Indebted (Percival)

[Lucy Halacre]

The time passed slowly, as if in a haze. Lucy trudged along the well-worn paths to and from Camelot with the weariness of one who had settled into travelling over long periods of time but was tired nonetheless. Her large leather pack was slung over her shoulder, but it was heavy with herbs and was cutting into her. The herbs; they were the reason for her long hike out of the Kingdom of Camelot into the neighbouring one of Caerleon. Mercifully they were allied and so Lucy didn’t have to employ a magical masquerade to hide herself. She wasn’t a particularly good sorcerer and masquerades like invisibility or glamours were exhausting and complex.

After all, all she wanted to do was pick herbs.

Unfortunately, the particular herbs that Lucy had found herself in short supply of three days ago were that terrible combination of rare and essential. She had been fine on the two day walk to Caerleon; her pack had been empty and she had found a comfortable clump of bushes to spend the night under, although her appearance was much the worse for that particular break. Usually she did have a little trouble from the kind of rogues you often met on the roads but once said rogues realised she carried only a sack of herbs and little else, they left her alone mostly. Those that didn’t met a bad end, on the end of the knife concealed in her belt or because of a spell, though hers lacked the power to make them fatal.

A twig snapped a few foot up from the valley path that she was travelling on and Lucy gripped the handle of her knife, cursing herself for dwelling on past attacks instead of heading quickly towards home. Any scenario she could have imagined however, was better than the one she was currently facing, as bearded and toothless men began to emerge from their various hiding spots. One, Three, Four… Six. Total. Bands of two or three she could manage… but six?

Hopefully they would be after better loot than a young girl travelling alone with only a meagre cargo of herbs but from the way they were descending the rocks on either side with lecherous smiles; Lucy could only imagine that they had decided she would do. A knife and petty magic tricks against six men with bad intentions, reputations and broadswords. She didn’t stand a chance; even her chances of using her light frame to outrun them were slim… six men could block her off a lot easier than a duo or a trio.

“Herbs,” she told the man who appeared to be the leader; he had chainmail as well as the boiled leather that the others were sporting. Lucy threw her pack to him, which he caught deftly. “That’s all I’m carrying.”

The leader checked her pack quickly to confirm, then pushed it into the hands of one of his boisterous friends. “Well love, we’ll have to check you’re not lying now.” The grin he was now sporting made her want to gag. “Search her, boys!”

With no other option left to her, Lucy began to scream, long and loud.

[Deleted]

Percy was patrolling the woods of Camelot. He was dressed in the usual outfit of a knight, chainmail and cape, except the chainmail he wore did not cover his full arms. Often he was teased by others about this. About whether or not their actually was chainmail big enough to fit his arms. Percival was not a small man by any means. Yet, there was chainmail large enough for him to wear, and have his arms fully covered, he just frequently chose not to wear it. It had been a quiet patrol so far, truth be told Percy was slightly bored. Suddenly, all that changed, as he heard screams nearby.

Urging his horse to go faster, he made his way further into the woods, going in the direction the screams were coming from. It did not take long for him to reach his destination. He took in the sight before him. Six bandits attacking a young woman. Quickly he dismounted, unsheathing his sword that was attached to his saddle. ”Let her go,” he said his voice authoritative, as he stepped toward them.

The men did not listen, not that he had really expected them too, but still. He felt his adrenalin surge as four of the six men came at him. They quickly surrounded him, and Percy was alert, trying to be aware of all of them at the same time. Two came at him with their swords, and he blocked and dodged the blows. He landed a blow himself on one of the men with his sword, causing the man to fall to the ground.