Outlaws of Norville

By Threetoe

In the slum outside Norville, the peasants struggled under oppression. They paid taxes to the local lord, taxes to the bandits, and taxes to the king. Wilkson was on the cusp of starvation. When two of the bandits approached on horseback Wilkson grabbed up a scythe and charged at them, hacking wildly. He severed a bandits foot. The man cried out and slipped from his horse. The other bandit fled. Wilkson hacked the other bandit to pieces and grabbed his sword. A crowd of peasants stared at him.

"You have killed us." said Wilkson's father.

"Fear not father. I will finish what I started."

Wilkson brought the horse to a blacksmith and traded it for three more swords. He distributed the weapons to his childhood friends and they made their way into the woods. That night they reached the bandit camp.

The bandits were gathered around their campfire. They were the scum of the earth. Lazy bullies whose only advantage over the helpless peasants were their horses and swords. Wilkson and his friends untied the bandits horses' and set them running into the woods. The bandits cried and started after them. Wilkson and his men charged into the crowd, hacking and slashing. By the time they were surrounded Wilkson's band had killed five men.

The leader of the bandits approached him. He agreed to spare Wilkson if he and his men would join the bandits. He also agreed to spare the peasants from taxation. For the next few weeks Wilkson and the bandits ambushed merchants traveling on the road to Norville. Wilkson sent his share of the loot back to his father.

The peasants were grateful until the governor of Norville caught wind of the bandits connection to the peasants. Soon random peasants were being executed as bandits. The peasants that had flocked to the bandit camp to be recruited were now deserting by the dozens. Wilkson recruited the toughest of his fellow peasants and made their way back into the town. When the sheriff and his men emerged from the gate to round up some more peasants, Wilkson's men charged them. It was a hard fight, only the Sheriff, Wilkson, and two of his bandits remained whole. But not for long. Wilkson cut off the Sheriff's ears and nose and sent him back into the city.

The governor raised a huge army to hunt down the bandits. Squads of ten men each searched the slum, burning a home here and there. The leader of the bandits fled leaving Wilkson in charge. The bandits struck at the guards here and there. Every bandit killed was replaced with five angry peasants.

Word reached the camp that Wilkson's father had been arrested and taken into the city. Wilkson recruited two of his men and, dressed as guards, entered the city. The city square was filled with howling citizens. Kill the traitor! Wilkson's father stood on a platform. The executioner stood over him, axe in hand. The sheriff stood at the front of the platform, face covered in blood soaked bandages. He listed the offenses and lifted his hand, ready to give the order. Wilkson fired a bolt into the Sheriff's chest. The executioner was brought low by a volley from the other two bandits. Wilkson's father escaped in the confusion. Wilkson found him and they escaped the city. The governor closed the city gates. They would not be opened until the king's troops arrived. Wilkson feared what the king's army would do to his people, but Norville was not safe for him and his family any longer. He bid his men goodbye and he and his family fled across the border to the Hattiland, where they retired, wealthy on the loot he had pillaged.