The King's Justice

They came upon the smuggler camp at dawn, a group of five men laying around resting with their stolen cargo. "Look at them!" Fred said in anger. "Smuggling ill-gotten goods into my Kingdom."

"Aye I agree," said Duke Roger. "We must requisition those goods in the name of the Great Kingdom and return them to their rightful owner. After taking our fair share, of course."

"Oh that is so typically greedy of you, Roger!" Ranald said. "Those goods are the King's and you have no right to lay your greedy hooves on them."

"Quiet you two, I'm trying to think!" Fred said. "If I charge them at once there is a chance too many could escape. We need to think of a plan to trap the smugglers here and get them all at once. The main force must be close by."

"Daring as ever, Lord Fred!" Ranald chuckled. "But how do you propose we do that?"

"A true gentleman does not sneak about, we must hasten to the meelee!" said Duke Roger insistently. "All this plotting and scheming is making my noble blood boil!"

"Very well!" Fred said. "Hiyaa!" He spurred Ranald down the slope toward the resting smugglers. Before the first one could notice him Fred reached into the quiver on Ranald's flank and drew a long javelin which he flung into the smuggler's chest. Riding into the smugglers' midst he killed another one with a javelin, then jumped down and cut two others down with his sword before they could even draw theirs, while Ranald's sharp camel teeth fastened around a foe's neck and snapped it in half. The entire battle had taken less than a minute.

"I believe we should have announced our intentions to them beforehand," Fred sighed. "This was too easy."

Fred loaded up his camels with the smugglers' goods and realized that all three camels were now almost at full load.

1. Return to town and sell the goods at a high price.
2. Continue into the caves hoping to find a merchant who will trade for them.

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