There was a fog the second day out of Heartsford, the air was damp, and there was a musty smell to things.  The sun reflecting off the Barrier was very diffuse and barely penetrated through the thick foliage of the trees.  A group of people rode their horses down a seldom-used path.  The person in front of this strange looking group was mounted on a large black ar-horse, and mostly encased in gleaming metal armor.  A large sword hung from his left shoulder, and his shield was strapped firmly in place on his left arm.  In his right hand he held a freshly cut lance with a pennon attached at the top.  The next in line was a half-elf with long blond hair, pulled back and tied in place by a strip of brown leather.  A long sword hung from his left hip and a short one from his right.  He was wearing a black shirt, with a silver and gold trim, and matching black breeches.  A long black cloak hung about his shoulders, and he was talking softly to a human woman to his left.  She had wavy red hair that was also tied back by a piece of brown leather.  She was wearing leather armor that had a strange reddish color.  She held herself like she knew how to use the longsword that hung from her left side.  An unstrung elvish bow was strapped to her horse, along with what appeared to be a piece of metal with a prong coming off one side.  The next two to come into view were a pair of elves, one was male and the other was female. His long amberish colored hair was tied back, and he wore the robes of a journeyman Conjurer.  She had black hair, and the armbracelet of a Priest, but the brown cloak she wore partially covered it, so it was difficult to determine the symbol of the God.  They rode by in silence.  Following them into the clearing was a human wearing Wizard robes and a half-elf modestly dressed in brown and gray, with a short sword at either hip, and a carefree way of riding his horse.  Bringing up the rear of the group was what appeared to be a very short human with a long beard, that was riding a pony and grumbling to himself.
    “I’m telling you dear, this looks like a good place for an ambush,” said the half-elf, all in black.
     “Look Bryon, even if this is a good spot they would know we are coming, right?”, asked the female on his left.  “All the noise this discussion is making”, she replied to the confused look on Bryon’s face.
     “Why won’t anyone listen to me.  I have one of those feelings, and everyone is telling me, Nope won’t happen, you are wrong Bryon, making to much noise, blah-blah-blah-blah”, Bryon continued.
     “I don’t fear any outlaws attacking us, m’lady.  In fact it would be a good way to keep warm on this damp and cold morning”, stated the heavily armored human in front.
     “Well not all of us like fighting as much as you do Scott”, came the shout from the human wearing the Wizard robes in the back of the group.
     “Why not Ebon?  You do fight good enough for a mage”, Sir Hudak replied.
     “It must be the armor, that’s it. It just squeezes the brains out”, muttered Ebon.  “Just because I can fight doesn’t mean that I WANT TO FIGHT.  Do you understand what I am saying?”, he growled back to Sir Hudak.
     “Of course I do Ebon, but it would be a great way to get warm and pass the time”, Sir Hudak replied casually.
     The female to Bryon’s left rolled her eyes upwards, and sighed.
     “But think about all the good stuff we could get off them Ebon, they might have all sorts of things we need or want”, the half-elf to Ebon’s right piped up.
     “Well there is that Hasnafar, that’s very true”, Ebon said thoughtfully.  Raising in his stirrups Ebon called out in a loud voice,     “Any outlaws, burglars, highwaymen, and other assorted scum listening to me right now.  Please come out and kindly put all of your belongings in front of me and we won’t have any problems.”
    As if in answer to Ebon’s boast, an arrow flashed out of the trees and stuck into the rump of Ebon’s horse, which unused to this treatment, reared, throwing Ebon off, and then galloped off.
    “How’s about youse dropping youses things and wese will let youse live”, a voice called from the forest.  “And make sure youse in the Wizards type robeses don’ts be starting to mumble like, or waggle those fingers of yourse.  Mes and my friends don’t like that sort of stuff at all.”  Just then, a couple of grubby looking humans appeared out of the tree.  “Get all their stuff lads”, the voice continued.
     Grumbling, Ebon stood up and brushed himself off, then looked around.
    “You missed some leaves, they are still some in your hair, Ebon”, Bryon snickered.
     “Thanks.  Thanks a lot”, Ebon glared at everyone around him, “So what do these scum want”, he questioned.
     “The same thing that you did”, the human female said sweetly, with a big smile on her face.
     Ebon scowled at her and said, “Shaile, I was just asking for things, not demanding them with the threat of bodily harm, that’s the difference.”
     “Oh.  I see…   Yes, Ebon, that’s such a BIG difference”, Shaile retorted.
     “Ok, that’s enough of this nonsense”, Ebon said with one last look around him.  All of a sudden there was a flash of virulent green light from a ring on Ebon’s finger.  To everyone but Ebon, the word froze.  He casually brushed the remaining leaves from his hair, and started to walk among the bandits.  He removed all the weapons from them, and then proceeded to tie them up.  Just as he finished dragging the last bandit into the clearing, the green glowing ring on his finger grew warm and melted off his hand.
     Everyone look startled but the change in the situation.  Now it was the bandits who where shocked.  “So, as I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted.  Kindly deposit all of your belongings and we will let you live”, Ebon smiled.
    Bryon and Shaile looked at each other and started to laugh.  Hasnafar soon joined them, and then Sir Scott Hudak frowned.
     “While I agree that they should be punished Ebon, we should not, and will not, lower ourselves to their level”, Scott stated firmly.
