Meanwhile...
Audhilde was panting heavily as she ran after her horse, Prudence, and desperately called out to her, "Wait. You stupid... horse!"
Prudence came to a abrupt stop, and Audhilde nearly ran into her. Audhilde caught her breath as she leaned against Prudence's saddle, readying in position to mount.
There was the sound of a heavy foot on dry leaves and a looming, wispy shadow hovered across the forest floor.
In a snap Audhilde drew an arrow and launched it at the shadow's chest, striking the figure between the ribs.
Roland was not happy about the arrow in his gut but it didn't pierce far enough to barb him, so he simply pulled it out and dropped it.
"Oops," said Audhilde.
The dark must have fooled my eyes, she rationalized,
this old man is an inch shorter than myself. "Why didn't you hail me, old man? I could've hurt..."
If I was given a cheap trinket for every time I've had this conversation. Roland's thoughts were a bit heated given the circumstances.
"Wait." Audhilde noticed this stranger was tanned by the sun and wore a leather justacorp over his otherwise bare chest; he was even without boots. "Are you with the pirates attacking the fighting circuit?"
Roland did not know how to answer that question if he could. He had seen the pillar of smoke rising in the night sky and, soon afterward, noticed the disappearance of his employer.
"Answer me!" Audhilde commanded as her hand shot like a bolt to her quiver.
Roland did not like the idea of getting stuck with another arrow, and rushed to grab the woman's shortbow. He succeeded in snatching the bow from Audhilde's grip only to recieve three blows to the nose.
"You better stand down now," she said, bouncing on her heels. "I once killed a moose with eighty-seven punches, and I doubt you are half as sturdy."
You are half right, young lady. Roland's face and vision flushed red.
A moose and myself are on whole different tiers of dangerous.
