[littlemanpoet]

Eodwine was running as quickly as he could, round about. He had to get between the bandits and the boys. But that would only drag things out as he and the boys became more weary while the outlaws cagily waited for them to weaken. No, there had to be a better plan. It had been easy to tackle that one outlaw back by the tower, but this was deep woods and --- Eodwine stopped running and ducked down low. He had thought of something. It was very risky, but could be very decisive. Why not let the outlaws think they had the boys within their grasp? He had a hunch that they wouldn't kill them right away. Make bait of the boys. Garstan and Stigend would no doubt foreswear their liegemanship to him, but he couldn't think of another way to save them.

He listened. He could hear the outlaws.

"F'rget the big 'un! He's too much trouble! The two lads'll give us plenty o' game though, eh?"

Harsh laughter followed these words, and then the outlaws were running west, crashing through the brush. Eodwine gave stealthy chase, aided by the outlaws' recklessness.

~*~

It was not long before he heard them.

"Now don't think ye c'n hide from us b'hind that ol' tree. We knows y'r there."

Eodwine slowed and crept stealthily. He could imagine that the boys feared that he had left them to their fates. It was a hard thing to do to them, but he couldn't let them know he was close by either, or they might give him away.

Eodwine looked above him. A great old beech tree grew beside him, and must have been planted when this place was not a ruin, for its branches, big as a giant's arms, spread far in all directions in the middle of this wood. As soundlessly as he could, Eodwine used the lowest branches as steps, and walked on top of a branch that reached over the outlaws. Luckily, there was a little bit of undergrowth beneath the tree so that it was easy for Eodwine to see without being seen. Peering through the leaves, he watched one of the pair take off his belt and start handling it like a whip. The other bandied a pair of knives before him like he was cutting a slice of meat off a hock.

"Little rabbit caught his foot in a snare did he?" the knifer sniggered. "Wonder how it feels to be et slice by slice, my little ones, eh?" His fellow cackled and cracked his makeshift whip. Eodwine wondered what the outlaw meant and took a closer look. Cnebba was lying in an odd position and Garmund was huddled over him. This was not good!

The outlaws were within two yards of the boys, whose heads could be seen from Eodwine's vantage point over the edge of an old rotting and mossy log. Cnebba's face was twisted with pain. Garmund was looking out over the log, his teeth gritted and his brow knotted. That boy has courage! thought Eodwine. The outlaws came a step closer, hooting and mocking at the boys with their knives and whip. The boys were tensing. But Garmund was not fleeing.

Suddenly with a boyish roar Garmund leaped out from behind the log and rushed the whipper. In the same instant Eodwine dropped from the branch, legs and arms spread wide to knock both outlaws down at once. Garmund hit the whipper in the legs. The whipper brought his belt up for a swing and the knifer bent down to cut the boy. Eodwine hoped desperately that he wouldn't injure Garmund. Neither blow fell, for the outlaws crumpled beneath Eodwine. He landed on his feet with a spring of his knees and then stamped on the knifer's wrist. The knifer dropped the dagger while Eodwine stomped on his other wrist, then kicked him in the jaw. Only then did Eodwine pick up the daggers.

Suddenly the whipper was howling. Eodwine heard what sounded like a little dog growling in a high pitch, gnawing on its enemy for all it was worth. Garmund had sunk his teeth into the man's leg just above the ankle. The outlaw scrabbled at the boy in vain. Eodwine finished him off with a kick to the head.

Garmund rose to his feet and glared at the whipper with the eyes of one who had bested his foe. "Well done, Garmund! Now see how Cnebba's doing."

"Aye, lord," Garmund said proudly, then turned and went over to Cnebba. While Garmund was busy looking over Cnebba's twisted ankle, Eodwine quietly dispatched the two outlaws, slicing their throats.