stringy--well, you had been in prison for a while."
"Ram!"
"But you always looked beautiful to me." He put his arm around her. "May I?"
he asked.
She nodded, wondering what he was going to do.
He leant forward and sniffed. "Not a hint of brimstone. Just mud and horses."
"What!"
"But I like horses."
"Ram, if you were thinking of making more attempts at winning my affections, I don't think this
is the recommended practice in any part of the known world."
"So I still have a chance?" He pulled her snugly against him so she fitted in the crook of his arm.
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"Not like this you won't. And don't forget, we are supposed to be brother and sister."
"Ah yes." He dropped his arm. "What a shame."
Tashi shared a bed that night with Yelena. They locked themselves in a little room at the top of
the inn, leaving the men sleeping in a dormitory on the floor below. "The house is packed with
soldiers," Yelena said as she brushed Tashi's coppery hair for her. "Most are on their way north.
It seems that Fergox is strengthening the garrisons on the road to protect his convoys."
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"Yes, that's what I would do in his position," murmured Tashi as she took the brush and returned the favor for Yelena, sweeping the girl's long dark hair into a plait for the night.
Yelena yawned. "Looking at you, I forget that when you say these things, you actually do have
men and navies and things to order. You look no older than my little sister. How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"Then you're younger than she is! I find it incredible."
Tashi climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. "So do I. Every day. But what I find
more incredible is that you can fight hand to hand like you do."
Yelena shrugged. "Takes practice, that's all."
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"Do you think you could show me?" Tashi asked tentatively. "I've been in quite a few situations recently where I could have used some clever moves."
"Yes, like in Felixholt." Yelena nodded sympathetically.
"Actually, I was thinking about when Merl trapped me in the stables."
"Oh, I see." Yelena hid her amusement. "In that case, we'll start tomorrow as soon as we're clear of here. I think I'll enjoy that--my first pupil and she's a princess."
"Goat-girl turned princess," Tashi amended. "That sounds a bit less exalted."
Yelena poked her in the ribs. "Don't spoil it. I want my friends to be jealous."
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Chapter 14
Early the next morning, the travellers arrived at the crossing point into Kandar. Melletin advised
that this was the best time: the soldiers would be tired and hungry after a night's watch, not
wanting to stand about in the grey morning questioning strangers. To add further to the
distraction, Yelena wore her skirts tucked over her knee and carried a pannier of bread
purchased from the inn's kitchens, her job to engage the men in flirtatious conversation while
her "husband" looked on resentfully.
Ramil, Tashi, Gordoc, and Professor Norling crossed the bridge without incident, leaving Melletin
and Yelena to their noisy argument in front of the fascinated guards. Hearing a bird call beneath
her, Tashi looked over the parapet to see a white gull fishing in the river. The waters rushed
beneath the stone arches seeming to drag the bridge with them as they hurried on to the ocean.
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The River Kand was deep, swift, and strong here. She
remembered from her geography lessons on
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Rama that it flowed out of the heart of Kandar, from a land of hills and forests. Wild animals
abounded in this difficult terrain--wolves, bears, and great shaggy bison making their home in
the densely wooded interior. The Inkar's people were not so flourishing. They lived a marginal
existence: the nobles clinging to their castles on the crags, the peasants scratching what crops
could be coaxed from the reluctant soil, fearful of the forests at their door. Only the flood plains
to the east with their rich alluvial deposits offered any hope to the farmer, but these lands had
been sequestered by the Inkar and turned into slave plantations, displacing the original
inhabitants.
"It's a sad place now," said Professor Norling to Tashi as they passed through the first sorry-looking settlement, children in inadequate clothes running along at their stirrups to beg. He
threw them some coppers. "The Inkar's grasp of land management and social rights is weak to
say the least.
She's running a poor land into destitution, battening a huge army upon it like a parasite upon a
frail host."
On hearing the jingle of harness behind them, they turned. Melletin and Yelena were fast
catching up, both grinning broadly.
"How did it go?" Ramil called.
"Would you believe it: he threatened to lock me up in his mother's house if I didn't behave!"
exclaimed Yelena, sticking her tongue out at Melletin. "I threw a roll at him and he clipped me
around the ear. The soldiers were all about to beat him up when I burst into tears and begged
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his forgiveness. We had a passionate
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reconciliation and went on our way with their good wishes for our marital harmony."
Melletin rubbed his lips. "Where's the next checkpoint, Yelena? I can't wait to do that again."
"Watch it, sir: I'll report you," Yelena threatened, but she looked very pleased all the same.
Melletin estimated that it would take them at least a week to cross Kandar.
They rose early each day to make the most of the short winter daylight, taking the road that cut
through the thick forest. Riding was uncomfortable as they trudged in sleety showers and gritted
their teeth against the cold winds.
There were few people on the road, apart from convoys of soldiers.
Whenever these were spotted, the travellers left the highway and sheltered in the trees until
they had passed. Ramil was thankful they had a guide who knew the country so well. Melletin
seemed to have a sixth sense for anticipating trouble and unerringly led them to shelter at the
end of each day.
None of them fancied spending a freezing night outside with the wolves and roving soldiers for
company.
Five days into their journey, Mel etin cal ed a halt on a ridge looking down upon a forest valley.
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Outcrops of rock reared above trees like islands in a green ocean.
"We've reached the wild zone," he explained.
"You mean what we've passed through wasn't the wild zone?" Tashi asked.
The forest pressing on either side of the road had looked very savage to her.
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"I mean the ungoverned part--the resort of bandits and other desperate folk.
Some of them are friendly to the resistance, but some, I regret to say, are friendly to no one."
"And how will we find out?" Ramil asked. "Before or after they've attacked us?"
"There's a secret sign. If they approach us, we'll find out soon enough if they recognize it. Look to your weapons and keep alert. I would bet my sword on someone waylaying us before the end
of the day: we are too tempting a target to be neglected."
Before mounting again, Tashi collected a pouch full of stones and prepared a sling. She stayed
close to Gordoc as the horses took to the road.