148 The Ambush (1/2)
Henrik wasn't gone for very long. He was back inside a quarter of an hour, and gave Sven and Lasse a scare. He had chosen a different route on his way back, reentered the forest to the side, and crept around to approach them from behind. He said:
”Guys.”
Sven and Lasse whirled round, Lasse raising his bow.
”Relax, relax,” said Henrik.
”You're a fucking fool,” Lasse said, repaying the compliment Henrik had paid him earlier. ”I very nearly shot you.”
He would have said more, but Sven silenced him with a raised hand.
”Learn anything?” he asked Henrik.
”Yes. Those two guys on horses have come from another settlement.”
”We knew this much already,” Lasse said.
”Shut up,” Sven said to Lasse. He turned to Henrik.
”Go on,” he said.
”That settlement is about two hours on horseback from here.”
”How do you know that?”
”Because one of them said they must get going soon if they are to get home before sunset.”
”Anything else?”
”Yes. They wanted a quick fuck from the women. From the remarks they made I gathered there aren't many females in that settlement of theirs.”
”And?”
”The two women they wanted to fuck were willing, but the rest said no. One of the men in the group said they still had to cover a lot of ground today to make it home by sunset tomorrow.”
”Very good,” said Sven. ”Excellent. You did well, Henrik. Thank you.”
”They're already coming back,” said Lasse. He had been sulking after Sven had told him to shut up, and had resumed watching the action under the tree in the middle of the clearing.
Sven stood up - they'd all been crouching - and took a look, taking care to remain hidden behind the trunk of the tree. Lasse was right. The two horsemen had remounted their steeds, and as Sven watched they trotted away.
Sven narrowed his eyes: yes, a pair of sacks tied together bounced behind each horseman. They were carrying whatever goods they'd received back to their settlement. But he couldn't see the people that had brought them, and became anxious. Did they choose a different route? Then he saw their heads emerge into view and realized they'd been invisible because of a dip in the ground.
”Let's move back,” he told the others. ”They're all looking in this direction.”
Crouching, they ran fifty steps back into the forest. When they stopped, Sven said:
”We're going to ambush them by that cliff. They are taking the same route to walk back, and that will be the perfect spot.”
”It's three to six,” said Lasse.
”Scared?” said Henrik. Lasse reddened with anger.
”I don't like the idea of chasing any of them for the rest of the afternoon,” he snapped.
They half-ran, half-walked back to the cliff: Sven estimated the distance at six to seven hundred meters. He didn't have a lot of time to think of a plan, and still hadn't thought of anything good when they reached the cliff. But his problem was solved when he examined the site of the ambush.
The pathway ran right by the cliff, and there was a ragged drop on its other side, at least a full meter. The six people in the group would have to walk in a line, no more than two abreast. They'd have to stay that way for twenty-thirty steps.
He grinned and turned to face his men and said:
”They will pass through here in a line. You two will take them from the front. When they were going the other way, the men were in the lead, and they'll probably walk in the same formation. Whether they do or not, you two kill the two men right away. Then Lasse steps back with bow ready and shoots anyone trying to run. Henrik, you'll cover him. Don't kill any more of them unless someone's trying to escape, clear?”
”What about you?” asked Henrik.
”I'll take them from the back. I'll hide there.” Sven pointed at a large bush growing at the base of the cliff.
”They'll spot you,” said Lasse.
”No. There's a a hollow if the cliff right behind that bush. I'll be able to lay down.”
Henrik walked up to the bush and looked behind it. He turned round and looked at Sven and said:
”Let me do it.”
Sven hesitated. He preferred to be the one who would be acting alone. If the group tried to fight back they would rush him, not the two men in front. He was confident he could handle that. He wasn't confident Henrik could.
But Henrik really did have an amazing talent for merging into the background and becoming invisible. Sven said:
”Okay. Henrik, make sure the last one has passed by a few steps before you move. Don't get too close to them, kill only if someone attacks you or tries to run away.”
”I can take one down with my throwing ax,” said Henrik.
”Save it for anyone trying to escape. I and Lasse will take out the two men, and I'll also kill the nearest woman. The remaining three should be easy to deal with.”
”They'll run Henrik's way,” said Lasse.
”So? You get one, Henrik gets another, and there'll be just one left to chase, if she's still running. I think she won't. I think she'll freeze and shit herself with fear.”
”What if she doesn't?”
”Then we'll have to do a bit of running,” Sven said. ”I want at least one of those people taken alive. You understand? At least one. I prefer two or all three.”
”Three,” said Henrik. ”This way, everyone gets a cunt of his own.”