William

"Bring him if he surrenders," The commander announced. "Otherwise kill him." The commander continued with eight soldiers into the woods to help the search.

I hoped Randy got rid of the necklace even if he decided to fight. I saw more soldiers emerge from across the field, these ones on foot. This key must be important.

"Come on boy," One of the soldiers said. "Ten to one is poor odds."

"Yes I know," I smirked. "It's actually fifteen to one and I'll give you all one chance to surrrender."

They broke out in laughter and began dismounting. Fighting a single man on horseback with fifteen people was near impossible and they knew I could beat them if they charged me on horseback anyways.

They drew their swords and we began to fight. I only parried for a minutes, gauging the enemies strength and I was not impressed.

The first contenders stepped back and the next group stepped forward and they were much better.

If this keeps up my staff... My thoughts trailed off as the breeze caught my arm from behind. That was a little close.

I blocked a particularly powerful blow and my staff cracked.

"Oh now you've done it," I said angrily. I pulled up on the wood and it slid easily free, I did the same on the bottom piece. It left a solid metal staff that had been hidden underneath.

Their swords were no match for the metal staff as I began to counterattack and bone began to break. The cavalry soldiers had almost all been disabled when I felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder.

I dropped the staff since I could no longer hold it with the wound on my arm. One man was still standing from the cavalry and the infantry was getting close.

"You're good," He said to me. "But now you are unarmed and wounded. Don't make me kill you."

"Funny," I replied. "I was about to say the same thing."

My motion must have seemed almost a blur for the weary soldier. I dove underneath his attack and struck the back of his head with the full force of my leg and he flew a few feet forward and didn't move.

I didn't have time to stop I quickly grabbed my staff with my left arm and headed into the forest to disappear.

A few minutes later I had lost pursuit and stopped to bandage the wound on my arm. I was lucky, it was only superficial and I tore my right sleeve to use as a bandage. I'd do more later, for now I had to make sure everyone else was okay.

I headed back to her burrow and saw two men poking around the area, stealthily. I knew they'd find the burrow in a moment and they did.

One of them lit a torch and said into the tunnel, "If you don't come out we'll throw the torch in and burn you out."

I waited, I couldn't just run in there in case there were more in the area. I was still wounded and I was tired. I needed to rest.