As Doran and Cain tease each other, Squire Gilles becomes irritated by the unmoving black knight. Reaching under the wagon seat, he pulls free his longsword and shield, and begins to climb down.
Calimar turns to him and raises his hand. "Hold, I shall deal with him." Calimar moves his horse in front of the waiting knight. "I shall do battle with you, sir. Give me a moment to prepare myself."
Without looking at the mounted knight, the black warrior intones solemnly, "Agreed. Prepare yourself--perhaps for death."
Calimar nods and brings his mount back to the wagon, where he dismounts. Reaching into the back, he pulls out his chainmail and helm. With an audible groan, he puts the armor onto his savaged shoulders, dons his helm, and straps on his sword belt. Satisfied all is in order, he walks to confront his waiting adversary.
The two knights lock stares for what seems an eternity of seconds before they move. With incredible quickness, the dark knight brings the greatsword up, then down in a hammering overhand swing. Calimar's steel clears their scabbards quickly, and they catch the great blade overhead. Calimar frees his shortsword and swings under the knight's upraised arms. The knight slides his weapon off Calimar's longsword and jumps back from the low swing.
Calimar lunges at him with both blades and the knight catches them on his and holds them down. With Calimar almost directly behind him, the black knight drives his elbow back into Calimar's face. With his nose bleeding, Calimar stumbles back and raises his blades for defense as his head clears. The black knight pauses and stands waiting for the young knight to engage.
His head clearing, Calimar salutes his opponent with a sword flourish. Then both resume fighting stances. The black knight moves in, swinging his blade at chest level. Calimar steps aside and slams his sword's pommel against his opponent's armored head as he charges past. It seemingly does nothing and the knight catches Calimar with the flat of his blade across the back. Falling, Calimar makes desperation swing at the black knight's legs. The blow takes him down as well, and both hurry to raise themselves back to their feet.
Calimar is first to regain his feet, and he puts his longsword to the throat of the now-kneeling black knight. "Do you yield, sir?"
The black knight raises his helm to look at Calimar. "Never! The black knight cannot be defeated!"
The black armored warrior tries to rise and bring up his weapon. His hand forced, Calimar plunges his blade into the knight and its point bursts through the back of the black chain armor. Then suddenly, the armor falls as if empty and the helm falls to the ground with an empty clang. The pile of metal quickly begins to show corrosion, then rusts into dust in a matter of seconds. An unexpected breeze blows the brown-red remains away.
At the end of the bridge, a phantom knight appears...mist-like and unsubstantial. Without sound, he bows to Calimar and motions into the woods. From the trees, a large black war-horse with saddle and banded barding trots forth and rears in front of the valiant knight. Then, like its ghostly master, it bows and presents itself to Calimar.
Calimar takes the lead of the magnificent animal and looks to the ghostly knight. As before, they lock eyes for a time...as if something was passing between them. Then the ghostly knight raises his hand in farewell, then slowly fades from sight.
Calimar leads the heavy war-horse to the back of the wagon and tethers him there with the extra horses. Without saying anything, he remounts his normal riding horse and gallops across the bridge. Seeing you not moving, he stops and reels his mount about. Arching an eyebrow, he looks back to the group, "Well, are you coming or not?"
Castus shrugs and motions for the group to move forward. The rest of the day's travels is spent more silently than before. The ghostly vision and Calimar's new war-horse raises some off questions amongst the party members, but none are willing to question the stone-faced knight.
The day ends in one of the prepared campsites along the River Road. As before, everyone sets up camp as Folly and Lugnut prepare the evening meal from your stored victuals. Soon, everyone is ensconced about the campfire, their bellies full, as the darkness of night sets firmly in.
Castus comes from the wagon with Lugnut; both are carrying armloads of the things you have found in the past couple of days. In a moment, the burly monk and the scrawny kobold have lain out the assorted modern coin, the ring, the gold bracelets, the silver bars, the strange blade, Cain's captured armor and the greataxe, the cloak, the moon-shaped electrum belt buckle, the dryad's gems, a leather-bound thieves' kit, a silver capped drinking jack, the ornate blood-encrusted crucifix and the pouch of Imperial Acquila.
The monk gives
you all a mischievous grin. "I thought we'd spend the evening trying
to raise our spirits by taking a gander at what we have found. Any
objections?"
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