Vaida's Harem

Epilogue


Everybody knew that Sacae was but a minor nation, little more than a few plains and some tribes riding around everywhere. As such it had come as a bit of a shock to young Jacob, firstborn son of Count Ergas of Etruria, that after wandering the country for weeks with his two bodyguards he still hadn't found what he was looking for.

Then one day after what seemed like hours of fruitless searching, he looked up after a shadow briefly blotted out the sun.

"Is that a pegasus?" he said, staring with squinted eyes up at the air. "Don't tell me we have ventured into Ilia."

"I doubt it, my Lord," said Arthur, the knight who had proposed this little venture in the first place, "After all, we're not trudging through snow, are we?"

"It's not the right season for snow," said Bergan, the most humourless of the trio.

Arthur sighed. "What I meant to say was, it could very well be that this pegasus knight belongs to the company we seek."

"We shall find out soon then," said Jacob, "She's coming right for us."

The pegasus landed carefully in front of them. The pleasant-looking young woman with short blue hair that rode the animal smiled at them. "Good afternoon. Just passing through, are you?"

Bergan bristled. "This is the heir to the Duchy of Ergas," he snapped. "Show some respect."

"Really?" said the pegasus knight. "Well, if we were in Etruria I might have, but this is Sacae."

"Don't you have any respect for the nobility?" Bergan demanded.

"Only if they've earned it," the pegasus knight said. "But look, let's not stand and argue here all day. Why are you here?"

"We... we are looking for a group of mercenaries lead by a woman named Vaida," Jacob said.

The pegasus knight smiled. "Do you now? You know we don't come cheap, right?"

"Ah, you are part of her group, then?"

"That should be obvious, shouldn't it?" the pegasus knight said.

"Now listen here..." Bergan began.

"Bergan, please, now is not the time," Jacob said. "I... I don't have too much gold, truth be told."

The pegasus knight whistled between her teeth. "Could be a problem. What do you need us for?"

"My father's duchy has seen some bandit activity lately. Unfortunately, his own knights are needed for... very important... uhm... business... at the capital."

"Well, we've got a lot of experience with bandit hunting," the pegasus knight said. "You wouldn't believe how many idiots thought a group of women would make an easy target for some quick raiding and slaving. So, because your dad's way more interested in his own standing at the Etrurian court, he's neglecting his duties and now you want to hire our fabled little band to come in and clean up the mess he's supposed to deal with. That about it?"

"That's about the gist of it," Arthur said.

"Arthur, you should not speak of our lord such," Bergan said.

"Why not? It's true," Arthur said.

"Well gentlemen, I think Vaida's mercenaries are open for business. So I guess I'll take you to her to work out the details. Before we go, though, a couple of things you need to know."

"Such as?" Jacob asked.

"Don't stare. It's not polite. Don't make any remarks. About anything. We're not in the mercenary business for the money, but because fighting bandits is a pretty noble thing on its own. So if we don't like your attitude, we will kick you out. Just a friendly warning. This way."

The pegasus knight turned and headed off without taking to the skies again. Arthur nudged his horse on until he drew level with her.

"May I ask you something? I've heard quite a few rumours about your group."

"And most of them are probably true," the pegasus knight said. "Especially the really outrageous ones."

"So it is true that there are several Etrurian noblewomen out here with you living a nomad's life?"

"I'm not gonna answer that. Let's just say that we're not really concerned with who we were and are far more interested in who we are."

"And who are you?" Arthur asked.

The pegasus knight grinned. "One big happy family," she said.