     Bryon coughed as he stifled his laughter, and said, “We will tie them up with a rope, and make sure then can unite themselves in a hour or two, if they try.  Also take their boots and hide them in the area, so they will have to search from them before they can do anything else.”
     “Bryon, I agree with Ebon, they wanted to steal from us, so we should do to them what they were going to do to us”, Shaile said.
     “No, that would make us no better then them, and I know you are a much better person then they could every with to be, dear heart.”
     Blushing slightly, “Thank you love, but don’t try to change the subject.  They should be punished”, Shaile continued.
     Sighing softly, Ebon said, “Look, don’t worry about it, OK?  They are not worth you two fighting over.  Let’s just do what Bryon suggested and move on our way.”  Nodding to Ebon, Scott continued down the path.  The rest of the group started out after him.
     “I will take care of the boots, and then make sure their bonds can be gotten out of in about 2 or so hours,” said Ebon, “Then I will catch up.”
     “Maybe one of us should stay with you,” suggested Bryon, “Just in case.”
     “No…”, started Ebon.
     “I will stay, dear”, interrupted Shaile, with a glance at Bryon.
     “Are you sure?”, Bryon asked warily.
     “I said I would, didn’t I?”, responded Shaile quickly.
     Giving Shaile a quick kiss, Bryon left to catch up with the rest of the group.  After waiting until everyone but Ebon had left, Shaile turned and drew her sword.  It was an exquisitely crafted elvish longsword that, even in the sunlight, slightly glowed.  “Is anyone here going to give my friend or I any problems?”, Shaile asked sweetly.
     Shaile and Ebon then quickly stripped them of all their gold and gems.  Ebon also took on of their horses, which he found just beyond the trees.
    “You don’t need this do you?”, Ebon asked the bandits, who for their part only glowered at him.  “You can find the one you shot later.”
     “Lxu Doi Naknioeri”, incanted Ebon, and then proceeded to research the bandit’s possessions.  A couple of arrows, a dagger, and a ring glowed a light blue to his eyes.  After pocketing the ring, he said, “These are magical, Shaile”, showing her the arrows, and the dagger.”
     “Well, you can identify them later.  Let’s go and catch up with Bryon”, Shaile said with a smile.  “Maybe next time gentlemen, the people who catch you might not be so nice.”  With that statement, she hopped on her horse, and with a nod to Ebon, galloped off to catch up with their friends.
     “After all, you still have you lives”, Ebon said as a parting remark as he rode alongside with Shaile.
 Later on that night, after the rest of the day passed uneventfully, Shaile found a good site to camp, and everyone settled down to eat a warm dinner and unwind before sleeping.
     “Ok, everyone take the normal watches please”, Bryon calmly said, “Myself and Shaile, first watch; Scott and Hasnafar, second watch; Dolan and Ebon, third watch; and Amara with Silvenar for the last.”
     As the group settled down for the night, Shaile looked over at Bryon and realized how much she really loved him.  He was tall for a half-elf; a little bit over six feet, with long blond hair, and ice blue eyes, that always seemed to be searching the area.  Even though she disliked wearing a lot of armor, she wished that Bryon would wear at least some armor.  He always claimed that his magical protections were enough to protect him though.
     Looking over at the studying Shaile, Bryon grinned at her.  It was definitely an impudent grin, which got him a raised eyebrow in return.
     “Yes, dear heart?”, Bryon asked.
     “Nothing at all, just looking at what is mine”, she said with a smile.
     “Wow, you mean you can see through my chest and see my heart?”
     “Maybe, but I thought that all of you was mine”, she said with a pout.
     “Well…….”
     As Shaile pounced on Bryon she said, “Well….”, pinning his arms to the ground.  “What do you mean well….”, she asked softly.
     “Well… Of course.  That’s what I meant my love.  Of course.”, Bryon said disarmingly.  “I live for your pleasure, please treat me well master”, he continued with a wry grin.
     Ignoring the grin and the tone with which he said it, Shaile responded, “Ok, slave.  Just don’t you forget your place again.  Now, Massage my back, boy”, as she let Bryon up, and sat down in front off him.
     “Your humblest wish is my every desire, O sun that lights my world of bleakness”, Bryon snickered and started to massage her shoulders.
     At the end of their watch, Bryon watched Shaile go towards their tent and sighed.  He then went to wake up Scott and Hasnafar for their watch.  And he hoped Shaile left some of the blankets for him.  Scott and Hasnafar in turn woke Dolan and Ebon for their watch and retired back to their tents.  While Dolan was wandering the perimeter of the campsite, Ebon took a small sliver of diamond, and placed it upon the ring that he took from the bandits.  “Avanklind Luxytiox Avo Biklent”, he incanted softly and closed his eyes.  Immediately information started to enter his highly focused mind, information about the nature and powers of this item.  He knew that it was of the 3rd Order of Protection, and also could make the skin seem like steel for a time.  Ebon focused his might and his mind on trying to find the Word of Command.  Within seconds he found that the Word was  “Lteey”, and it when uttered it would function 2 twice in a day, but only for about 10 minutes or so with each activation.  With that final knowledge, the magic left him in a rush and Ebon felt the drain of using this type of divinatory type of spell.  “I really have to come up with a better way of doing this”, he thought as a wave of dizziness swept over him.  Fortunately Ebon had timed it right and he only had about 5 minutes or so left on his watch.  Letting Dolan wake up Amara and Silvenar, he slipped off to his tent for a much-needed rest.