The bandits appeared at the far end of the riverbed, a straggling line of mounted men with captives walking between them, bound together by ropes.
Kael counted twenty-two raiders more than Mira had estimated, but not enough to change their plan. Among the prisoners, he spotted several women who matched Mira's age description for her sister.
"Hold," he murmured to his companions as the bandits approached the narrowest point of the riverbed. "Wait for my signal."
The lead bandits passed beneath their position, unaware of the danger above. Kael waited until the middle of the column where most of the captives were concentrated had entered the ambush zone. Then he gave the signal.
The archers loosed their first volley, targeting the bandits at the front and rear of the column. Simultaneously, Kael and the others charged down from their hiding place, cutting into the surprised raiders from the side.
Kael activated his aura circulation as he rode, feeling the familiar warmth spreading through his limbs as he visualized roots anchoring him to the earth even while mounted. Time seemed to slow, his perception sharpening until he could see individual expressions of shock on the bandits' faces.
His sword moved with fluid precision, cutting down two raiders before they could even draw their weapons. A third managed to raise his blade, but Kael deflected it easily, using the man's momentum against him to pull him from his horse.
Around him, his soldiers engaged with disciplined ferocity, each targeting specific bandits according to the plan. Garek fought with the efficiency of a veteran, his single arm seemingly no hindrance as he dispatched opponents with economical movements.
The initial surprise gave them a significant advantage, but the bandits recovered quickly. The scarred leader Mira had described rallied his men, shouting orders that brought organization to their defense. They formed a protective circle around the captives, using them as shields against further arrow fire.
"Hold!" the leader called out, pressing a blade to the throat of a young woman who could only be Lina, given her resemblance to Mira. "One more step and she dies first!"
Kael reined in his horse, signaling his men to pause their attack. Fifteen bandits remained standing, including the leader - still poor odds, but no longer overwhelming. And Mira had successfully reached the captives at the rear of the column, her small form visible as she worked to cut their bindings while attention was focused on the main confrontation.
"You're surrounded," Kael stated calmly, his sword steady in his hand. "Release the captives and you may leave with your lives."
The scarred leader laughed, though there was little humor in the sound. "Surrounded? By six men? Count again, knight." He spat the last word like a curse. "The Sandblight doesn't surrender, especially not to the Crown's lapdogs."
"I don't serve the Crown," Kael replied, his voice carrying across the suddenly silent riverbed.
"I serve the Southern March. And in the March, we protect our own."
As he spoke, movement behind the bandit circle caught his attention. The captives Mira had freed were quietly arming themselves with stones and discarded weapons, preparing to join the fight. Kael needed to keep the bandits' attention focused forward just a little longer.
"The Sandblight sent you to deliver a message," he continued, edging his horse slightly to the left, drawing all eyes to him. "Allow me to send one in return."
With that, he activated his aura circulation to its fullest extent, pushing beyond his usual limitations. The world around him slowed to a crawl as he launched himself from his horse directly toward the scarred leader, covering the distance between them in what seemed to observers like a single impossible leap.
His sword met the leader's blade with a clash that rang through the riverbed. The bandit was skilled, but Kael's aura-enhanced reflexes gave him an overwhelmed advantage. Three precise strikes: one to disarm, one to disable, one to displace; and the leader was on the ground, Kael's boot on his chest and sword at his throat.
The captives chose that moment to rise up against their captors. Armed with desperation and whatever weapons they could find, they attacked from within the circle while Kael's soldiers pressed from without. The remaining bandits, demoralized by their leader's defeat and caught in a two-front assault, quickly surrendered or fled.
In the aftermath, as they secured prisoners and tended to the wounded, Kael found himself approached by Mira and a taller girl who could only be her sister Lina. The family resemblance was striking, the same determined set to their jaws, the same intelligent eyes that missed nothing.
"You kept your word," Mira said simply, as if this were remarkable in itself.
"As did you," Kael replied, noting the bloodied knife still clutched in her small hand. "You showed courage today."
"We all did," Lina interjected, her arm protectively around her younger sister's shoulders. "But courage wouldn't have been enough without leadership." She studied Kael with open curiosity. "They say you're different from the previous lords. That you work alongside your people instead of above them."
