In the end, the choice was clear. I would be expected on the road, for obvious reasons. Perhaps I could use that.

I tried to turn Gern toward the city, and he went readily enough. At least until I led him to a stretch of rock beyond the beach and slid down onto it with my belongings. He stared t me balefully.

"This is where you and I part ways, beast," I told him, and pointed. "That direction. Go."

Gern showed his teeth and waited.

"Now is not the time for this. Your master wished you to protect me, and this is the way to achieve that. Now go."

I stepped back out of range and slapped him on his rump. He snorted and took flight, heading in the proper direction; the noise seemed that of several horses his size. I rapidly picked my away across the stones, back to the beach and into the stream.

With good fortune, the riders would not realize Gern was alone until miles away, and I would be free to rejoin my companions.

A dead branch from the treeline beyond the beach was the perfect tool to erase my wet prints from the sand. It was far from ideal, but it should hold to casual inspection, if the riders came downstream this far.

I was not quite finished when the sounds of pursuit sent me scuttling into the treeline. It grew close and then further away; it seems I needn't have worried after all.

I crept into the gloom, my largest knife in hand; I held no illusions about my ability to protect myself, but I refused to simply surrender if found. The forest was silent, and this far from the site of the attack such silence was not natural.

I strained, but could hear nothing save the wind and myself. Would that I knew how to float. As it was, my only choice was to crackle along as silent as possible. I was certain I made no more noise than a rampaging Draffitz.

The commune with nature was silent and overall, dreadfully boring. I pondered rejoining the road for the sake of speed, but banished the thought. After all, I was as likely to find my pursuit as my party.

But if memory served, this side of the forest was the origin of our ambush, so I must needs be most careful, even if it were unlikely the attackers were still lingering there. Unless I was much mistaken in their goal.

The trees seemed to sway in a breeze only they felt.

A time later my fortunes changed; I found a diffyr trail aimed the proper direction and was able to abandon stealth for speed. The ability for a peasant to run pell-mell in a forest was a useful skill in our village for a host of reasons. Those among us accounted the best at the skill could do it with little noise, given a trail.

I halted when I heard voices,

"Come on, you black bastards! I'll feed your livers to the crows!" A pained voice I recognized.

From just to my front came a voice I did not recognize. One which was much closer to a whisper than a shout.

"He's still bleeding out; another hour is all he has left to yell, I reckon."

Another voice, this one a whisper ny ears strained to gather. "Shut up, you imbesel. All we need to do is pin them down, which we cannot do if you give our position away. Or how many we are."

This was punctuated by the sound of a longbow loosing an arrow.

The pained shout came instantly. "You missed, whoreson!"

The shouting masked any sounds of my approach.

The armed men were down to pair, it seemed. Both in black, their faces hidden behind veils. Both were close, facing the road, and had bows of unfamiliar construction. There were many arrows between them, and both were loosing at targets I was unable to see at a great speed. To give the illusion of more archers, I supposed.

They certainly weren't wasting any time aiming, a tactic I was grateful for.

Now, how could I do that which I must do? My only weapon was my knife, and it was more suited for carving wood than flesh. What could one such as I do? I had no warrior's training.

I had a spare shirt, and the veils they used gave me a plan.

I timed my movement to the shouts, and took note of them; Eadric knew slurs which would cause a wagoner to blush. While I crept, I removed my shirt and knotted it.

When the far right bowman stood to release, I was ready. His veil was sheer, my shirt was not, and knotted as it was, it went around his entire head easily. I drew it tight, and almost fell as he flailed with a yell. I could ill afford the loss of seconds.

"Vill, help! I can't see!"

The other bowman was already turning, I dashed, but his rough hand closed around my arm like a trap and I was pulled from my feet. His other hand went to his knife, steel much larger than my own, and I thrashed.

"Mar, I got..."

Mar didn't hesitate to hear what Vil had, instead stabbing his own knife at the source of the noise. I was that source, however Vil was between the two of us. Blood flowed from the man's mouth as Mar tore the dagger from his back. He managed to free his face from my shirt in the same moment. Vil's grip relaxed, and I wasted no more time.

"Vil...?"

Mar managed that much before an arrow took him in the throat.

I stumbled out to the road; Eadric was under cover behind a tree, covered in blood with an arrow in his shoulder. He held his sword ready in his left, but lowered it when our eyes met.

