Yet again I’m hustling.

Part 1

As the fog descended across the frost bitten wood the man called McGaren began to fidget uncomfortably. Every sound became an enemy and every shadow a fiend. Carion watched the spys eyes darting left and right somewhat amused, but mostly annoyed. Carion was a man of few pleasures and a great deal of displeasures. But there was little he hated more than cowards, curs and spys. It was not a small number of times that Carion had wondered why there were so many words for men of the same sort. “Stop your fidgeting and start with the talking you bloody fool! I haven’t got all night, and this weather aches my bones.” McGaren gave a start at Carion’s rough raised voice, he had not expected the old horseman to speak so loud and freely in such a place. So many places for prying ears to hide. “I-, yes. My apologies. I was just trying to be certain that we are alone.” McGaren muttered timidly,”I have six very capable men stationed around us and I myself aided in securing the wood before you arrived spy. Do you doubt the prowess of me or my men?” “N-no sir Carion, I just, I’m not so used to such dealings as you are.” McGaren realized it was a poor choice of words the moment they left his lips. Carion cast himself down from his mount with astonishing speed and grace for a man of his youthful 57 and proceeded to grab McGaren by the scruff of his tunic and lift him off of the ground. McGaren’s eyes widened in fear as he realized just how massive the old knights arms and chest were underneath his armoured plate and woollen cloak. “You think me a coward boy?! You think that I have spent my last spent my last 43 years of service skulking around in the dark trading secrets for gold?!” The old knights face was red as a beet underneath his thick grey beard and wild matching hair. McGaren had been reduced to a trembling stutter as he forced himself to meet the eyes of the man who he thought very well might very well take his life in the next few moment. “N-n-n-n-no m-m-my lord I only meant that I am not so accustomed t-to such wooded talks. Un-n-n-unlike a ranger such as yourself. T-the woods are a f-f-fearsome place to one such as I mi lord.” Carion looked at the thin and handsome blonde he held suspended a few inches above the ground. He wanted nothing more than to crush the life out of this petulant scum, barely more than a pup and already a cowardice spy. But his better senses returned to him in a moment and he released the young man with a gruff grunt letting him fall upon his bottom on the cold hard ground.