Free Wielder's Awakening by T.B. Christensen

something Mr. Sottle was saying.  They were no longer discussing boring subjects but were talking about the bandits.
    “I can’t say how many there are out there, but there are definitely enough to slow down trade.  Baron Gregor has been sending out troops to clean them up, but only a few lone thieves have been found.  If you ask me, I don’t think that the problem is just a bunch of groups of ragtag bandits.  I think it is an organized group of them.  The group can’t be too large though or they would be easier for the baron’s troops to find.  Then again, there has to be quite a few together, because they’ve overpowered a merchant train that had over twenty guards, and they also overpowered a small detachment of soldiers that went out scouting at night.  I haven’t seen it this bad in a long time.  It probably has something to do with the army that’s supposedly being raised in Balthus.  Bandits are beginning to think that just because the Empress of Balthus is allowing an army to be raised, that the High King, may he live long and prosper, will let them do that here.  The royal army of Kalia is bulking up just in case there are any problems.  Baron Gregor has sent to Calyn for some troops to help his own soldiers stop anything here before it gets out of hand.  Hopefully things will be back to normal in a couple of weeks.”
    “I hope so too.  What’s the world coming to when you can’t travel safely without a stinking army to protect you,” Hank spat.  “Bandits or not, I’m still going to head home tomorrow.  I’m not going to sit around in the city for weeks waiting for Baron Gregor to get the troops he needs to clear out the bandits.”
    “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it too much.  If you guys made it here without any problems I think that you can make it back safely.  If I were you, I would leave tomorrow as soon as the gates open up and get as far away from the city as you can before stopping for the night.  Most of the attacks have occurred north and west of the city.  With luck you won’t run into any bandits, and even if they see you, you won’t have anything of value to entice an attack.”
    “Yeah, let’s hope so.  As for the price of sheepskin, I wouldn’t mind if they stay the same.  If they do, I’ll be able to . . .”
    Traven quit listening again.  Bandits everywhere!  That sounded more like adventure than sleeping in the rain.  Too bad they weren’t attacked by some on the way to Kavar.  He would have taken his hunting knife and, and . . . well he would have done something.  He paused in thought.  Maybe it was better that they hadn’t run into any bandits.  He was not sure how good his hunting knife would have been against a group of thieves.  What he needed was a sword.  Yeah, he definitely needed to get a sword.  With a sword he would be able to fight against the bandits.  If they came upon him, he would unsheathe his sword and put an end to those foolish bandits who tried to attack him.  He would slice and dice and . . .
    “Helloooo in there.”  Traven jerked out of his thoughts and noticed that all three of the men were staring at him.  It was John who had addressed him.  “Are you just going to sit there all night staring off into space with that stupid grin on your face?  I don’t know about you, but I’m tired and want to get to an inn so I can get some real sleep before I leave in the morning.”
    “Sorry,” Traven said as he jumped out of his seat and followed them back down the stairs.  The wagon was already unloaded even though he had never seen the workers in the warehouse who had unloaded it.  The workers must have done it while they were upstairs talking.  Hank took the gold coins that Mr. Sottle handed him for the sheepskins and put them in a large leather pouch at his belt.
    “I don’t care how safe it’s supposed to be in the city.  I never let my gold out of sight.  You remember that Traven and you’ll never get