The Defender: Elderwood

  ***

  For five nights, Allan perched on rooftops close to the river district, keeping a careful vigil over the warehouse of Samuel’s Trading and Shipping. For five nights, Allan struggled to keep focused as nothing happened.

  Then, after sunset on the sixth night, a boat appeared on the river. As it was coming upriver, it had a single sail open. Even with the sail, the boat looked like any other cargo boat that came or went. It was wider than two wagons, maybe as wide as three. It was at least as long as three wagons and their teams of horses. There was a post at the rear of the boat for steering.

  One man was guiding the boat towards the short pier that led to the warehouse. Three men were towards the front of the boat. Allan noticed that all three men were armed with swords. Sitting under the mast of the sail was a lump of cloth, like a blanket thrown over a sleeping person.

  Allan was about to fly towards the warehouse when he saw six men approach the building from the street side. Allan needed a moment to focus his vision. He recognized two of the men at once as members of the Crew that Davy had described. Allan decided to watch before he took action.

  A man came out of the warehouse and onto the pier. Two of the trio on the boat helped as the man tied up the craft to the pier. The man at the rear of the boat came forward and removed the cloth. Two boxes had been sitting under the cloth.

  Two of the men from the boat got onto the pier. The other two lifted one of the boxes and handed it to the first pair. They carried the first box into the warehouse, then the second. The second pair of men got off the boat and followed them into the building.

  Almost at the exact moment that the men carrying the second box entered the warehouse from the riverside, the six men of the Crew burst into the building from the street side.

  Allan lifted off from his spot and flew towards the warehouse. He heard cries and sounds of men being hit just before he landed. He dashed in through the open door. The four men from the boat, and the man who had helped them secure the boat, were lying on the floor by the door they had come in from. All five were curled into balls, holding their bodies.

  Two of the members of the Crew were holding one of the boxes. Two more were bent over the other boxes. One of the Crew was standing over the five beaten men. The last member, the best-dressed of the group, was the one who saw Allan come in.

  “Who are you?” he demanded.

  Allan pointed at the men. “Put down the boxes, and leave.”

  “Who’s going to make us? You?” The man looked at his comrades. “Get him!”

  Allan waited until the five men were charging at him. He cast a wind spell to knock them down. He cast a flight spell to leap at the sixth man. The man was still gaping at Allan when he kicked the man in the chest while landing.

  Allan pulled a club from his belt. The club was something he’d made and enchanted. Knowing that he was going to be outnumbered, he decided that he’d need an edge. Having a weapon would be helpful. Having a weapon that cast a pain spell on anyone he with it would be much better.

  One of the five men had gotten to his feet. Allan moved towards him. He ducked the man’s right-arm swing. He jabbed the enchanted end of the club into the man’s belly. The man fell to his knees.

  Another man charged at him. Allan struck him across the face. The man screamed and bent over. Allan pushed the man at two other attackers who were closing on him.

  The fifth man had drawn a dagger. Allan let him come at him. When the dagger impacted Allan’s charmed leather chest armor, it slid away and out of the man’s hands. The thug stared dumbstruck for a moment. Allan struck the man with his club across his face, then slammed him in the gut.

  With the six members of the Crew down, Allan walked from one to the other, pummeling them with his club until they were subdued. By then one of the five men who’d been set upon had recovered enough to be sitting up. His eyes were wide as Allan approached him.

  “Can you stand?” Allan asked him.

  “What?”

  “Get up!”

  The man jumped up.

  “Find the nearest guards, and tell them what happened.”

  The man nodded and ran off.

  Allan checked the six members of the Crew for additional weapons, and to make sure they weren’t able to resist. Once he’d disarmed them, and struck a couple of men one more time, he headed out the riverside door. He slipped the club back onto his belt, and flew back home.