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struggling figures ahead of them. Because the plains offered less cover than the forest did, they often had
to walk until well after the sun was up before finding a place to settle for the day. Owl and Yozerf were
playing a game that consisted of tossing a stone back and forth as they walked, while at the same time
moving farther and farther apart, so Gless was actually the first to spot the trouble. He drew to a sudden
halt, his staff clutched in one hand and his eyes shaded with the other.
"Ahead, he called grimly.
Yozerf caught the stone and held it as he peered in the direction Gless indicated. A slight fold of the land
had hidden the other group, and he saw with some dread that they were not very far off. His eyes picked
out a donkey hitched to a small cart, a few meager possessions packed into the open bed. Several
children were trying to hide behind the cart, while in front of it a man and a woman struggled with four
large, scruffy-looking men.
"Bandits, he said grimly.
Gless's face paled, but his mouth hardened with determination. Let's go."
Startled, Yozerf glanced at him, about to ask if he were going to be so foolhardy as to suggest they get
involved. But then his eyes were drawn reluctantly back to the scene: the frightened faces of the children,
the man being shoved to the ground by his attackers, the woman trying to bite the dirty hands covering
her mouth.
Damn it to Hel.
"Hide, he snapped at Owl, then broke into a run. Gless came after him, moving as quickly as he could.
The bandits looked up at the sound of their approach, and Yozerf again cursed the openness of the
plains. With a yell of fury, he pulled his sword from its sheath, praying that the display would cause at
least some of the bandits to rethink their attack.
Unfortunately, they were confident, stupid, or desperate. Two of them left off beating the man and closed
with Yozerf, who quickly found himself fighting for his life. A moment later, Gless's staff connected solidly
with the head of one, the iron globe on the end crunching into bone with terrible force. The brutal death
distracted the other bandit, and Yozerf dispatched him with a quick blow to the throat.
Taking advantage of the sudden reduction in the number of bandits, the beaten man had surged to his feet
and managed to get in a solid blow with his fist, sending his attacker reeling. The last bandit let go of the
woman and started to run to his friend's aid. The woman reached into the cart, came up with an iron
skillet, and hurled it after him with surprising accuracy. He staggered, went down ... and did not come
back up.
The last remaining bandit scrambled to his feet and ran. Yozerf let him go, deciding that it was not worth
the energy to give chase. Turning away, he found himself facing the little group they had just rescued.
The children flocked around their mother's skirts, alternately crying with fear and jabbering with
excitement. Although young, the woman had a look of fury and determination on her face that Yozerf
privately thought would be enough to quail many a warrior. She draped her arms around her children, but
her eyes didn't leave the faces of her rescuers, and Yozerf realized that she had to be wondering if her
family had just traded one set of bandits for another.
The man looked the worse for wear; one eye was swelling shut, and blood dribbled down from a nasty
cut on his chin. Like the woman, he was painfully young. Light brown hair blew around his shoulders, and
the one eye that Yozerf could see was also brown. Moving stiffly, he came to stand before them, not
incidentally placing himself between them and his family.
"Thank you, he said warily.
At that moment, Yozerf heard the sound of feet on the grass behind them. Owl rushed up, out of breath
and with her eyes shining. Papa! That was great! You're the best fighter ever!"
Both the man and woman relaxed at the sight of Owl, as if her presence somehow proved that Yozerf
and Gless were trustworthy. But when she dashed up to Yozerf instead of Gless and locked her arms
around his waist, all the while gleefully recounting the battle as if they might have somehow missed it, their
looks turned to curiosity.
"My name is Yozerf. This is my daughter, Owl, and my friend Gless, Yozerf said, wondering as he did
so just how hostile their reaction would be.
"Oh. The man scratched his head, looking vaguely puzzled. Name's Tan. That's my wife, Morwen, and
Davyyd, Nest, and Brinya."
Morwen approached, the children clustering behind her as she walked. Thank you both, she said
sincerely. If you hadn't come along, I don't know what we would have done."
Gless smiled charmingly. Think nothing of it, he said airily, as if they did nothing but go about rescuing
people all day.
"There must be some way we can repay you, Tan said awkwardly.
Yozerf looked pointedly at the donkey and cart. You need all that you have, I am sure. As Gless said,
think no more on it."
Gathering up Owl, he started off.
"Wait a minute! Tan called after them. They stopped, and he hurried up, casting frequent glances back
at his wife. That is, where are you going?"
"Shalai, Yozerf replied guardedly, wondering what the man could want.
Tan bobbed his head nervously. Well, ah, we don't really have anywhere to go. We used to have a
farm, you know, just a small thing, until it was seized by the king."
Gless's face paled. Seized by the king? he echoed, outraged. Whatever for?"
Tan's mouth flattened into a harsh line. Food for the soldiers, they said. We told them we would give
them whatever they wanted, just leave us the farm, but they wouldn't listen. Morwen managed to
convince them to let us take the donkey, the cart, and a few other things, but that was it. Everything else
... the farm I got from my father ... all gone in less than a day."
The smoldering anger within Tan would be a terrible thing if it ever burst into full flame, Yozerf thought.
The new king's rule has not been easy on any of us, he said.
"What I mean is that we have nowhere to go. Shalai sounds like a good destination, though. If we travel
together, we have a better chance against bandits. Although he seemed reluctant to admit that he
couldn't protect his family by himself, the pleading in Tan's eyes was unmistakable.
Yozerf glanced at Gless, wondering what the human would say. But Gless just held up his hands, as if
pushing Yozerf's query away. Don't look at me you're the leader of this little expedition."
I am? Startled, Yozerf hesitated a moment before answering. Very well, then. We will travel together
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