However, it seemed that either the insider information that the bandit had brought was not accurate, or the caravan had decided not to return at all. Not that he had even been told that there was a caravan there, but it seemed likely with the way they all had been hiding in the forest for the past few days. Either way, it was their fourth day hiding here, and by now their food supplies were already running low, which meant he barely got anything to eat while the deputy and Nokozal nearly had a feast every day after it got dark.

Coming back to the present, Joric looked around him for a moment, while moving a hand over his recently cropped black hair which one of the other clay miners had done when he had asked to make them shorter. The sun was already approaching the top of the trees in the west, so it seemed like today would also be a waste. For the bandits anyway. As for him, he just wished he wouldn't have to fight. Not that he really could, since he hadn't been given any weapons by the bandits. Just how were they expecting him to fight the guards anyway?

Suddenly, he heard his name being called out from nearby. Turning around, he saw the bald deputy beckoning him towards where the horses had been tied further inside the forests. Giving a nod, he jogged towards them, being glad that at least his hands were not tied now and saw that Nokozal the giant was also present there.

"Our informer in Kirnos had told us that a caravan was already present there," the heavily scarred deputy explained, "and that it would take a few days for them to return. I think they would approach this place either today or tomorrow. Now here is what you are going to do. When our scout in the west sees a caravan coming on the road, he will give a long whistle followed by two short whistles. That's the signal for you to walk to the road, pretending that you were injured."

"But why?" Joric frowned, his heart starting to beat faster after hearing that he was being sent to face the caravan guards from up close. "I'm not injured..."

"Just shut up and listen," Nokozal growled, "or I'll make it such that you don't have to pretend it!"

Joric gulped and gave an uncertain nod. "I'll do as you say, but why did you even bring me here for this? One of you could have done this much better than me without getting scared! I might just wet myself in fear doing this..."

The deputy tilted his head. "That is kind of the point..." He added, "Have you not seen the other men we brought with us? None of them looks like a farm owner who would be stranded on a road. They are all brutes, and they look the part. They can't act like a rich farmer if their life depended on it!" He jerked his head towards Nokozal. "Nobody would confuse this giant for a farmer, and I have more scars on my body than I can count. If one of us tries that, the caravan guards will easily find out that it's an ambush and will be prepared for us. That's the reason we brought you here."

Joric just gave a quiet nod while looking at his muddy feet and clothes. "I don't think the wagon guards will think that I am a rich farm owner..."

"Who else but a rich farmer would own a horse!" the bald deputy answered before glaring at him. "Now stop asking stupid questions and just listen!" He continued, "You will go to ask for help from the coming wagons, and tell them that you had come out from Kirnos to visit your farm nearby, but your horse broke its leg on a pothole in the road, so after putting it out of its misery in the forest, you need someone to give you a ride to Kirnos."

Joric frowned. "Wouldn't the wagons be going away from Kirnos? I don't think they would agree to turn around just to take me back there..."

"That's not the point, and you aren't actually going to take a ride with them!" The deputy glared at him. "Your task is to ask them what they are carrying and where, like you are just making some small talk, so you can find out if their wagons have a good amount of food in them or not. If they tell you that even one of their wagons is full of food - either wheat or smoked fish - then you will raise both of your hands above and stretch them for a good time while interlocking them. That will be our signal to start the attack."

Joric knew that this was going to put him right in the middle of armed swordsmen trying to kill each other, and it was already making him feel more nervous than he had ever felt in his life, but he knew this was no time to mention that, especially with that giant Nokozal standing right in front of him. "What if they aren't carrying any food? What if the wagons are empty, or if they are carrying something other than food?"

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"In that case you will just say that you wish they were going towards Kirnos, but you can't ask them to turn around just for yourself." The deputy added, "That should satisfy the wagon guards and the merchant leading them, and they will just move on while leaving you behind. You will sit on the side of the road for a while until the wagons are out of sight, before returning to us."

"If you even think of running away at that time..." Nokozal barked, "I'll make sure you can't run away ever again."

Ignoring the giant, the deputy continued, "While we were lucky to arrive when we did, since a caravan had just entered Kirnos when we passed the village, our informer had told us that at that time the wagons were still full of coal. But he had recognised a few men as the same ones who had arrived there around a month ago, and they had carried half a wagon of smoked fish before leaving. I believe they should be buying the same this time as well, so it's unlikely that the wagons wouldn't be carrying any food at all, but we need to be sure about it before attacking, since Chief Torhan doesn't want to risk his men for nothing."

Joric took a moment to think about his task. He knew that he had no other choice than to follow their orders so he could continue living at the clay mine with all his limbs intact, but this was going to be the closest he had come in his life to a group of people trying to kill each other, and that was something which was already making him jittery.

What if the wagons weren't carrying any food but the bandits didn't believe his words later on and punished him anyway? What if the caravan was carrying food but the merchant was smart enough not to open his mouth about it? What would he do then? What if the guards recognised what he was trying to do and killed him right there?

He didn't want to die yet, dammit! He wanted to see his family again instead of following these bastards who were sending him to die!

Another bandit who was listening from nearby, walked over to them. "How long are we supposed to keep waiting here, boss? All the bread we had brought with us is gone now. Who even knows if that caravan is even coming..."

"Shut up!" Nokozal barked. "We'll stay here as long as we need to, even if we have to hunt for food or stay hungry. I'm not returning to that crazy bastard Torhan with an empty hand or it will be our hides!"

The bandit grumbled but started walking back, making Joric wish that they had agreed to return back. He thought of trying another tactic. "What if there are too many guards to protect the caravan? There are only eight of you. Wouldn't it be better to return in that case?"

"That's none of your concern," the giant growled. "I can take on half a dozen men by myself!"

The deputy stared at Joric for a moment. "You ask too many questions, you know that?" Before Joric could say anything, he added, "Our informer in Kirnos told us that there were only four people in total accompanying the caravan there. One of them must be a merchant who wouldn't know how to fight, and another one was a woman. I don't know how that merchant could be that much of a fool to think a woman would be able to protect his goods, but if it's true, this will be the easiest ambush I have ever made in my life!"

"A woman, you say?" Nokozal repeated with a grin. "Why didn't you tell me earlier...? We don't even need your men in that case. I can kill the remaining two guards by myself!"

"You can't always trust these informers though..." the deputy muttered while moving a hand over his bald head. "They might not have counted all the men correctly, or they might not have seen all the guards at the same time. That woman might not even be a guard... but in that case it's likely that she is a daughter or a sister of the merchant who owns the wagons. Hmm... But in that case he really should have brought more guards... something doesn't feel right."

"Doesn't matter!" Nokozal boasted. "There are eight of us, so we can easily take a dozen of them with me here!"

"Perhaps..." the deputy muttered. "Maybe the informer didn't see properly and that woman was just someone the merchant had picked up in the village for some time...?"

Joric was listening to them talk while trying to think of a way to say that he couldn't do it, when he heard a long whistle from the west followed by two short ones. Immediately he looked at the others in surprise.

"Huh..." the deputy muttered as he peered towards the west. "I thought they would come by tomorrow... Well, good for us anyway."

At the same time, Nokozal grinned and removed his sword. Raising it high in the air, he shouted, "Come on lads, it's time to get some loot!"