BONE SHEARS

Grace Francis

as the meal carried forward, listened as the apple pie was taken from the oven.

“Thank you.” Vanya seemed to melt into her chair, tired, weary.

“No, thank you, for everything.” The Coanian rose up and took their dishes to the wash basin, and began to clean up before heading to the front door.

“I’m glad I got to meet you, Coanian.”

“Likewise.” He gave her a smile before placing his fist in an open palm, and bowed to his host. “Thank you, Vanya, and may the sky bring you rain, and the ground yield you abundance.”

The Coanian turned to part ways with his host, when a thunderous roar rose from the ground.

The Coanian’s hand went to his sword, ready to draw. “Those bandits are back again.”

“Go back inside, please.” The Coanian stepped out into the main road, the dust cloud of the approaching horses lit by the full moons.

The five horses and their riders stopped just short of the Coanian. “And who might you be?” Their leader barked.

“The man who is going to ask you to turn back the way you came. There’s no profit in attacking this town tonight.”

The leaders gave a cackle, the raucous noise reverberating off the earthen mounds that made up the town. “Or what, you’ll kill us?” He waited for an answer. “Tear him to ribbons.”

Two out of the five stepped off their mounts and approached the Coanian, blades drawn.

“I wouldn’t do that,” He warned.

One approached, and in one fell swoop, the Coanian drew his two blades, one curved sword, and one crescent-shaped knife, and one man was already on the ground. He turned his head to the other man, and stepped towards him.

“Hey, Olim. Olim, get up.”

The Coanian figured that ‘Olim’ was the man lying in the street. He wouldn’t be getting up.

The other man turned and ran, screaming back to his horse, and rode away.

“Oh, damn it,” the leader cursed as he and the other two approached the Wanderer.

“I ask that we take this outside the town.” The Coanian’s eyes bored into the leader.

“Sorry, bud.” He drew his weapon, a set of short swords, and the Coanian couldn’t help but notice the large pieces of turquoise in the guard of each blade. “We finish this now.”

The other two drew their blades, and all encircled the Coanian.

“We don’t have to do this. Please, let’s take this outside of the town.”