Trusting Dust

Chapter 4

       

The four men began to close in when one of them shouted out an order. He continued walking forward while the others stopped. Connor launched himself at the leader, and a grin appeared on the leader's face. At the last second Connor slid under the man, turned, and kicked him to the ground. Another man charged at him with a knife in hand. Connor moved quickly, dodging the man's strikes. Yet another man began to sneak towards him. He ducked and swept his leg around knocking the third man down to the ground. As he stood up and whipped around to face the man with a knife again, the knife made contact with his arm, leaving a deep slice there. Connor kicked the man away and stood, holding his wound, as he stared down the last man. The last man walked toward him with an evil glint in his eyes.

***

Connor looked at his arm and noticed that it was once again bleeding, most likely due to the small scrimmage in the carriage. The princess was staring at it also. "You got lucky," She stated. Connor nodded, "I know." It got quiet for a little bit, and then the princess spoke, "You know there is something I don't understand about you." Connor gave her a curious glance. "You, in the time that we have been with these men, have fought them four times, including when we were first kidnapped. You and I both know you could have gotten away by now, but instead something is holding you back. It's as if you are trying to get me out also. Doesn't that go against your survival way of life?" Connor thought about this for a second. It was a question he kept asking himself.

***

The man kept walking closer to him. At the last second the man swung at Connor. Connor ducked and pushed the man away, but the man grabbed Connor's wounded arm as he fell back bringing Connor to the ground alongside him. Within seconds two of the men had grabbed Connor and held him as the leader paced in front of them and another watched from a distance. The leader smirked as he walked in front of Connor, "You think you are tough boy?" To punctuate his sentence he delivered a punch to Connor's gut. Connor coughed as the wind was knocked out of him. The leader reeled back for another hit when he heard a clang and a girl shout "Leave him alone!" When he turned around, he smiled as he looked at the princess holding a pot. He couldn't believe his luck. Connor shouted for the princess to run, but it was too late, the captors had their prisoners.

***

Connor had thought about Avalyn's question, and finally found his answer. "There are eight roles in the kingdom: unsavables, beggars, thieves, robbers, bandits, working men, nobility, and royalty."

The princess had a curious look on her face, "What's the difference between thieves, robbers, and bandits?"

Connor sighed as he thought of his answer. "The difference is motive and manner of stealing. Thieves steal because they have to. It is their means of survival. If they didn't depend on stealing for their food and clothing, then they wouldn't be stealing from anyone. They make sure, though, that no one gets hurt in the process." The princess sat still waiting for more information. "Robbers also steal from people for survival but also out of greed. These are the thieves that are usually caught and arrested because they tried to steal too much. They live with greed and can't stop stealing." He paused for a moment, "And then there are bandits. Bandits are messed up evil people who will do anything, even kill to get what they want. They live through greed as robbers, but also through revenge. They steal, kill, and destroy to accomplish their 'mission', or to obtain their prize. You never want to cross paths with a bandit."

The princess looked at him inquisitively, "Have you ever crossed paths with one?" Connor shook his head, "Only once, and it didn't end well."

***

The two of them settled into silence. The princess then remembered something he had said, "Who are the unsavables?"

Connor answered immediately, " Unsavables are people that have no chance at surviving. Some thieves steal a little extra to try and help out the unsavables. Some call these thieves heroes, or just people who take the time to care, but in the end, No one can give enough to the unsavables to actually save them. Hence the name."

The princess and pondered the information for a little while. She then turned to Connor, "You are a thief correct?" He nodded his head. "You are also one of the heroes, of the unsavables?"

"Why would you think that?"

The princess answered, "You said it yourself, You take the time to care. Why else would you still be in here rather than free?"

It was true. He was one of the so called heroes. But in his opinion, he didn't feel like he was a hero, since no matter what he did the unsavables couldn't be saved.

"Why do you still try to save them if you know you won't be able to save them?"

Connor answered almost immediately, "If everyone gave up because the chances of success were very slim, we wouldn't exist. We live by taking risks. We achieve by facing the impossible and making it the possible. We have hope, courage, and faith for a reason, and it is not to give up if something seems too difficult." Connor ended on that, and the princess became aware of a different idealism. One that she would take to heart.