Joe Hanbro, curious about the woman who briefly graced his arms, saunters toward River Brue. A flash of red, like a cardinal in spring, catches his eye. He ducks behind a boulder. 
Einar staggers against the rock. "What the -"
Steel flashes.
She reaches out. "How do you know my name is Alice?" "Woman! Are you all right?"
"Alice?" (We'll leave it there...)
|
"That looks like the one they call Red Raven. Some kind of outlaw. Holy-moly, those guys carry swords!"
"Dad-gumm! She carries a sword, too!"
"And those white... Oh man, they've got AJ! - And it looks like they're headed for Estes Plaza - Yeh-bo, if I hurry ..."
At a side entrance to Estes Plaza, Lieutenant Joe Hanbro, 45th Infantry Brigade, US Army, challenges, "You there! Release the prisoner!"
The Skowegian draws his sword. "In your face, Pretty Boy!"
In less than a minute, Joe brushes Einar aside. Then takes on Raven. Using less than perfect fencing style, he seizes her sword wrist.
She falls back against her cantle. He presses toward Genovo, the one holding Alice Joy.
Coward that he is wearing the heart-of-darkness cape, Genovo bugs off.
"Alice, you okay?"
Color rises in her cheek. "Of course I'm fine - always go riding draped over my horse like a sack of potatoes." Her arm curls behind his neck. "Thanks, by the way. I think you can put me down, now."
