The campsite was a well-used one, that much was plain. A prime location by the side of the road, it would likely be in use every night. At mid-morning, however, Tiersu did not expect to see signs of a hasty departure - still less a recent one.
She stood up, brushing the dust from her knees, and looked around warily. A jug had been knocked over, spilling ale over part of the campsite, and preserving a clear footprint in the soil. It suggested that whoever had been here had not gone towards the road, and that they were human; most likely male by the size.
Tiersu wasn't a tracker. The rest of the assorted scuffs and prints would probably make sense to someone, but just looked like a mess to her untrained eye. It was significant though - when she left a camp she had made a habit of leaving it as she had found it, and most were neat, with the stones around the fire neat, and the ashes cleared or scattered somewhat. A stone here had been knocked from its place in the circle, and half-burned sticks still smoked.
This wasn't just recent; had she arrived a minute or so earlier she must surely have seen the camp's occupants leaving. She looked back at the road. The day was passing, and Lion's Arch wasn't getting any closer by her standing here nosing about. On the other hand, what had happened? Generally people didn't up sticks without a pressing reason, and those were rarely good. What if someone needed help?
Mind made up, Tiersu adjusted her bag, and set off in the general direction of the footprint. Not far from the site, the ground sloped up to a crest, and back down into woodland; she was blind and exposed all in one as she reached the hilltop. Ducking to a crouch as she made her way downhill, she heard the sound of water up ahead. A stream, it sounded like, running over pebbles. There wasn't much other noise.
She heard the clink of metal at the same time as she spotted the man, stood by a tree. He had his back to her, a pack at his feet, and was fumbling at his waist. He turned suddenly and looked at her, flushing scarlet a moment before she realised the truth of situation and followed suit.
"I...I..." she stuttered, looking away as he straightened his belt.
"Saw me dash off, eh?" he asked, apparently cheerful. "Yeah, I musta looked a fair old sight. All that ale caught up with me of a sudden."
Tiersu struggled to make her mouth work, or her legs, or something - anything - to get her away from the agonising shame of the situation.
"It's alright, girl. I can see you're a good sort. Concerned for old Adam were ya? Well, no harm's done.”
Tiersu looked up, to see a broad grin on Adam's face. "I'm that touched," he said, offering his hand to shake. She was about to step forward and take it when an arrow sprouted from his chest. He didn't move; just looked puzzled for a moment, mouth twitching slightly, then slumped to the floor.
She stood transfixed for several long seconds, her mouth agape, before reality finally sank in. He was dead? How could-? What had-?
A hand clapped itself around her mouth. Hot breath reeking of alcohol rushed past her ear, and another hand pinned her arms to her sides. Her staff fell to the floor with a gentle thud. Stubble grazed her cheek. Too shocked to resist, she was pulled behind a tree, in time to glimpse a sword-bearing centaur appear.
Her assailant cursed, breaking the spell that seemed to have fallen upon her. She squirmed, thrashing with her legs since her arms were pinned to her sides, and the man cursed again – louder - and let go. There was only the briefest time to marvel at the ease of her escape; a moment later the centaur attacked, making straight for the man while Tiersu ducked down and scrambled for her staff. Grasping it, she whirled round in time to see the centaur run him through.
She retched this time, stomach heaving violently, but held her own and managed to fire a lightning bolt at the beast. It reared, and turned about, but got tangled on the branches of the tree nearest to it. She fired another bolt, which seared it on the rump, and it gave a screech of pain. Disentangling itself, it ran.
She darted over to the man it had attacked. Maybe he had just been trying to save her, and she had, indirectly at least, caused the centaur to find them. Crouching down she saw that he was alive, for now at least. The centaur had aimed high, and the blade seemed not to have penetrated his lung, instead taking him near the shoulder. He had a cloak beside him, which she reached out for, meaning to stem the bloodflow. As she leaned forwards, he grabbed her wrist with the arm on his good side.
"Came back for more, eh?" he rasped, leering at her. "I like a girl wiv spirit."
She tried to pull back, but his grasp was surprisingly strong. "Oh, I ain't lettin' go of you a second time," he said. "I'm not so badly done I can't control a filly like yourself." He tightened his grip, and raised his other hand to grab further up her arm.
Tiersu's blood ran cold. With her free hand, she grabbed at her staff, and swung it round. It hit him in the side, and he roared in pain, letting go. She fell backwards, and scrambled quickly to her feet, looking at him again as she backed away. There was a quiver on his back. She felt sick anew thinking of the innocent man he had killed.
The man – bandit, she realised at last – struggled to his feet. He had to have been hampered by his shoulder wound, but didn't seem to regard it as serious. He leered again, and took a step forward.
"I'm not such an easy target," she said, stuttering. "L-leave me alone...I mean it!" She pointed her staff at him. "I'll do it! Don't make me hurt you!"
He grinned, and let out a snort of laughter. "You ain't hurting no one, girly. I know your type. Now you just come along nicely." He reached into his belt and pulled out a knife. "No one else has to get hurt today."
She fired a jet of water at him; her warning shot. He roared in anger and threw the dagger, which missed her by scant inches. Reflexes took over, and she shot him with a sustained blast of lighting. He had life enough for one more cry of pain, and then collapsed in a heap of seared flesh.
A moment later Tiersu collapsed too, bringing up her entire breakfast. She had killed a man. Her second day on the road, and she had both seen death and been its instrument.
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