Chapter 168: Not so Tough
“What are you doing,” the driver hissed. “They’ll kill you.”
“They’ll certainly try,” Simon said, too quietly for the other man to hear, as he trudged off the muddy roads and into the wilted fields.
Simon noted that despite the concern in his voice, he didn’t stop the wagon. That was smart. Risking getting stuck a second time at this moment would be the dumbest thing anyone could do. He wasn’t worried about that, though; the men in that wagon didn’t seem especially inclined toward selfless acts.
When he walked through the field, his traction got much better immediately as he stomped across the grains that should have long since been locked away in the granary. The strangers didn’t come out to meet him, though, until he was almost to the village. Instead, they moved away from him and toward the road.
Simon shook his head at that. “Fight me, not them,” he growled to himself.
He knew he’d have to use magic in this fight, but he was trying to hold off as long as he could. He wasn’t as young as he used to be.
When one of the ragged looking men stepped out to meet him, Simon’s appraisal of the situation changed. These weren’t bandits, they were deserters. That made them an order of magnitude more dangerous. Still, he kept his hand off his sword for now, but only because it would invite trouble that much faster.
“Where are your friends off to, old man?” the soldier nearest to him called out as he approached them. No one was afraid of Simon, and no bows were pointed in his direction. Most of those were with the group that had set up a ways off to deal with the caravan. They were waiting for some order, though, and for now, they just stood there.
“Those poor bastards?” Simon asked, trying diplomacy. “They were just giving me a ride. I wouldn’t worry too much about them. They’re just skin and bone like the rest of us.”