Chapter 28: Mage vs. Knights
"Thieves! The whole lot of them! Don't trust the mages!"
An old man was moving as quickly as he could—though not very quickly considering the walking stick he was heavily relying on—and he made his way to the edge of town where he raised the cane and began shouting at what seemed to be an abandoned building on the outer edge of town.
Irene let Gunnar take the lead and dutifully followed him. A cautious hand was placed on her dagger once they were at the edge and looking where the man indicated the thieves were.
"What happened, sir?" the knight wondered, his eyes going off to the distance and then drifting back towards the old man.
"The irreverent mages who occupy the old mill stole the church's relic!" the man shouted. "The voice of God is within that stone and it belongs in the Church, not in the hands of the damned magicians!"
As the old man turned, Irene saw the robes of the church and she knew right away that the man was likely a priest. It was a familiar image she had gotten used to having been raised by a churchgoing mother.
"We will do what we can to help," Gunnar responded, his tone taking on a serious edge so the man would know he could trust his word.
Irene tried to remain as confident as the knight but, considering what Irene saw of the mages when she went to rescue her father, she knew better than to think she could fight against magic. How would the manal stone in the handle of her sword react to real magic? Would it protect her then?
Seeking Gunnar's knowledge, she looked up at the knight and asked, "This is something we can do?"
If he confirmed, then it must be so.
"A knight isn't meant to approach each situation violently," he admitted. "We may mediate other ways."