Honor: 18th Entry

I had to slow to a mere trot to keep my approach as silent as possible. This whole area of the road was covered in low hills and excessive brush, the perfect place to set up an ambush. If I were caught out in the open I would not have been able to react fast enough to defend myself, not at the speed I was going. Though my speed would have made any attack difficult, I would be an easy target after I passed to any archers that might be waiting. My back provided a very vulnerable target.
After traveling at this pace for some time, I stumbled upon a hidden campsite among the bushes. There were three men wrapped in thick blankets and surrounded by shrubbery, each with a quiver filled with bow and arrows by his side. There was no sign of a fire having been kindled, so they probably had not tarried long before going to sleep. I dismounted slowly and silently and picked up the quiver nearest me. I had to strain my eyes to see in the sparse moonlight coming through the nearby trees, but the emblem of Borgan was clear enough.
I replaced the quiver slowly before turning to leave. These men would not wake up in time to do me any harm, and stealing would do nothing for me, so I would leave him his possessions. I left Terek by the encampment as I walked back towards the road. It would be more difficult for me to ambush my would-be ambushers with him in tow or on his back. Also I knew he would subdue any resistance should the sleeping archers wake up.
I followed a notable path between bushes that lead up a short hill overlooking the road. I approached closely, looking for some sign of an archer poised to attack. Finally I found him, crouching just where the top of the hill mostly obstructed him from view to the east, where he was intently watching the road. In his left hand he held firmly onto a longbow with his right hand gripping an arrow. He was ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
I still would not draw my sword and my spear had been left behind in Tivir, so I had only my hands and the element of surprise. I took another two steps closer, approaching him from his rear-left flank where he did not see me, and pounced.
I pulled him back by the shoulder with my right hand and swung my left around to cover his mouth. I held onto him tightly, doing my best to control his struggling as I dragged him down from the hill. He was strong, but not strong enough to resist me. Once behind the cover of bushes, I empowered my right fist with magic and hit him to the ground. I hit hard enough to knock him out, and to leave him with a huge headache when he awoke. Now I had to make sure he was the only one, which I highly doubted.

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