"Lady Kath? What are you doing here?"

I rushed to him. There had to be more hidden men than those two. I took note of Halith, a wound in his side, turning to face the other side of the forest with an arrow already set to his bow's string.

"Gern was good enough to draw off my pursuers with a little convincing, and so I was able to circle around."

Eadric stumbled and fell upon his back. "Well, that was quite foolhardy, as decisions go. Gern is quick as the wind, and you could have made the city easily."

At least half the party was here upon the road, in various stages of injury - and death. There were no further arrows falling among us however, though all were taking cover behind regrettably dead horses or shields. I did not need to worry about suddenly sporting such an accessory; if any of our attackers remained, I would be recognized.

"And then what?" I asked him. "No, do not move, you are injured. How would I explain who I am, and my purpose alone, before being taken?"

"No, leave the arrow in, Lady Kath. Simply bandage around it. Quickly now, I believe Halith also needs such attention. And I must admit you raise a valid concern."

"It seems as if everyone might need attention of a sort." I scoffed. It wasn't as if anyone else would be overlooked should they break cover.

I did not see Count Warren, nor the Countess, and my inner tally revealed a hand of men also missing.

"Where is the Count and Countess?"

Eadric raised his arm and pointed forward. "They broke the seige and went looking for you. Our friends out there also split, some before to chase you, and some after to harry them. Do not worry, Sorceress or not, the Countess will not be easily beaten."

I missed a crucial piece of the riddle earlier, it seemed. "The enemy had a sorceress?"

"Aye, she attacked after you we saw you safely away. It was her who overcame Halith there. Speaking of, if you can you should see to him."

I knotted my bandage. "I shall now, you rest here and keep your eyes on the trees. Shout vulgarities should you see the enemy."

Eadric winced. "You heard that, did you?"

"The many curses masked my approach."

"There is no need to inform the gentry of such, should you wish to tell the tale of your harrowing escape - is there?"

His pleading tone gave me pause. I was unsure how to answer, and so did not.

Halith was well beyond my meager bandage talents, lying at pained ease in the middle of the road, his guts beginning to spill from his trunk. I gave up the last of my now mutilated shirt to the cause; The man watched me work in silence, his eyes sharp and fingers clenched around his creaking bow.

One of the Count's soldiers stood, shield at the ready. "I think they're gone. Even wounded as we are, they can't leave cover to come at us, and their main group won't know Lady Kath is here unless they send a messenger. They wouldn't have enough to stand against us."

No arrow came for him, so perhaps he was right.

Slowly, others rose up and started tending to each other, even as a man I distantly knew to be Halith's own gently moved me aside in order to tend his lord in silence.

The soldiers all knew more of medicine than I, so I mad myself useful collecting weapons and other belongings.

"So, now what do we do? We have men too wounded to move, most of our horses are dead, and we need to reunite with the Countess. Any ideas?" One said; he had the mark of an officer on his shoulder, and other turned when he spoke.

"We could set one of our signals." One man said while bandaging his friend.

Fighting was bound to make one thirsty. I began with my own skin, and offered it to Eadric. He lifted enough to drink from it greedily, spilling much of it on himself.

"That signal will bring the others back as well; should the risk be taken?"

"The alternative is to wait for their messengers to inform them of Lady Kath's return."

"Which would bring only enemies on our heads. Fine, set the signal if you have it."

"Draz had it, Jenly, and he's dead. But I have his bag." The man held a bag up.

"And since the signal didn't go off, it's still intact enough to use," The newly named Jenly added. "Go to it, then."

"Yes, sir." The first man drawled, and dumped the bag upon the roadside. From the belongings he drew a sphere, much like the one given my and in my possession, but instead holding the yellow and red of fire within.

This, he turned and threw; there was indeed fire trapped within, and it flew into the sky as a streak of light, one that was not swift to die.

"The rest of you, barricades! We must make we're prepared, iffin the wrong friends come back."

Boxes, bags, and even corpses were soon being lifted.

A quick shake and I was back to my own self appointed task.Many of the things done, I had not the skills for. But giving water was something anyone could do.

Conrad as among those wounded, his weaker arm hanging limp with an arrow hole through it; someone had already tended and bandaged it. His eyes were glazed but he responded, so after I saw to his thirst, I moved on.

