I was still full from the previous night’s meal, and eager to meet my friend. I knew in my mind that it would take several days if not weeks to have him tracked down, but it still was dwelling on my mind. There were other problems I need to focus my mind upon as well, I needed money. I had saved almost all of my gold and silver earned while I was bonded to Abasi, and I was rewarded nicely with a fair sum of money from the sell of Abasi’s rams and goats, but it would not last. Especially when I was not earning any new money, times would get thin for a little while as Leif and I planned our next move.

Then the thought occurred to me, I already knew the next move we were going to liberate our fellow legionnaires, and after that march north. We couldn’t stay, odds were that if we tried to attack with such a small force we would be overwhelmed by P’Tah’s forces, and if waited than news of the rescue would find its way to a garrison and we would be attacked, and again we would be overwhelmed.

I would need to prepare, Leif would need a loreca and a weapon at the very least, I would probably need a scutum. All it would take was money, and I had a few days at the least before I would have to buy what we needed, and in that time I could earn more. Looking across the tent I said “Abasi, in the time I have known you, your herd has been attacked by thieves, have any of your neighbors been attacked as well?”

Abasi nodded “It is an unfortunate fact of life out here, far from a city, and its garrisons. Thieves camp out in the wilderness, and pray on our flocks, steal our money, and kill our slaves. Some are deserters from both Imperial, and P’Tah armies, others are escaped slaves, and still more are criminals who have been forced out of the cities.”

I nodded and asked “Are they organized?”

Abais shook his head “No, if they had organized, they would have became a credible threat to P’Tah and would be dealt with swiftly. To, the garrison’s they’re just a nuisance. To us, the people out here they’re just an unfortunate fact of life.”

I rubbed my chin contemplating shaving the beard I had grew into something nearer an Imperial type. “Where do they come from?”

Abasi shrugged “You will have to ask them. None of us shepherds have tried hunting them.”

I grinned and said “I will ask them.” I was eager, I didn’t have any particular grievance against freed slaves, but criminals, and deserters they were in the wrong. They were also the better equipped and more dangerous. I had no problems dealing with them.

It would take time, time for Abasi to find Leif, and time for me to raid some small groups of thieves. Robbing thieves, I enjoyed the irony of the idea, and the fact made me smile. It was a chance for me to practice single combat properly, something I haven’t had in a long time.

The next week Abasi made a few trips to Fort Ramses, and I started patrolling Abasi’s herd and a few of Abasi’s neighbors. There were a few attacks by feral dogs, even one by a pack of hyenas. The thieves seemed to have kept quiet in the area I patrolled.

Thieves, they like any other predator attacked the weak, and injured. If you prove yourself difficult to take advantage of, they will find easier prey. The shepherds were grateful, and paid me a small reward for the hides of the dogs, and hyenas.

I had went about things all wrong being in my armor, and carrying my gladius at my side. The next week I tried something more subtle, I put away my armor, and gladius, I took up a shepherd’s crook once again, and sheathed my pugio underneath the robes of a common shepherd. I smelled of sheep, goats, and camels and mixed among the herds. It was only a matter of time until thieves finally returned.

They showed up in the evening, not many mind you but enough to really do the job on a few slaves and steel sheep. The leader of the little rabble was a fat Aegean, a light olive skinned man with black greasy hair. He lumbered towards a slave, and pummeled him to the ground with a heavy, and sloppy strike with a cestus, while another pair swarmed him. The fight was not fair at all.

The sheep, and goats retreated further into the corral that they were kept in, as the thieves made sure that the slave was dead before they started moving in for the sheep. I had seen this happen from across a small valley. It is an unfortunate reality that if you are not able to defend yourself, help can and often will arrive too late.

The thieves concentrated more on taking the sheep, than keeping an eye out for anyone else be that a shepherd, guard or someone like myself; one of which was entertaining the others with a kind of steeple chase. The fat Aegean had a wheezing laugh, as he he sat upon a rock making sport of his comrade. I sprinted towards the leader of the thieves, jumping onto the rock, and thrust my pugio into his neck, and shoulder.

The fat Aegean shouted in pain before he reached over his head, and threw me onto the ground. There was a flow of blood running down his shoulder, and chest as he stood to strike me with hs cestus. The first blow came down harder than expected and made my head spin, he drew back to take a second strike but lost his footing, stumbling back. I took that opportunity and lept back at him driving my pugio into his belly, sawing across his midsection.

Mid saw I was abruptly ripped from the fat Aegean by his two compatriots I landed hard and lost my pugio. They in turn drew their weapons, one had a pugio similar to mine, the other drew a an exotic looking curved sword, with an intricately carved hilt. While prone I grabbed two large handfuls of sand and rocks and hurled it in their faces. When they recoiled I shoulder tackled the one with the sword, as he was the nearest, and we both hit the ground. I grabbed a nearby rock, and was about to smash his jaw when the thief with the dagger kicked the rock out of my hand before driving his dagger at my shoulder in a similar fashion as I did the Aegean.

I rolled off the thief with the sword and scrambled back to my feet, the pugio, a kind of dagger slashing through the sleeve of my shepherd’s robe, digging into my bicep. The thief with the pugio continued to slash and hack at me while his compatriot clambered back to his feet. As I worked to gain some distance from the pair I picked up a rock on the move, and underhand tossed it at the thief with the pugio. It struck his stomach, he let out an “oof!” doubled over and tripped his partner. They both struggled to disentangle themselves from one another, and I struck back but kicking the thief in the throat leaving him gasping, and clutching his gullette.

The thief with the sword stepped over his gasping buddy and in a two handed over the head swing attacked. The attack was slow, but powerful, I sidestepped the attack as it came down, and struck the thief in the kidney. The thief let out a howl and spun around, with his exoticly curved sword. I caught his wrists in a wrestling move, forced his arms up, drove my knee into his groin. I felt the grip on his sword loosen, and I drove my knee into his groin again for good measure.

The thief finally dropped his sword, and I smashed my head into his nose, and face. He spit out teeth onto the desert sand, and staggered back, then fell grabbing his face, and gargling his own blood. I finished him off as with a quick stomp, and turned my attention back to the, only surviving thief left.

He was still gasping, and choking for breath trying to get away from the corral, and me. Picking up the exotic sword I chased after him, and kicked his legs out from under him. Placing the blade near the thief’s neck I told him “take me to where you’re hiding.” In retrospect this was a very bad idea, as there could have been more thieves hiding. Nevertheless under the threat of death he took me to where the tro had been stashing their loot.

It was nestled in a small pile of rocks, where a makeshift pen was holding about a half dozen sheep, and goats. An old decrepit camel that should have been set free a year ago, and a real pretty roan horse, that looked emaciated. There were baskets of salted meat, and a cask of date wine, and a small bag of coins. I drove that thief, who was still trying to breath properly, the goats, sheep, camel, and horse; the last two carrying the stolen goods, back to Abasi’s home.