Inside of a small tent, four people sat together on the wooden chairs. They all looked pretty ugly.

  One of them, a man named Rodrick, leader of the Rodrick Bandits, took a look at one of the men in the bck robes and said.

  “It supposed to be easy ambush...”

  "But they have a mage in their group. I saw it with my eyes...”

  “He burned one of my men...”

  The man in bck robes, one of the necromancers, shook his head and looked at Rodrick and said.

  “That was unexpected for us too.”

  The woman in the bck robes added to it too.

  “The mages are rare.”

  “We have pretty bad luck to encounter one of them in this caravan.”

  Rodrick felt anger boiling inside of him.

  As a proud nord, he doesn't like mages and does not trust mages. They have their words and spells but nothing important to tell him.

  “In the end, I lost three men, and the Legion Bandits lost four men while he did not even get one of them!"

  “All of these events and ambushes are your pn. It just does not make any sense to attack such a big group.”

  While he said this, a bald man wearing old legion armor spoke.

  “I do not like Rodrick and even feel disgusted to agree with him...."

  "But he tells the truth."

  “If you have a pn, tell us so.”

  “If not, I expect some funds for the men I lost...”

  Rodrick looked at the legion bandits' leader, Ernast, and then nodded.

  They had their problems and were never on good terms, but they shared their opposition against the mages. Especially Necromancers, more than their hatred for each other.

  At least if they don't like each other, they can fight it out and kill each other. These mages, these necromancers, were even lower than themselves.

  The bck-robed necromancer man and woman looked at each other, and then the man said.

  “We will pn and decide something.”

  “For the time being, we keep following them.”

  “As long as they do not have that mage, they will have no capability to fight against us.”

  Rodrick added.

  “Even if they do not have magic. They have at least twenty to thirty experienced guards and more than fifty able-bodied men that know how to use an arrow or swing an axe.”

  “My men are only forty people after I lost four of them, and Legion Bandits only have thirty...”

  “You guys are not interested to fight. I see...” he looked down on the two necromancers as he said.

  The woman necromancer smiled.

  “We have some way to increase the people that fight with us.”

  “Next time we attack, we will take care of them.”

  -

  The carriages continued on the road as the people covered themselves with thick cloaks inside of the carriages.

  The wind howled, and the cold air hit the wooden wagon walls of the carriages. The morning was greater than the night, but it was still cold.

  Meanwhile, Marcus kept his eyes closed and waited for the time to pass.

  As he opened his eyes, he noticed Hadser was looking at him. With some interest in his eyes.

  As their eyes connected, he spoke.

  “Mister Marcus...”

  “Sorry for bothering you. May I ask something?"

  Marcus nodded and let the boy speak.

  “I heard that people in the camp were saying that you were a mage and used fire to kill one of the bandits...”

  “Is it true?"

  Marcus smiled and said nothing.

  While Arges spoke.

  “Hadser, do not ask pointless questions!"

  Hadser looked at his father. He wanted to say something back, but when he noticed the look and seriousness in the eyes of his father, he shut his mouth and said no word.

  Marcus, on the other hand, nodded.

  “So, they know and it is already accepted that I am a mage.”

  While Marcus thought about these things, the time passed.

  After about one day, another small break was taken.

  The people kept on talking at these small breaks, and more and more people started distancing themselves from Marcus.

  He noticed the behavior but said nothing.

  At the campfire, while he sat alone. Maxfer and Onei come to his side; behind them, several men are following them with some distance.

  Marcus looked at both men and then waited for them to speak.

  Maxfer took a deep breath and said.

  “Mister Marcus, I am sorry to say that we are no longer able to provide you our services.”

  “People already decided that you should not be here and not travel with them anymore. Due to your identity as a mage."

  Maxfer shook his head and took one look at the crowd who were watching them and then said.

  “They believe you have something to do with the bandit attack. You bring some bad luck and those types of things.”

  Marcus saw all of these things and understood that the people are really not that bright. Especially considering the fact that they were just people of middle-age-level technology.

  Onei added.

  “We know that you have nothing to do with these bandits and pose no threat.”

  "But a hundred people want you to go.”

  Marcus nodded and then asked.

  “I would like my coins back, and also I need a map. A horse would be great too.”

  Maxfer was taken aback and looked at Onei.

  He did not want to be on the bad side of an unknown mage, but also giving him the coins back and a horse is something not that profitable.

  A great horse would cost about ten to twenty septims easily. Also, the payment of fifteen septims they have taken given back.

  Just forcing this man to leave will cost them thirty gold septims.

  Marcus looked at the eyes of Maxfer and Onei.

  “I am not the kind to hold grudges. But I don't like being offended.”

  “If you decide that you are not going to pay me back, then..."

  “I will just go but not forget that.”

  Onei thought for a moment and then again shared a look with Maxfer and his men.

  "Okay," said Maxfer and gave fifteen septims and prepared a horse for him, also a map.

  Ten minutes ter, Maxfer and Onei came to his side and said.

  “We are sorry that we have to let you go.”

  “We can only hope that you will not take this to your heart.”

  Marcus looked at them and spat on the ground as he left.

  He understood they do what they have to do, but he is not going to be okay with the fact that they are leaving him alone in the wilderness.

  As Marcus went on, Maxfer and Onei looked behind him as he rode the horse, and Maxfer asked.

  “What do you think?"

  Onei said.

  “It would be best if we never ever encounter him in the future. He may take revenge on us or at least create problems for us.”