I soon finished, as most of those able tended their own needs. "Does anyone need assistance?"

"No, Lady Kath. Please see to your own safety." was my response, murmured from many mouths.

Jenly did not look to me directly. "Dirst, Crox, Sirus. Shields on, and take points around the lady. Let no arrow or sorcery through, on your life."

I was swiftly surrounded by the three men, one of whom had been the one to shatter the fire orb; it was good to put a name to the face. All three men were very large and undoubtedly strong.

I felt uneasy. Was my life worth so much?

"Should we not instead do something else?" Another man I did not know asked, as he bandaged a leg. "If we dressed Lady Kath as one of us, would not our enemies hesitate to ttck us from a distance as before? Up close, we could smash them."

Such a thing might work. I would be willing.

Jenly turned red and stomped to the man. "We will not do that. It would endanger Lady Kath's life, and far better we all die. Remember your honor, Forens."

Jenly turned back to the other men, his voice still soft. "All who are fit, take what bows we have and hide yourselves among the treeline. Should another ambush like the first be tried I want the enemy to run directly into death. If you see them, remember your signal arrows."

Seven men grabbed bow and quiver; I watched them vanish into the tree line. We would be less easy a mark than we appeared, if all went well.

From farther up the road there came a distant sound; I knew not what it was. The closest I could come was a mudslide or tree collapse, but it was far too distant for that.

"What was that noise?"

"A sorceress casting a spell of massive destruction. That or two sorceresses fighting." Dirst informed me, his words clipped and eyes alert.

"The enemy had a sorceress of their own?" Was the Countess able to overcome another? Was a duel among sorceresses normal? None of those around me seemed surprised to hear such news. Perhaps the calling was not as rare as I had thought.

There was another noise, similar to the first. I could also detect smoke rising in the distance, as from bonfires.

The tense wait was not a long one.

"Truce, truce, tis us, good men of Hastalan! The Countess rides behind, stay your hands!"

The man riding at a gallop was another I recognized, one of Halith's men. He pulled up with clear surprise.

"Huh. I expected to be full of shafts by now."

"The archer's have been settled," Jenly explained.

"So I see," The man replied. I remembered him now, Virn. His eyes met mine. "I see our prodigal returned to the fold. I would pay to hear that tale."

"Oh Virn? What it worth to you, perchance? I know the tale entire." Eadric admitted with an easy if pained grin.

"A silver, should the tale be good. But that is to be settled later." The others were drawing up, the Count in the lead.

I gathered my courage. "And what of the other sorceress?"

The Countess heard, and answered. "Dealt with. There will be no further attacks. How is Halith?"

Eadric approached, his face grave. "He took another wound after you too up pursuit. He is... not well."

"I see." The Countess dismounted without haste. I shall see what I may do. Please excuse me, Count."

I thought it best not to intrude, even in the face of my many questions. My shields had moved away slightly, but were still wary, and their shields were still raised. They must be heavy, yet there were no complaints.

The Count dismounted heavily and led his fearsome beast to us. "Lady Kath, good to see you looking well. I feared the worst."

Best to get this done. "Eadric's quick thinking saved me from the worst, I think. I know I should not have, but I came back to return the debt."

The Count laughed; it felt out of place, for all it seemed from the heart. "Aye, and that should be an interesting tale to tell, if dangerous. You should not have risked yourself, as you no doubt know."

I nodded.

The Count winked and whispered loudly, "But I'd have done the same. Now, if you'll excuse me my course language, I have my men to see to."

I nodded again. He knew his work better than I.

"Alright you maggots! Get up and get to work! I want this mess cleaned up and all of you on the move inside the hour! There is no rescue but ourselves. You four, build litters. And build them right this time, with the proper lead! You and you, gather all animals capable of burdens, and ready them for the wounded. Here is your first."

He handed the reins to his own horse off to poleaxed soldier and strode past, giving more orders. Conrad bobbled in his wake, driftwood on a river.

One of the men near me whispered, "So glad I'm on protection duty now."

The man to my other side snorted laughter. "You said it; even better that our shield arms are well developed. I might actually thank our man-at-arms for the drills."

The third shuddered. "Don't ever do that. he will become difficult to reason with."

"A reasoned argument." The first admitted.

"Is there ought I can do to help?"

"You could offer water to the wounded again. The Count has just sent a few men to gather some from the stream, but you could help them when they return."

