The wind had died down, allowing a strange silence to settle over the campsite. Alex could hear trees creaking softly in the light breeze, but what he focused on was the sound of horses in the distance, moving slowly from side to side.
“They will come soon,” whispered Thrang. “Be ready.”
Alex and his friends spread out, forming a line in front of their camp. Thrang was next to him on his right, Andy on his left. To Thrang’s right stood Halfdan and then Bregnest, but there was no sign of Tayo, Skeld, or Arconn. Alex gripped his sword tightly, worried about his friends.
“Where are the others?” Alex asked nervously, keeping his voice lowered.
“Close,” Thrang replied, lifting his ax to a fighting position.
Alex followed Thrang’s example and drew Moon Slayer from his side. The blade shimmered black in the darkness, a hint of blue running down the sharp edges. Alex felt a strange heat growing inside him as he held the sword and waited for battle. It was the same heat he had felt when he fought the troll, though he hadn’t noticed it then. A powerful desire to rush into battle grew in his chest and mind, but he resisted it, thinking it was just his nerves.
Suddenly the sound of horses grew louder, moving fast, no longer shifting from side to side but coming straight toward the camp.
Alex felt his stomach tighten, knowing that any moment he would have to fight and kill if he wanted to stay alive.
From out of the darkness, the dim outline of men on horses appeared, and Alex heard a terrible yell from the bandits as they charged. Alex and his friends raised their own battle cry when the bandits came into view. Alex saw some of the horsemen turn quickly to ride away, surprised to see an armed company ready to fight, but the rest charged forward wildly. Alex stood firm with his companions, afraid, but ready to meet the charging bandits and his fate.
The noise of steel meeting steel filled the air around him, followed by the groans of wounded and dying men. Alex sidestepped a charging horse, swinging Moon Slayer at the rider’s body as hard as he could. He didn’t think to strike a second time, but quickly looked for another enemy to fight. A strange madness filled his mind as he wielded his sword, a madness that drove him recklessly into the battle. To Alex, his movements felt natural but strangely alien as well. There was no time for him to think even if he’d been able to focus his mind. He had to attack the bandits if he wanted to stay alive, and he did attack. Without hesitation, without thought, and without fear, Alex rushed into battle as a great happiness and a deep
sorrow filled his heart and mind.
The bandits quickly changed their minds about the attack and turned their horses to flee. They let out another scream as they tried to make their escape. Skeld, Tayo, and Arconn were waiting for them, ready to attack them from behind. Again there was the sound of steel on steel as more bandits fell from their horses.
Alex rushed toward the remaining bandits he could see, slashing at them as they tried to break away. He felt a great heat inside his body as he attacked, swinging his sword wildly at everything on horseback. His movements were quicker now, and he could see his enemies clearly in the darkness, as if some strange light illuminated them. Running forward, Alex fought to stop the bandits from escaping, cutting down any who came near him.
As quickly as it had begun, the battle was over. Alex spun around, wildly looking for more bandits, but there were none left. The heat inside him began to cool quickly, and as it cooled, darkness clouded his vision.
“Are you all right, Alex?” asked Arconn, standing at a distance. “Is the heat leaving you?”
“Yes,” replied Alex, suddenly feeling tired and weak. “What . . . what happened to me?”
“It is the sword,” said Arconn, stepping a little closer. “Its power entered you, its master.”
Alex didn’t reply but looked down at the sword in his hand. The sword’s edges gleamed bright blue, as if tiny flames raced up and down the blade. It looked beautiful in the darkness, and Alex felt a surge of fierce pride that Moon Slayer was his sword.
“You didn’t tell me this would happen,” said Alex, his eyes turning to Arconn. “I mean, having the power of the sword enter me.”
“I wasn’t sure it would,” replied Arconn with a slight smile. “I have heard stories, but I have never seen it happen. At least, not until tonight.”
“We all saw it,” said Andy, coming up beside Alex. “It was amazing. If I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d never have believed it.”
“What did you all see?” Alex asked, fear growing inside of him.
“A strange, pale light,” Bregnest replied softly, watching Alex closely, a look of wonder on his face. “Like you were glowing. Not like a lamp, but like a beam of moonlight in the
darkness.”
“Indeed he was,” said Thrang, looking from Alex to Bregnest. “I’ve heard stories too, but never thought I’d see something like this.”
“What does it mean?” Alex asked in a troubled voice.
“The fire of a great warrior was lit inside of you this night,” replied Arconn. “The sword has chosen its true master, and now we all know why the sword was named Moon Slayer.”
“But I’m not a great warrior,” Alex protested.
“Tell that to the bandits,” said Skeld with a grim laugh.
Alex looked at the ground in surprise. Around him lay the bodies of the bandits he had killed. A spark of fear ran through him as he realized what he had done. Without thinking, he had rushed into the charging bandits and killed them. How many had he killed? He wasn’t sure.
What troubled Alex most was that now that the battle was over, he felt nothing toward the dead bandits. He had simply done what he had to do. There were no feelings of guilt or sorrow or even happiness. There was only the knowledge that he’d done what had to be done—he’d killed the enemy. The whole battle seemed like some half-forgotten dream.
“This can’t be,” said Alex, looking at his companions helplessly.
“It is,” said Arconn in a kindly voice. “It is part of what you are. You cannot change what you are any more than you can change the sun or the sky. You can only accept it, and learn to use your gifts wisely.”
Alex took a deep breath and let out a sigh. He knew Arconn was right and that the warrior inside him was a part of his true self.
“What now?” Alex asked, wiping Moon Slayer on the grass and returning it to his side.
“We’ll wait for daylight,” said Bregnest. “Then we’ll search the bandits for anything of value.”
“Isn’t that stealing?” Alex asked with a weak smile.
“They’re dead,” Skeld laughed. “And they are bandits.”
Alex knew the bandits would have killed them and stolen their things if they could have. He also knew from reading the Adventurer’s Handbookthat bandits fell into the same group of evil creatures as goblins and trolls. It wasn’t stealing, but Alex didn’t like the idea of searching the dead bodies.
Thrang relit their campfire and they gathered around the flames to wait for dawn. Thrang cooked breakfast, muttering to himself about Alex’s moonlight glow. He seemed amused by the evening’s events, even if Alex wasn’t. When the eastern sky started to grow light, Skeld and Halfdan rode off in search of the bandits’ horses.
The darkness slowly changed to a dull gray as the sun came up behind the clouds. The air smelled like rain as Alex and his companions returned to the dead bandits. Alex wished it would rain and wash away the smell of death and the color of blood. He felt strange, going through the pockets of the dead bandits, but the others didn’t seem to mind at all. They placed everything of value they found, including weapons, near their fire pit. Then they piled the dead bandits downwind from their camp.
“Slim pickings,” commented Thrang, tossing a bandit onto the pile. “Bandits never have much of value.”
“Then why bother?” Alex asked, struggling to drag a body to the pile himself.
“You never know,” replied Thrang, helping Alex toss the dead bandit onto the pile. “You might find something wonderful from time to time. Besides, every little bit helps to build the fortune.”