CHAPTER 3: Ambushed In The Slums (2)

Alistair stepped out of the carriage and took a deep breath.

'The air is getting colder,' I then thought in passing that winter was coming.

Shaking my head I rebuked myself sternly.

'What are you thinking about? Focus on the task at hand.'

I looked to the left and the right and not seeing anybody or anything strange I walked forward towards the front of the carriage.

"I know I heard the whistle of an arrow." I murmured under my breath as I strode forward.

"I was right." I said with a shake of my head. 

In front of the carriage, still holding on to the reins of the collapsed horses was the coachman, staring forward with lifeless eyes.

I put my gloved hand on his throat and checked for a pulse, although I knew he was probably, if not definitely dead.

"Dead." I said as I pulled my hand away.

I looked over the coachman's body and saw an arrow sticking out of his chest. I then glanced down at the horses and saw that they were riddled with arrows showing that whoever shot them wanted to make sure they were dead.

I looked around once again, trying to figure out where I was.

'Still in the poor side of Freedom City.' I thought as I looked around at the boarded windows and the crumbling buildings in this narrow street which was barely wide enough for two carriages to drive side by side.

'The only question is if this is a normal robbery or if it's maybe a...'

*SWISH*

Just as I was finishing this thought I suddenly found a knife against my throat.

"Turn around slowly."

'So it's the other option.' I thought as I complied with the instruction and turned around. 'I didn't even feel the presence of the person until they were behind me, I hope I won't be disappointed.'

Behind me stood a hooded individual, now with the knife pointing against my Adams apple.

To my surprise the person was much shorter than me, about five feet seven inches. The height difference between my attacker and I made the sight of the knife against my throat quite comical, so comical that I was tempted to burst out laughing. But I resisted the temptation and keeping a straight face I opened my mouth to speak.

"What do you want? Money? If so then I have ten gold Leclerc, if you leave my friend in the carriage and I alone then you can have it." I put a scared look on my face and raised my hands in the air.

The hooded individual basically ignored me and nodded toward the carriage door.

"Tell your friend to get out of the carriage," She then put more force and pressed the knife harder against my throat. "And you better not give him any signals, I'll be watching and if you do both of you are dead."

The hooded individual gave me a shove.

I let myself fall to the ground and looked up with fear in my eyes.

"I'll do whatever you want, just don't kill me."

I then walked to the carriage door, and taking a deep breath I grabbed the handle.

'Alex I sure hope you can take a hint.'

-

-

-

I had been waiting impatiently in the carriage and just as I was about to ignore what Alistair had said about leaving the carriage, the door opened.

I looked at the door, half expecting it to be an attacker, but once it opened fully I loosened the grip I had on one of the daggers on my hip.

"Alistair," I said with a sigh. "What took you so long?"

"Nothing." Replied Alistair with a laugh. "It's all clear, the coachman was just drinking and passed out. Don't worry I've woken him up."

I frowned and looked at Alistair with suspicion on my face.

"What's up with you? You sound off."

Alistair laughed again and glancing to the side of the carriage he answered.

"What do you mean? I'm just glad I was worried over nothing, but I think you should say a few words to the coachman. You know scare the remaining booze out of his system, really sober him up."

I sighed in relief and looked at Alistair once again.

"Are you sure everything is okay?"

For what felt like the hundredth time Alistair laughed.

"Of course it is just come on out."

I nodded my head and walking forward I took one step out of the carriage.

Just as my foot was leaving the carriage I heard Alistair whisper a few words under his breath.

"Don't do anything rash and no matter what happens don't fight back."

I was confused and just as I was about to ask Alistair what he meant, I felt a blade against my throat.

I turned to Alistair with a rage in my eyes.

'This bastard,' I thought as I gritted my teeth in anger. 'This is the second time I've had a knife at my throat because of him.'

I thought back to the words Alistair had whispered to me, and although it went against every instinct that I had honed over the years I didn't fight back.

Slowly I stepped fully out of the carriage and turned to my attacker.

It was a hooded figure that was approximately six feet tall that had a short sword against my throat.

'About as tall as I am.' I observed. 'I think I can take him.'

I then looked toward Alistair and saw a scared look on his face, with his hands raised.

Behind him was another hooded individual, but the person was much shorter than Alistair.

Seeing Alistair with such a face made me tilt my head despite the situation I was in.

'What's he doing? I thought in confusion. 'Even when we were facing an infamous first tier he didn't show a hint of fear, let alone looking like he could piss himself any second.'

'Whatever, I'll just trust him for now.' I clenched my teeth. 'But I'll have a chat with him afterwards.'

"What do you want?" I said to the person who was holding the sword behind me.

He didn't answer and instead pushed me toward one of the buildings across the street.

I clenched my teeth and stumbled forward.

'Deep breaths Alex, calm yourself and don't do anything rash.'

I took a deep breath and walked across the street.

As I walked across the street I looked at one of the boarded up windows. And although I could be wrong, I could have sworn that I saw an eye looking at me from between the boards.

When I looked again to confirm I couldn't see anything there again.

'Was I seeing things?' I thought as I searched through all the windows I could see. 'No there is no way an awakened like me would make a mistake like that. Then that means that we're being watched by the slum dwellers.'

When I realized this, I suddenly felt like I could feel tens of eyes watching my every move.

'But then again what can weak, untrained people like them do about this? All they're going to do is just watch, there is no way in hell that they will risk their lives to help out.'

So I kept on walking and a few moments later I reached the other side and was pushed to the ground.

Moments later Alistair arrived and also fell to the ground.

"Stay here and don't speak." My attacker then looked up at the roof of the building behind me and whistled.

Seconds later I saw two other hooded figures land on the street.

Without stopping to talk to the two individuals who were pointing weapons at Alistair and I, they walked across the street, and one entered the carriage while the remaining two stood outside.

"What are they doing there?" Asked Alistair hesitantly.

*WHACK*

Alistair received a punch to his face as a response to his question.

"Don't speak." Repeated the hooded individual who wielded a short sword.

After a minute the person who was in the carriage came out, and immediately nodded at the other two hooded people.

The three then ran and jumped onto the roof of a nearby building and disappeared.

"Take out all your money and valuables." 

I turned around and looked at the person who held a knife.

'That person's voice sounds feminine, and at the same time distinctly familiar.' I squinted my eyes and closer at her. 'I can almost put my finger on it.' 

But before I could think more about it, I felt a nudge and turned and saw Alistair giving me a pointed look.

He then whispered under his breath.

"Give them all the Leclerc you have on you."

As I reached into my shirt pocket thoughts of murder were running through my mind.

'Alistair has a lot of explaining to do once these assholes leave, and he better give me a damn good reason not to have him killed.' I then pulled a small pouch out and grimly extended it.

"This is all I have." I stifled the pain in my heart as the bag was snatched away. "I don't have any other valuables on me."

Without checking to see how much was inside he quickly pocket it and sheathed his short sword.

As I looked on in shocked silence the two remaining hooded people jumped onto the roof of the building that was behind me, and disappeared.