A Cunning Plan

It was a beautiful summer afternoon as Lady Darlene’s carriage made its way down the country lane. Every Tuesday, the Lady Darlene paid her respects to her great aunt Matilda who lived in the countryside just outside Bridgerton. Lord Khel had spent a great deal of time and money in the city of Bridgerton to learn this important fact. Lady Darlene was his old flame from a few years back and she was sure to know the whereabouts of Verek, the bastard that framed him. She would not be normally disposed to tell Khel the time of day however Khel had hatched a plan that should make her more receptive to him. He smiled to himself as he watched from his concealed location, the plan unfold before him.

Dror had been so anxious to help him with the plan and had insisted that he alone perform the dangerous parts without help from anyone else. Khel wasn’t at all sure how one person could possibly do it but Dror had insisted and Khel had gone against his better judgement and allowed it. It was risky but he really had no choice.

As the carriage rounded a corner, it was met by Dror standing in its path. Hardly an ambush really and Khel began to wonder about the wisdom of letting Dror do as he wanted and not helping him. Nothing to do now but watch….

The carriage did not slow and Khel could see the guards shouting at the Ulronai to stand aside as one of them took aim with a crossbow. “What’s that bloody Ulronai doing?! He’s going to get himself killed for sure!”

Khel saw Dror’s sword blade glint in the bright sunlight as it was drawn and he began what looked like a dance in the middle of the road. “What’s the bloody fool doing his sword drills now for? Does he think they will be impressed?” Khel could see that his plan was about to fail right from the beginning. "So much for this plan. If he dies, so be it! I'll have to figure something else out."

Dror’s bright blade flashed in the sunlight as he swooped and swung the blade in seemingly random directions, striking at invisible foes. Two of the guards fell from the carriage, the other two were suddenly slumped in their seats and the carriage came to a sudden stop as the Ulronai sheathed his sword and grabbed the horses’ reins. Dror hadn’t got within sword’s reach of the carriage and yet all the guards were either dead or unconscious.

“Nice trick.” Thought Khel as he spurred his horse over the ridge towards the carriage. “He must have used the sword drill as a diversion and then threw knives or something at them. Dror’s more talented than I thought….”

Khel could see that Dror was following through with the plan, he had dragged lady Darlene out of the carriage and was making as if to rob and possibly ravage her. He grinned as he saw Lady Darlene on her knees begging Dror to spare her. It was terribly undignified and she was stripping off her jewels and handing them to him. “Good work Dror, get her worked up so that I can come in and save the day….”

He was drawing his sword and about to give a shout as he bore down on the scene when Lady Darlene simply collapsed from fear onto the grass besides the roadway. There was no longer any need for the act so Dror simply waited for Khel to draw up beside him. Looking up sheepishly at Khel he said “I think I overdid it a little.”

“No, you did great Dror. This saves us having to do the sword fight part. No need for anyone else to get hurt. Boy, you sure killed those guards off fast.”

“They should not be dead, just knocked out for a while. You best do your part now and save the good lady.” Said Dror as he trotted towards to woods shouting over his shoulder, “I will do my part and run away in fear at the face of your mighty swordsmanship.”

Khel looked over at one of the guards, a large bruise on his forehead. He was still breathing. “How the….?” He started to say but was interrupted by the moaning of Lady Darlene. “My Lady. It is all right now.” He said. “I chased him off…..”