"Work is work," Kael said with a shrug. "The land doesn't care about titles."
A ghost of a smile touched Lina's lips. "No, it doesn't. But people do." She glanced at the freed captives, who were gathering their meager possessions from among the bandits' plunder. "These people will remember what happened here today. Word will spread."
"Good," Kael said. "Let the Sandblight know that raids on the March's settlements will no longer go unanswered."
They began the journey back to Fort Marrow with twenty-seven freed captives and eight bandit prisoners, including the scarred leader. The return trip would be slower due to those on foot, but Kael felt a sense of accomplishment that outweighed the physical exhaustion of combat and extended aura use.
As they traveled, he found himself riding beside Mira, who had insisted on having her own mount for the return journey. The girl had proven herself more than capable, and Kael saw potential in her that went beyond her years.
"What will you do now?" he asked her. "Return to your settlement?"
Mira's expression darkened. "There's nothing left there worth returning to. The bandits burned most of it before they left."
"You and your sister are welcome at Fort Marrow," Kael offered. "We need people with your courage and resourcefulness."
"And what would I do there?" Mira asked, a challenge in her voice. "I'm too young to be a soldier, too small for construction work."
Kael considered the question seriously. "What do you want to do?"
The directness of the question seemed to surprise her. She was silent for a long moment before answering. "I want to make sure what happened to our settlement doesn't happen to others. I want to know when danger is coming before it arrives."
"A scout, then," Kael suggested. "Eyes and ears beyond our walls. It's dangerous work, but vital."
"You'd trust me with that?" Mira's skepticism was evident. "I'm just a child."
"You're a survivor," Kael corrected. "Age is less important than ability and will. You've demonstrated both."
Something shifted in Mira's expression, a cautious hope replacing resignation. "I'd need training. And a faster horse."
"Both can be arranged," Kael assured her, hiding his amusement at her practical demands. "Speak with Corporal Tomas when we return. He oversees our reconnaissance."
As they continued toward Fort Marrow, Kael felt the system activate with an assessment of the day's events.
***
[Mission: Rescue Operation (Successful)]
[Captives Recovered: 27/27]
[Bandit Casualties: 14]
[Prisoners Captured: 8]
[Loyalty: +5 (Demonstrated Protection)]
[New Skill Unlocked: Militia Training (Intermediate)]
***
The evaluation confirmed what Kael already sensed: the rescue had accomplished more than just saving lives. It had demonstrated his commitment to protecting all settlements under his jurisdiction, not just those within the fort's immediate vicinity. Such actions built loyalty far more effectively than proclamations or promises.
They arrived at Fort Marrow shortly before sunset, the gates opening wide to receive them. Word of their success had traveled ahead somehow, and a crowd had gathered in the courtyard to welcome the returning captives. Families reunited with cries of relief, while those without waiting loved ones were quickly taken in by the fort's residents, offered food, water, and places to rest.
The bandit prisoners were secured in what passed for the fort's jail a repurposed storage room with a sturdy door and no windows. Kael ordered them treated fairly but kept under constant guard. The scarred leader, who had maintained sullen silence throughout the journey, was held separately for questioning.
That evening, as Kael met with his advisors to discuss the day's events and their implications, Elara brought unexpected news.
"The captives have been telling their stories," she reported. "It seems this raid wasn't random opportunism. The bandits specifically targeted those with healing knowledge or herbcraft skills. Lina was one of five with such training who were taken."
"Why target healers?" Garek wondered. "Skilled labor has value in the eastern markets, certainly, but there are more profitable specialties to focus on."
"Unless healing skills specifically are in demand," Kael suggested. "Perhaps for treating wounded bandits, or preparing for a larger campaign."
"Or for something connected to the ritual sites," Elara added quietly. "The Stonehollow tablets mention 'blood-healers' who could manipulate the anchors. If someone is attempting to accelerate the Wastes' expansion..."
The implication hung in the air between them. If the Sandblight or whoever controlled him was aware of the ancient practices documented at Stonehollow, the targeting of healers took on a far more sinister dimension.
"We need to question the leader," Kael decided. "Tonight, while the events are still fresh in his mind."