Loot

With the bandits dealt with.

"Let's see what these bastards managed to steal", Argon suggested, eyeing the bandits' lifeless forms.

Brolan gave a nod of agreement, and they started their grisly task. They searched the bodies, turning over lifeless forms and rifling through pockets. They found a small sack on the bandit leader, bulging with gold coins and a few other precious items. The other bandits had similar smaller pouches, their contents ranging from a few gold coins to various items of worth.

Satisfied with their findings, they collected the stolen items, stuffing the gold and valuables into their own packs. Despite the grim circumstances, they could not deny the thrill that came with the unexpected windfall. The spoils of their successful ambush were already greater than anticipated. Argon had never had this much money.

The horses the bandits left behind were an unexpected bonus, a reward that had Argon grinning like a child with a new toy.

Argon took a moment to evaluate the horses. All four were well-fed and well-groomed, suggesting that their previous owners - now lying dead in the forest - had taken good care of them. But Argon knew that not all horses were created equal.

With an experienced eye, he appraised each of them, taking in their physique and temperament. Two of them - a large, dappled grey and a smaller chestnut mare - stood out as the strongest and most capable.

"We'll take these two," Argon announced, pointing at the selected horses. "They look sturdy and fast. Perfect for what we need."

Brolan nodded in agreement, seeming to trust Argon's judgement.

Turning to the other two horses, Argon approached them slowly; hands extended in a non-threatening gesture. He unfastened their reins and, with a sharp smack on their rumps, sent them galloping off into the forest.

"Not bad, eh?" Argon said, patting his horse's flank. "We'll get to the loot faster and be back in Duskhaven before sundown."

"Yeah," Brolan agreed, glancing at his own steed with an appreciative nod. "Faster than walking, that's for damn sure."

A moment of silence stretched between them as they set about adjusting to their new mounts. It was Brolan who broke it. "What if the bandit was lying?" he asked, his brow furrowed in thought. "What if there's no loot?"

The question caught Argon off guard. Shit, he hadn't considered that. But he quickly masked his surprise, fixing Brolan with a confident smirk. "I could read him like a book, the stupid prick," Argon assured him, trying to sound convincing. "Trust me, he wouldn't lie after his face got peeled."

Still, a small part of him worried. What if the bandit had been lying? It would be just their luck to be sent on a wild goose chase. He pushed the thought aside, choosing instead to focus on the road ahead.

"Let's just hope the rat bastard was telling the truth," Argon murmured under his breath, a quiet prayer to the gods of fortune. Only time would tell if their efforts had been in vain.

As they journeyed north on their newly acquired horses, Argon turned to Brolan, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "How much do you reckon those fuckers had in their pouches?" he asked, patting the bulging bag at his side.

Brolan considered for a moment, his gaze distant as he calculated. "From what we took off them, I'd say around forty gold, maybe more with the items."

Argon let out a hearty laugh at the estimation. "Well, shit," he exclaimed, "That's enough to buy your sorry ass at least eight times over!" He nudged his horse a little closer to Brolan's, giving his companion a friendly, rough jab with his elbow, unable to wipe the satisfied grin from his face.

Argon and Brolan spent the better part of the day combing the area to the north. The midday sun was beating down relentlessly, making the task of searching among the foliage an exhausting ordeal.

Eventually, their efforts paid off. The distinctive shape of an almost dead oak tree came into view. Its twisted trunk and sparse, leafless branches matched the description given by the bandit leader.

"There it is," Argon declared, pointing towards the tree. "Let's hope the fucker wasn't lying."

Approaching the tree, they noticed the soil at its base appeared to be disturbed, loose and uneven. It was a promising sign.

"We don't have a fucking shovel," Brolan muttered, surveying the area. "We'll have to use our hands."

They both got down on their knees, starting to dig through the loose soil. After a few minutes, their fingers hit something hard. A sense of anticipation filled the air as they pulled out a small, wooden chest.

They opened it to reveal an assortment of gold coins and various trinkets - jewellery, small statues, and precious stones. Argon let out a low whistle, eyes gleaming. "That's more like it. Around 200 gold and a fair bit of other shit. Not bad for a two day's work."

"That dayless steel helmet is as good as mine now," Argon declared immediately, an ambitious glint in his eyes.

Brolan, however, seemed to have more practical concerns. "Hold on a minute," he said, pulling back on the plans slightly, "How the hell are we going to transport all this?"

Argon simply shrugged, his grin unwavering. "Just strap the chest on the horse's back. Who gives a damn? People always come out of the ruins with all sorts of crazy shit. What's two blokes with a chest going to matter?"

Their plan laid out, the two continued their journey, now not just as hunters but also as successful thieves, an unexpected twist in their lives.