The first steps.

[_Kynwric_]

Gabriel was hunched in a bush, he had his sword drawn and it was laid across his knees. He was waiting for the tell tale signs of a wagon. He knew it was coming, the servants of the man who had stolen his land, livestock and life had been a little too free with their tongues last night in the tavern and today they'd lose all the ill-gotten coin they were carrying. He glanced over to Julianna on the other side of the road, he knew she had her bow out and arrow nocked. He shot her a smile and then turned his gaze back to the road. He'd still be locked away in that accursed jail, or worse, had she not come to save him. And this was the best he could do for her, skulking about the woods trying to get a petty revenge on.... that man. Gabriel returned his eyes to his wife, she should be a mother by now, she should be tending to their house and well, here they were.

 

He was shaken from his thoughts by the feint creaking sounds coming from the road and his eyes flicked back to see the cart they had been waiting on trundling in their direction. He waited for the cart to be close before stepping out in front of it sword in hand. "Halt!" he said in a loud voice and grabbed the bridle of the horse.

[U4ea]

Julianne brushed her thumb through the fletching of an arrow as she waited for Gabrielle's cue. It reminded her a lot of the day she'd rescued him from those idiot guards that were transporting him for trial. It had been easy enough to break him free, though she'd been terribly glad her anger had proved the driving force behind that brash move. Without it, she'd never have gotten him free of that mess. She caught him looking at her and couldn't stop her smile in answer to it. There'd never been anyone else for her and, even now, she doubted she'd ever look at another man the way she looked at him. She'd have died happily that day, doing her best to free him. Not half bad for a cattleman's wife. She drove a few arrows into the dirt at her knee so they'd be close at hand when she needed them. It was a trick her father had taught her when her mother wasn't looking. Deer were really fast when they were running for their life and a hunter rarely had time to reach all the way to his back to get another.

 

She watched Gabriel step free of his cover and raised the bow to her cheek. This guard had driven their cattle to market, selling them and returning to Swandell with the coin they'd earned in doing it. She'd been in a bit of shock at the  price they'd charged, but just dropping the man's name had sold the livestock. She doubted they'd have ever raised the amount of money resting in the safe laying in that cart. Just in case she needed to be a little more annoyed at them...

 

The cart horse pulled up short, though it pawed at the air a minute before it settled. Gabriel had frightened him, appearing out of nowhere like that. Her eyes moved to the guard standing around the cart, their hands on their swords as they perceived the threat her husband posed to their cargo. She was glad she'd put a full handful of arrows in the dirt, since this cart was very heavily guarded. She couldn't quite hear what the man sitting on the cart was saying, so she focused on Gabriel's back, instead, watching his body poster out of her peripheral vision as she aimed the tip of the arrow at the nearest threat her husband.

 

~Julianne

[_Kynwric_]

Gabriel counted quickly, 4 guards and a driver. Well, he was never promised an easy life. He saw the first pair of guards jump off the back of the cart and shook his head, signaling to Julianne to fire at the lead man's feet. He heard the twang and the arrow hit dirt.

 

"I'd stop if I were you, that arrow could just as easily been through your neck." Gabriel said through gritted teeth. He saw both men stop and the other two turn to face him. He certainly hoped his bluff would work. "Drop your weapons or my friends will make this bad day even worse for you."

 

 

[U4ea]

Julianne saw Gabriel's signal and released the arrow, letting it bury it's head between the guard's feet directly in front of Gabriel. She saw the man's eyes widen, could see the whites of his eyes even from here. It gave her no small amount of satisfaction, but she didn't waste the time in nocking another arrow. She pulled it back to her cheek, waiting on another signal.

 

Apparently, one of the guards in the back didn't appreciate the lead man's hesitancy and made a move towards his sword. Julianne released the arrow without hesitating, sighting the hand and altering the pitch of the arrow before releasing it a breath later. Gabriel was far outnumbered down there, but she was nothing if not accurate with a bow. She smiled as the tip sank into the back of the guard's hand and nocked another, waiting on someone else to test her aim.

 

~Julianne

[_Kynwric_]

Gabriel just shook his head at the one man who now had an arrow through his hand. "I said, drop your weapons. Or you're day will be at least as bad as his." Giving a nod towards the howling man.

 

He noticed the reluctance, "What? Is Lord Swandell going to kill you for being robbed? That would just about live up to my expectations of him" The scorn Gabriel heaped upon the title of lord was heavy. He now gave he order once more, with a sharp bite of an order by one expecting to be obeyed. "Drop your weapons!"

 

At first he thought they wouldn't, but fortunately the leader lay his blade on the road and motioned for the remaining two to do the same. It was then the driver spoke up to the men, "His Lordship will have your hides for losing this!"

 

Gabriel turned his eyes to guards, "Now move... back down the road whence you came." And he turned his eyes to the driver as he saw the guards leaving. "As for you... you're going to take a message to His Lordship for me... get down from there."

[U4ea]

Juilanne rose slowly from her position. She kept her place well hidden and didn't give herself away, though she doubted anyone was paying her any attention. Gabriel was, by far, the bigger threat, at the moment. She smiled, watching the other guards flee back down the road. It seemed things were going well, but she doubted whether giving herself away before the driver had been sent on his way was a terribly good idea. Her arrow was still nocked and drawn, the fletching tickling her cheek as she waited for Gabriel to give her the signal to relax and come help him.

 

~Julianne

[_Kynwric_]

Gabriel watched as the driver began to climb down off the wagon, right up to the point that he heard a limb crack and his head turned to see what had caused the sound. His head whipped back around to see the driver lunging at him and tackling him to the ground. Gabriel dropped his sword as he landed heavily and the fist fight began in earnest then, with the pair of them rolling about in the dirt track of a road.

[U4ea]

Julianne saw the driver moving, but couldn't get a clear shot with Gabriel in the way. She snatched the arrows out of the ground and bolted out of the brush, sending a pair of arrows flying to the back of the car to make sure the other guards were well and truly gone. She paused, watching the men rolling back and forth in the dirt. She would never get a clear shot with her bow, so she snatched up Gabriel's sword, hung her bow over her shoulder and waited for her shot.

 

When the driver rolled on top of Gabriel, a blade glinting in the light, she made her move. She kicked his wrist, sending the little dagger flying off the side of the road, then swung her leg in an arch, catching the driver squarely in the nose. He let go of Gabriel to clutch the bleeding mass, leaning backwards but not moving off of Gabriel. It gave her the chance to level the sword at his heart. "I believe you're sitting on my husband," she said calmly, watching the expression in his eyes. She knew the minute he'd guessed she wasn't the weak woman he'd expected to go along with that voice, as his eyes widened. He didn't make a move to get up, however and she leaned on the sword a little. "What do you say, love? Kill him and send his body back with the horse or let him walk home, instead?"

 

~Julianne

[_Kynwric_]

Gabriel was rolling in the dirt struggling with the driver of the cart right up to the point the man had Gabriel laying on his back and suddenly the fight in the man stopped. Gabriel vaguely heard his wife's voice and finally turned his head and saw her with her sword pressed to the driver's heart. the man's nose was bleeding and he was gasping both for air and in pain. Gabriel pushed the man off him and over into the dirt of the road as Julianne asked her question of him, "He's gonna take a message t' himself for me. So he's walking home. But without these," And Gabriel divested the man of all weapons, armor and valuables and boots. "As for the message... I think my wife already delivered it."