The Kingswood

[Horas]

A sprawling forest just south of King's Landing. It is a popular hunting spot for the king, and has also been known to be home to various outlaw bands.

[Horas]

Kennos Keath gritted his teeth as the small man's needle laced in and out of his side. Out in the woods there was no milk of the poppy. Though in truth, Kennos did not care overly much; he had never been a man to let a little thing like pain bother him. Especially when it came on the heels of victory.

It was true his recent outlaw band was all but destroyed, but Kennos had sent more than his fair share of men to the Stranger, including Aranya's two bodyguards, and nearly the bitch herself. And those men he had left in his band were the best -- Orys the archer, Tom the sword, and a handful of other toughs.

Cutter the surgeon finished stitching Keath up, and Kennos stretched experimentally. "Let's go," Kennos said. "Next time, I want hostages. How much do you think the cripple will pay for his wildling cousin?"

[The Smith]

Tom laughed, "You want to let some one live? I guess age has calmed your sword." Tom mounts easily and follows after Keath.

[Horas]

"Careful with your words, Tom," Kennos laughs in return, "Else I'll have to cut your fucking head off and feed it to your dogs. They'll live if they're worth gold."

The group moves out.

[syd]

Kit Kidwell and half a dozen others ride briefly into the Kingswood to get away from the crowds and armies of King's Landing.

[Horas]

A group of horsemen, nine strong, trots down the path from the opposite direction. All are armed, and none look friendly. Their leader wears full plate and a helm.

As the two groups near, the front man calls out. "Travelers? In the Kingswood? Don't you know there are bandits out here?"

[syd]

All of Kit's men wear traveling cloaks, perhaps over armor, and all are armed for safety.

"I have heard the rumours", Kit says to the leader. "If I was scared of getting killed, even by bandits I wouldn't have decided to ride here in the first place."

[Horas]

The man laughs. "Good answer," he says. "But it seems like I see some bandits right over there," Kennos grins under his helm, and nods his head towards the trees to the right. Five or six men are visible at the edge of the treeline, all holding bows. "Funny how they sneak up on you like that."

"So, Ser Fearless, will you be telling your men to drop their weapons? Or will I have to kill you all?"

[syd]

Kid Death laughs and draws Dark Sister. Three of his men wheel their destriers to face the bowmen.

[Horas]

The Demon spurs his horse into a charge, Tom and the rest of his men riding hard behind him. The bowmen loose their arrows, and then steel clashes against steel as the two parties meet.

[Horas]

- - - - - - -

Kennos stares down at his defeated opponent, wondering who the hell he was. "Bind him," he says to his men, "Strip his men of everything valuable, and take their horses."

Kennos bends over and lifts his opponent's sword from the ground. Valyrian Steel... Kennos looks at the bleeding man's face again. Then he laughs. "We're moving off the road," he tells his men, mounting his horse. Kit Kidwell is tossed over the back of one of the other men's horses like a sack of grain, and the group rides off the road, deeper into the wood.

[The Smith]

Tom gingerly mounts a horse a horse, knowing he will not be fighting any one again for a long while, and Kennos looked only a little better.

[Horas]

Kennos Keath sits under a tree in the band's makeshift camp as a healer tends to his fresh wounds. Once Kennos is seen to, the man will sew up Tom and then the rest of the band, and then finally the prisoner.

Keath turns the dark valyrian steel blade over in his hands, admiring the edge. He waits for the prisoner to regain conciousness.

[melon]

Ser Erik rode into the Kingswood he was travel worn but he didn't care everyone had abounded him first his brother then his king his Kings Guards brother soon left him then finally it was Tallahar so he thought he would find new brother's. He would find feared me so he came looking for the Demon.

[syd]

Kit wakes from his unconscious state with a stirring and looks at Kennos with hazy eyes. "I'm alive. Why am I alive?"