I’m a Ranger, you’re a Ranger, let’s a Ranger night together!

Mendez inspects the bodies of the dead women with a grimness quite unlike him.
He’d encountered two of these women just a few days earlier. He’d shared wine and laughter with them.
Fair enough for them to rebuff his advances, but to shoot him in the back!
Bodush and Chen had obviously disapproved of him killing the survivor, but evil doesn’t deserve second chances.
Moving over to the still smoking carriage of Lady Benidicta, Mendez checks on the Lady herself. She is unharmed and Mendez waits until she recovers from her faint.
As she comes to, Mendez straightens his shoulders and pastes the smile back on his face.
“Be calm Lady Benidicta. I am here and you are safe. Your carriage is a bit singed but still roadworthy.
Skilled Bandits used magical blasts to unnerve the horses and then attacked us with crossbow bolts from the cover of the trees. I regained control of your carriage while the others quickly found and killed the ambushers.
I’m sad to tell you though, that one of your personal guards was killed.
We should be arriving in Gom Dalat before nightfall.”
Mendez kisses Lady Benidicta’s hand and departs.
As soon as he’s out of sight, the smile drops from his face. Mendez sighs. Lady Benidicta may be unpleasant but everyone deserves a little kindness.
What’s disturbing is the way he’s finding it more and more difficult to keep his ‘mask’ on.