his knees and throwing his axe to the ground.  "I don't care if I'll hang, I just don't want to cut in half!"

The second Iron Rose Knight tied up the capitulating foe while Fleuri watched their backs.  "It looks like some of them aren't giving up," Fleuri observed.  "Let's leave him and take care of the rest."

As he rushed to join the battle to contain the bandits, Fleuri wondered how Fanilly and the other knights were faring against Jeremiah.  Depending on how fanatical he was in his hatred of Thaln, a man like Jeremiah might consider it a victory simply to kill the captain, even if most of the knights survived and he and his entire gang were wiped out.  Or perhaps he was a megalomaniac with dreams of ruling his own kingdom.