only by name


Well, well..who would pay us a visit? That thing I crippled back at the tournment. He just strolled in one night and of course Axel came to the rescue, had him down in an instant. A blade to his throat.

"You fool, don't you know we make our living these days off thieves, bandits and pirates." Perhaps we should have done him in when we had a chance, but no I let him speak his peace. He has two names. One for his enemies. Another for his friends.

"You can call me Duncan, I have no plight with you," he told me in all honesty which I believed for a second or two.

"And to your enemies?"

"Perhaps you've heard of me, they refer to me as Shay."

Never heard of him, don't even wish too. I still yet to know why he came to us. Did he think I might heal him of the wound I gave him?

"Go to hell," I said.

"I've already been there."

"Well, so have I!" We got in a shouting match and awoke Angeline.

"And who might that be?"

Axel spoke up then, cuddling little Angeline in his arms, "We're no threat to you. We're not all bad. We save the small, the insignificant ones, from time to time, when duty calls." I wish he'd been honest, but has he ever? So I let it go. Duncan looked away. Didn't eye Angeline in the least which was good.

"Perhaps we can help each other." He broke bread with us then. We gave him litte since we didn't have much. Some cheese and onion. Something to carry him down the road if just a bit.

"Why would I want that?" I asked at last.

"Just let me ride with thee until things settle. If that would do."

I shrugged the whole matter. Didn't know what Axel would think. He's better at this than me. He gets the inside story. I just write it down.

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