It was unlikely that the sergeant had ever heard of Petrus Bodkin. If he had, then he may have chosen a more sensible course of action.

The reeve wasn't wearing a sword; the only weapon was his staff and the sergeant incorrectly surmised that the man before him used the staff only as a walking aid and therefore didn't pose a threat.

Before the sergeant could react, the staff spun upwards in a blur and connected with the elbow of his arm that wielded the ...