It was obvious that assisting in the gathering efforts itself was dangerous, even with an escort, and indeed that none here would allow such. Truly, it was not a risk I'd prefer to take, but seeing all this suffering and doing nothing was taxing.

"Alright. Please excuse me."

I moved around Crox; he rushed to catch up.

Countess Phine's eyes were wet, but she had a smile for Halith as he weakly gripped her hand.

"How are you, my lord?"

"I have been better, I surmise. I am assured we need fear no further attack. How are you, Lady Kath? Well I hope?"

"I am well thanks to you. Your arrow was well timed."

He smiled. "Ah, both bragging of me in front of the Countess; and getting me an earful of the Countess. You had best watch this one, Phine, she is crafty."

The Countess barked a laugh. "You fool, you deserve every word, both harsh and praising. Rest now, and when you wake we shall be at the capital.

Halith gave a pained grimace. "You'll get no argument from me. Work your magic, then."

The Countess gently stroked her fingers over Halith's eyes; when she removed them he was asleep.

I found my courage again. In truth, this might require more courage than my mid-day attack. "How is he, really?"

The Countess lost one of the tears she had saved; my own eyes yearned to do the same.

"He might live. I do not know, I can only put him in a sleep where he feels no pain. It is in the hands of the Gods, now. But I do not fancy his odds."

She smiled, a brightness at odds with the rest of her. "He has annoyed quite a few, after all."

"He did save my life." It was important she knew.

The Countess nodded, and stroked Halith's cheek. "Of course he did; he is a good man."

We stayed there for a time, as the camp was dismantled from around us. In time those sent for water returned, and I moved to help. The man in charge of the effort passed over four skins silently.

By the time we were finished, the wounded were being loaded upon their horses and litters and all traces of our activity here had been removed.

Eadric settled in beside me, the pain a map upon him. My current guardians let him pass and settled around to include us both.

"Safest place in the entire caravan."

"I am sorry. Perhaps I should have tried to take Gern with me after all."

Eadric shrugged with one shoulder. "You could not have foreseen this, and your thought was good one. I doubt you'd have escaped in the fashion you did with Gern behind you, in the forest."

He pointed down at himself. "My legs do still work, after all. Some rest in a temple, being attended to by concerned priestesses, and I'll be right as rain."

"Eadric, stop corrupting the innocent, will you?" Crox turned to me. "Pay no attention to this fool."

I tried to control myself; this was no time for the infusion of heat. "We had best start; are you three now tasked to me?"

Sirus nodded, already facing outward. "We shall keep pace with you; it will ease concerns in certain minds."

"Do not be concerned. Eadric has not been replaced, as yet. Only reinforced," Dirst added.

Eadric grinned sunnily. "That's right. No need to worry, your new shields do not mind your status."

Such was not really my concern, but their words showed me that my real concerns were also not a concern of theirs.

With little choice, we walked. Eadric seemed well enough at first, but he soon started struggling. He was not alone in that, the pace set was not a slow one even for a whole man.

I could not see our archers, but I was certain they were keeping pace. Perhaps even scouting ahead to ensure against future attacks; such an act seemed very dangerous to me.

"How many do you think attacked us, Eadric?"

"No more than two dozen," He grunted out in reply.

So few? The Count's troops had them outnumbered then, or had. "How many perished in the assault?"

"Few in the initial attack, but the Count was able to catch the group upon the road, and with the help of the Countess he destroyed them almost entire."

"And the other sorceress?" When had he the moment to hear this news, when I had not?

"Escaped, but not unscathed. It is unlikely she will return in time to harass us. Unlikely, but not unthinkable, which explains the Count's precautions."

"I see."

By the time the Count called a halt for a rest, Eadric was leaning on Sirus when he thought I wasn't looking to keep pace. In return, I acted the fool.

A short rest, some quickly shared trail foods and water, and some care with the horses remaining us, and we set off again. The sun set while we were still upon the road, but we did not tarry long; the Count ordered torches to be cut and for us to continue.

"We must continue, for the sake of our comrades. We must make the shelter of the city by tonight!"

The Countess was silent and did not stray from her horse's side. The horse Halith's litter was tied to.

We continued long past the moon rise. The moon hung high and large in the sky when we chanced upon the gate of our next stop - Foxworth.