"Let's break bread together." Lawrence rolled out a large round table from the storage pen while Horo busied setting up places with stools, wooden bowls and clay mugs. There was freshly baked bread studded with dried berries and wild nuts, a hearty stew of hare, potatoes and onions, and frothy dark beer to wash the food down with.<br/><br/>Lawrence rambled on about the bandits and Horo interrupted at times, and more than once the conversation derailed to some light-hearted bickering over some quarrel or other between the happily married couple, but in the end between the two of them the Olegs provided a pretty complete picture of the bandit situation.<br/><br/>The bandits' first visit was 3 months ago. They demanded all the furs and trade goods that the Olegs had accumulated from hunters and trappers in the region, or else. There were a dozen of them. The obvious leader was a tribal woman, darker-skinned than the rest with her body painted or tattooed, as cruel as she was beautiful. (Oleg remembered that she was scantily clad with large breasts, which earned him a light slap from Horo.) The apparent second-in-command tried to pull off a mysterious stranger look but in actuality ended up looking like a scrawny coward wearing a hooded cloak too large for him. The others were thugs and deferred to the two leaders. They had bows and swords.<br/><br/>Since then, the bandits had returned just after sunrise on the first day of each month (meaning that they were expected to arrive tomorrow morning) to collect whatever the Olegs had managed to save up. There was now almost nothing remaining for them to carry away, and Lawrence didn't quite voice it out explicitly but it was obvious that he was worried about what the bandits might do to Horo once there was nothing left for them to steal. The bandits rode in on horses, loaded up as much as their mounts could carry, and departed via a southwesterly direction each time. On the second and third visit, only the hooded man accompanied the bandits and with fewer men each time, first six then only four others. They might be getting overconfident - or simply aware that there will be less and less for them to rob. Still, they always outnumbered the Olegs each time, keeping an overwhelming advantage even if Lawrence was a fighting man (which he was not, Horo was quick to point out).<br/><br/>Ever since the first visit Lawrence had sent letters asking for help, and each time Restov had promised to send guards, but so far none had arrived. In fact this was the first time anyone who looked remotely capable of handling themselves had stopped by the trading post, and they were the Oleg's first and last hope.<br/><br/>"And of course you are welcome to rest in the guest house," Horo added.<br/><br/>"Normally I charge by the night-" Lawrence began.<br/><br/>"-but friends stay free," Horo finished firmly.