"Who are you?" I demanded, trying to sound braver than I felt.
My pulse quickened as I stared at our pegasi, which were standing a few feet away from us, along with our supplies and Morgana's gifts. My bow and arrows were close by, almost within reach of my right foot.
The figure stepped out from the shadows, revealing a male fae who looked like he had seen too many battles. The wings at his back were crooked and torn, unfit for flying. He wore tattered clothes and his face was covered in a network of scars. There was something dangerous about him; something feral.
"State your intentions!" Mordred added, his voice firm and steady.
The fae sneered, his eyes glinting maliciously in the firelight. "You'll find out soon enough," he hissed, taking a menacing step closer.
His sword was dripping blood, which meant he had spilt it recently and I just hoped Lancelot was not this fae's victim. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, and I knew I had to act. In one swift movement, I lunged for my bow and notched an arrow, aiming it at the approaching fae.
"Stay back!" I warned, feeling the heat of the fire on my back as I held my ground.
Mordred moved at my side, his sword drawn, ready to protect us both. But the fae simply laughed with an eerie screeching sound and kept advancing towards us. All of a sudden, he shouted something in a fae dialect. Before I could make sense of it, I realised what was happening.
The fae bandit was joined by several more of his kind, emerging from the shadows of the trees with predatory grace. It soon became apparent that Mordred and I were surrounded by a group of bandit faes – their rugged appearances and weapons held at the ready a clear indication of their intentions. The tension in the air was palpable as they prepared to attack.
Many fae warriors and civilians had escaped slavery under King Arthur's rule, finding refuge in forests and caves. These desperate souls had turned to stealing from travellers as a means of survival, forced into a life of crime by dire circumstances.
"Please, there is no need for violence," I said, lowering my bow, attempting to calm the situation. However, my words fell on deaf ears as the bandits continued to brandish their weapons menacingly.
"Oi, look what we've got 'ere," one of the fae leered, eyeing me with a lascivious grin. "She'd fetch a pretty penny as a slave."
Well, there were some assholes between fae kind too.
"Don't you dare to touch her!" Mordred retorted, stepping protectively in front of me. "This lady is Princess Guinevere of Avalon! You should be bowing your heads before her."
The bandits roared with laughter, clearly not believing our claim. Their mirth only served to further fuel their aggression, and it seemed that our efforts to avoid bloodshed would be in vain.
"Please, listen to us," I implored, attempting once more to reason with the bandits. But my words were met with snarls and sneers as they charged towards us.
"Stay close to me," Mordred said, wielding his sword with an air of determination.
"Please..." I begged, grabbing his arm. "Try not to kill them... They're just foolish and desperate."
Mordred looked at me in disbelief, but finally he conceded to my request.
Together, we faced the onslaught of attackers. Mordred's swordsmanship was a sight to behold; his blade danced through the air like a whirlwind, fending off the ferocious faes, knocking them with the edge of his sword without wounding them. As for myself, using the arrows would be too deadly, so I called upon my fae magic, throwing bursts of energy at our assailants, aiming to disarm them without causing serious harm. The clash of swords and the sizzle of my spells echoed through the forest, a cacophony of violence that was both thrilling and terrifying.
Despite our valiant efforts, however, it soon became apparent that we couldn't defeat them without killing them, as we were vastly outnumbered. With each passing moment, our strength waned, and soon found ourselves completely surrounded and disarmed, unable to resist as they bound our wrists with tight ropes.
"Gotcha now, 'princess'," leered the bandit who had grabbed me, his eyes raking over my body with a predatory hunger.
"Let her go!" Mordred demanded, struggling against the strong arms that held him down.
"Or what? You'll kill us?" one of the faes jeered. "You're in no position to make threats."
"The only reason I don't kill you is because she asked me not to..." Mordred said, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Kidnap the woman and sell her as a slave," a fae interrupted, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. "She will sell well as a companion slave for one of the whorehouses."
"Release me at once!" I snapped, my cheeks flushing with anger and embarrassment. "I am Princess Guinevere of Avalon!"
"Ha! You expect us to believe that?" the bandit holding me scoffed. "You're just a pretty toy we can sell for a hefty sum. Count yourself lucky if we don't decide to use you as our own fuck toy first."
"Leave her alone!" Mordred shouted, only to be brutally knocked down by one of the fae.
My heart sank as I watched Mordred lying on the ground, beaten and powerless. I had been foolish to think I could take on these bandits without hurting them. They didn't deserve my pity. If only I had agreed to kill them rather than trying to reason with them, we wouldn't be in this mess now. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at Mordred's battered body, knowing that now it was up to me to get us both out of this situation alive.