Ambushed

Things somehow got worse.

"Now nothing funny hero..."

So they know who their attacking... that's not a good sign...

"Drop your weapon... Nice and slow now."

Instructions came, even before the carriage side made a scraping sound, as the beam was removed so the door could open.

Shizuka huddled against the front, peering out at the armed man, who pointed at least five swords right toward the only exit.

I should have known it... this was a total set-up...!

Tracey took a deep breath, looking at the shut thin door, and questioned if the provided vehicle was part of it all too, having only one small exit point.

She gently pushed on the handle and the wood door easily swung open, revealing the six men waiting - weapons in hand and pointing at her steadily.

Her hand let go of her trusty sword, which clattered to the carriage floor loudly, before any of them backed up a fraction, to let her step outside.

Taking in the scene; Tracey located Amanda - already subjected, her wrists were bound together before her, and another rope had been looped around her waist too, while two nearby men pointed daggers at her chest. The six men by the door still pointed their swords and spear Tracey's way, while one other held the two dark-brown animals that hauled them along.

"Step out here now... or your friend gets a little jab..."

The apparent leading man held Amanda's blue hair tightly with one hand, and motioned his pointy dagger at her body with the other, while grinning smugly at Tracey, who slowly complied.

"That's it... now come away from the carriage like a good girl..."

Tracey felt her anger rise, but they were staying fairly cautious, despite her being unarmed, but then Tracey could still do much more than the average Human, and these people were pretty average.

"You know who I am?"

Some of the surrounding men gave a chuckle.

"For sure... You're the guest of honour - we've been waiting for!"

Two of the nearest thugs put their weapons away, and then tightly grabbed an arm each, as Tracey stepped onto the bridge; still the centre of attention, then was made to stumble toward her captured colleague.

"We knew you'd be along."

All eyes were on her, and continued to be as she deliberately shuffled away from the transport, making sure to take as much focus away from the still unseen occupant left inside.

The other thinner one beside Amanda put down his weapon, thinking things were safely in hand, and quickly tied some more thin binding rope around Amanda's ankles, as Tracey noticed they hadn't even bothered to disarm her.

"I think you are all making a terrible mistake."

Tracey let them know, as they seemed to slightly relax, since she appeared to be subdued.

"But if you want me - let her go."

Tracey's eyes had followed the rope about Amanda's waist back to a heavy stone, tied up at the other end, perched on the short railing beside her, before seeing another one behind that first one.

"She'll be a little insurance - if you try anything."

The short haired guy still smirked, and Tracey could tell he was enjoying himself.

Just before Tracey had been shoved nearer, the unarmed man put a bag over Amanda's head, before he plucked her up and parked the woman onto the thin ledge. Amanda was left to slightly lean forward; very aware of her perilous position she was in now, as the rope tying man approached Tracey with more in hand.

"Why are you doing this?"

Tracey needed them more distracted for any sort of escape and save she'd attempt.

"I'll just say... that the generous Senator sends his regards..."

That no good... horrible imp...! I wonder why though...?

Tracey was well aware that her local Senator had something against her, and perhaps because she'd accomplished her set goal, or the way she had achieved so well had been some sort of trigger for him to take drastic action. Whittle had been fairly clear he didn't like her, for whatever reason, and apparently he'd organised this trap to finally be rid of her.

But hiring scoundrels to do one's dirty work was low, but then it also presented opportunity too.

"If its coin you're after... perhaps a Hero's reward could see you let us pass instead?"

Tracey tempted them, fully aware they carried no substantial amount on them, and she never intended to hand over anything to these thugs anyway, but it gave her an opening.

"Oh? How much?"

"Six hundred gold..."

Tracey pulled out a random fictional amount, and they all paused to look about at each other with greedy eyes.

"You have that with you?"

The dagger wielding one stepped away from Amanda, coming nearer to attempt a deal and was finally out of reach of his captive, and someone else knew that too.

Behind her, the unseen Fox suddenly leapt from the open and unwatched carriage door, hurtling herself into the three of the lingering thugs, and knocking them all off their feet, leaving them in disarray, and letting Tracey act too.

"Sorry, no-!"

Tracey took the welcome distraction and spun free of the holder's grips, as she instead grabbed the one nearest the side and kept spinning, throwing him off his feet and into the other previously holding man, and both fell off their feet.

It set of a small chain of reactions, as they rolled into the nearest large animal's legs, which stamped back and away, needing to be held tighter by the holder, and keeping him occupied, while making the man pointing the spear flinch away from the larger animals movement too.

The man with the rope stumbled backward, and reached for his already dissuaded blade, while the dagger wielding man froze with surprise behind him.

Tracey reached down and yanked out the short thick sword from the nearest downed men, before sending it spiralling toward the once smirking man - who reflexively threw himself to the side to avoid it, further away from the bound Amanda, who remained still.

Before rising back up again, she delivered two quick and effective blows to the sprawled out and disoriented shabby young men, making sure neither would be a problem in the near future.

Turning back, Tracey grabbed the near spear, and with a twist, she returned to a stand and yanked it free from the off guard man's grip, who also tumbled to the bridge. Twirling it about, she clocked the now frightened rope tying man, right in the middle of his body, sending him clattering to the stones as well.

The other, who'd just regained control of the horses, soon received the thrown butt of the long wooden handle straight to his head, dropping him in an instant.

I need to get to Amanda...!

Tracey went to save Amanda then, still in a dangerous spot, but before she could take her next quick step, the one who'd formally had the spear, upon falling down, he'd grabbed her white boot, but then got the other heel to his chin, with a harsh crack.

Shizuka had meanwhile taken care of nearly all her opponents too, and was in the process of bringing down the last of them, applying a chocking hold from behind, having dropped all the others already.

Freed to dart to her dear friend, Tracey hadn't closed the gap, as the lead man had managed to stubble back, and having lost his small blade, he spitefully shoved the large stone off the bridges side.

The heavy stone fell to the rushing water under the bridge, and connected to it by the short length of rope, Amanda was hurled backward off the ledge.

"No!"

Tracey's reached for her, any part of her, and fractionally missed grabbing her right foot.

"Amanda!"

Tracey skidded to a stop and lashed out at the previously smirking man, hard enough to send him hurtling away across the stone bridge they'd wanted to travel over, and reframed from making sure he, and any others, would be no further trouble - all her attention went for her incapacitated companion.

She leaned over the edge, just in time to see Amanda plop into the fairly rapidly moving water below and quickly disappear into the dark and splashing rapids.