"No, sir. Not at all. Two muttons, two sausage and noodle, four ales and keep em full."

Basden smiled. "Exactly."

"It shan't be more than a few minutes, sirs. I'll be right back."

Kev walked back to the kitchen to prepare the food.

After a few minutes in the kitchen, Kev brought out the four plates. He laid them down on the table in front of the four men. "Hey, you gave him my plate," yelled one of the men.

"Oh, so sorry," said Kev as he moved the plates to the right men. "I'll be right back with your ales."

"Should have brought them first," said Basden.

At this, Wilson stood up and walked over to Basden. "Why don't you take yourself and your friends and get out of here. You aren't wanted."

Basden ignored him. He looked at Kev. "Is this true, Kev? Am I not wanted here?" Basden asked him.

Kev squirmed a bit under the pressure. He shook his head. "I'm not answering that again. I'll be right back with your ales, good sirs." He walked over to the bar and poured four ales. Bringing them back to the table, he set them down in front of each man. "That will be one silver six copper each." He said.

Basden looked up from his noodles. "I'm thinking that we might need to close this establishment down. There are quite possible several tax violations on the property."

"That's not right," shouted Wilson.

Kev looked at him pleadingly. "Wil, you go sit down with Dev and your lady friend."

Wilson nodded. He turned around and began to walk back to the table.

"Now, sirs. A man..." began Kev.

"Look at the soldier boy. He's running away," said Basden to his three friends. Heavy laughter followed.

Wilson turned back around. Without saying anything, he walked up to Basden and sucker punched him right in the nose. Basden's eyes crossed and his head sagged backwards. The weight of his body tipped the chair he was sitting in and he fell to the ground with a crash. The three men scrambled to stand up at this unexpected attack. Wilson swung his left hook and took the one on his right out with a heavy blow to his temple. He went straight down.

The second and third men got free of the table. The taller one, opposite where Wilson was, reached forward and flung the table up on its edge. Standing behind it, he then managed to draw steel. So did the other man. Wilson slowly drew his own sword from the scabbard on his side. Dark black, the blade seemed to swallow light. Both men stared at the blade. Wilson lifted it into the classic first defensive position.

He stretched his left hand out, palm up to the ceiling and quickly curled his fingers in a beckoning motion. "Who first?" he asked.

"You are going to pay dearly for this," yelled the shorter of the two.

"Perhaps," said Wilson, "but so will you." He smiled at the two men. The taller one backed out of the tavern and quick footsteps could be heard running down the cobbles.

"Ah," said Wilson, "apparently you shall be first." With this, he lunged forward and stabbed at the man. The man parried him and stepped out from behind the table. After a flurry of strokes where neither man gained an advantage, Wilson feinted left and then slashed back across the man's face. He scored a serious blow across the chest of his opponent. The man put his left hand on the deep wound and fell to his knees. "I hope you rot with the Eighth," he whispered as he slowly slumped to the ground. His eyes rolled back and he stopped breathing with a shudder. Just then, the big man returned with more than a dozen guards. They slowly fanned out into the room.

"You've killed him," shouted the big man.

"Perhaps, but you drew first," answered Wilson.

And with that, the beating began. Wilson didn't put up a fight because he knew he was hopelessly outnumbered.

The Black Oak Sword

Chapter 1: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Chapter 2: Part 1 , Part 2
Chapter 3: Part 1 , Part 2,Part 3
Chapter 4:Part 1,Part 2
Chapter 5: Part 1
Chapter 6: Part 1, Part 2
Chapter 7: Part 1, Part 2
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14:Part 1
Chapter 14:Part 2
Chapter 15:Part 1
Chapter 15:Part 2
Chapter 16:Part 1
Chapter 16:Part 2
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19:Part 1
Chapter 19:Part 2
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22:Part 1

© 2017, Stone Golem Publishing, All rights reserved--no part of this may be used without express written consent.

**All pictures used are labeled for reuse. They come from Pixabay

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