Paper! Paperboy!

The next day, as the carriage creaked along a quiet forest path, Willem leaned out the window, squinting at the horizon.

"You know," he said, pulling back in, "it's awfully quiet out here. Too quiet."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "You sound like an old knight in a bad tavern tale."

"Yeah, well, I read a lot of headlines," Willem shot back. "And quiet usually means trouble."

As if on cue, a loud shout echoed through the trees.

"Halt!"

Willem blinked. "Called it."

The carriage came to a jerky stop, and Willem and Elizabeth scrambled to the window. A scruffy-looking man in a patched-up cloak was standing in the middle of the road, waving a rusty sword. Behind him, two more bandits emerged from the bushes, each holding what could generously be called weapons—a stick and a particularly angry-looking chicken.

Elizabeth frowned. "Is that... is that a chicken?"

"I think it's their muscle," Willem said, squinting.

The lead bandit stepped forward, puffing out his chest. "Hand over your valuables!" he bellowed.

Elizabeth crossed her arms. "Do you have any idea who you're robbing?"

The bandit blinked, clearly thrown off by her tone. "Uh... no?"

"I'm Lady Elizabeth Bellmore," she declared, her voice full of authority. "And this is my scribe." She gestured at Willem, who gave the bandit an awkward little wave.

The bandit frowned. "Bellmore... Bellmore..." He scratched his head. "Are you the ones with the fancy cheese?"

Elizabeth gawked. "What? No! My father is a Grand Collar Knight!"

The bandit's eyes widened. "Oh. That sounds important."

"It is important," Elizabeth snapped.

The second bandit, the one holding the chicken, leaned over. "Do knights eat fancy cheese?"

"Focus!" the leader barked, waving his sword.

Willem leaned toward Elizabeth, whispering, "I think we've stumbled on the least intimidating bandits in history."

"Still bandits," Elizabeth whispered back. "What's your plan, oh clever scribe?"

"My plan?" Willem hissed. "You're the noble genius here!"

The bandit leader pointed his sword at them again. "Last warning! Give us your gold, or else!"

Willem straightened up, raising his hands. "All right, all right! No need to get stabby."

He stepped out of the carriage, keeping his hands up. "Look, we're just a humble scribe and a slightly bossy noble—"

"Slightly?" Elizabeth interjected from the window.

"—and we don't have much on us," Willem continued, ignoring her. "But if you let us go, I'll personally write you a glowing review in tomorrow's paper. 'Bandits of the Forest: Terrifying Yet Surprisingly Polite.' Sound good?"

The bandit leader blinked. "Are you... mocking us?"

"Not at all," Willem said quickly. "I'm just saying, reputation matters. And right now, your brand could use a little work."

"Brand?"

"Yes!" Willem said, warming to the idea. "Take the chicken, for example. It's memorable. Unique. But maybe swap the stick for, I don't know, an actual weapon? Just a thought."

The bandits exchanged confused looks.

"Why are you helping them?" Elizabeth hissed from the carriage.

"Buying time," Willem whispered back.

Just then, Elizabeth huffed and climbed out of the carriage herself. "Enough of this nonsense."

The bandits looked surprised as she marched up to them, hands on her hips.

"What's your problem, lady?" the leader asked, raising his sword.

Elizabeth didn't flinch. "You're embarrassing yourselves. My father would laugh you out of the forest if he saw this sorry excuse for a robbery."

The bandits shifted uncomfortably. Even the chicken seemed less aggressive.

"Now," Elizabeth continued, "you're going to step aside and let us pass, or I'll make sure the entire capital hears about how you were bested by a girl and her scribe ."

"Hey!" Willem protested. "I'm more than a scribe. I'm... well, actually, that's fair."

The bandits hesitated, clearly unsure what to do. Finally, the leader sighed. "This isn't worth the trouble. Let's go."

The other bandits nodded, and the group slunk back into the forest, chicken and all.

Willem stared after them, his mouth hanging open. "Did you just... out-stubborn bandits?"

Elizabeth smirked. "Told you I wouldn't do well in a cage."

Willem shook his head, grinning. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"You're already on it, paperboy," she teased, climbing back into the carriage.

Willem followed, still chuckling. "Well, that was exciting. Think we'll run into anything scarier than chicken-wielding bandits on this trip?"

Elizabeth leaned back in her seat, smiling. "If we do, I'm sure you'll talk them to death."