Deserter

I took a deep breath and there was no pain in my side any more.  Whatever agency had caused me to wake up in a strange place, in a strange body, where people seemed to be intent on doing nothing but killing me as quickly as possible had at least provided me with a resilient body that shrugged off pain and healed with a speed I could only consider magical.  A memory bubbled up of falling out of a tree as a child and breaking my arm and that it had been (barely) usable the next day.

I shook myself free from riding that memory because I did not have time.  I searched the bodies and found trail food and some cooked meat wrapped up for later.  There must have been a camp nearby.  These were hunters, I gathered, but didn't understand why they would have attacked a lone soldier..even one they thought was a deserter..out of the blue.

I found a sheath for the dagger I'd stolen and a tunic of boiled leather that might fit and well-stuffed pouches full of shining coins.  That tickled a question in my mind of why but I didn't pursue.

I spent far too long searching for my shield and pick finally finding them further up the hill and in the process I smelled a faint hint of smoke and food and followed it back to the camp.  I approached slowly and as quietly as I knew how.  It wasn't that far from where the fight had happened on a small stone ledge, and I assumed that my reckless charge down the hill had been seen and the hunters had decided to take advantage of an opportunity.

I watched the camp quiety for a hundred slow heartbeats and neither saw nor heard anything.  There were three tents and some cooking implements and what looked like a tiny covered fire.  If I hadn't been so close, I probably would never have found it.  With careful, not-as-quiet-as-I'd-like steps, I moved in and checked each tent, weapon ready.  It was empty.

I found some belt pouches that wouldn't interfere with my carry bag from the keep and changed out the armor I was wearing for the leather tunic I'd found.  I tossed the helmet aside and that's when I found the pile of clothes and belongings.  These had not been hunters, but bandits.  How bold they had been to operate so close to a keep full of soldiers, and even to attack one!

I looked up in the direction of the keep thoughtfully.  From here I could see some of the walls, and the smoke from that dragon's attack was visible.  I nodded.  They must have thought I had deserted and fled for my life from the dragon.  They weren't far wrong.