"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.
"Don't worry, my pretty, I'll make sure no bandit touches you," he said cheerfully.
They trotted on for hours, seeing no sign of man or beast. By noon they had entered a
particularly dark, dense region of the forest. Ramil watched the trees nervously. The road
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surface was broken up, tree roots creating havoc with the stones that had once been set smooth
in the ground. Ramil decided that if he was commanding a band of robbers, he would think this
an excellent place for an ambush because the riders would have to mind where they were going
and be unable to keep a constant watch.
As if obeying Ramil's thoughts, a man dropped out of the trees ahead of Melletin and held up a
hand. He had a coarse lined face with a rough black beard and moustache; his clothes were
ragged and patched.
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"Good people, you have neglected to pay the toll!" he called.
Six more men dropped from the trees around them and three emerged from the bushes at the
rear. One threw the leader a stout staff, which he caught and held out, blocking the way
forward.
Melletin raised his fist to his chest, fingers circled in an O.
"We are friends, sir, and only wish to pass in peace."
The man took no notice of the sign. Ramil's hand moved to his sword.
"There is no peace to be had in Kandar. You must pay the toll."
Melletin dropped his hand casually to rest on his hilt. "And what may that be?"
The bandit scratched his chin, looking the party over. "Your horses, goods, and weapons." He 260
caught sight of Yelena. "And perhaps the girl too."
Yekna gave a disgusted snort. "Just you try," she muttered.
"If you want that much, then you'll have to fight us for them," said Melletin, swiftly drawing his sword.
The bandit leader raised his staff to meet the blow. A man swung from the trees to knock
Melletin from the saddle. Like a squall blowing up out of nowhere, the skirmish became intense
and confused: swords meeting staffs, men swarming from the trees. Gordoc and Yelena flanked
the Princess in the rear while Ramil and Melletin took on the main attack. Tashi felled one man
with a slingshot as he was about to stab Melletin
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in the back. One bandit already lay in the dust, killed by a kick from Thunder.
"Keep away from the horses!" yelled the leader, realizing too late that these were trained for combat.
Professor Norling had drawn a cane from his waistband and was belaboring a bandit around the
head as he tried to make off with the baggage horse.
"Not my instruments!" he shouted in outrage.
Tashi didn't see what happened to him next because Gordoc barged in front of her, cutting off
an attack by three staff-wielding men. She heard a shriek from behind and turned to find Yelena
being pulled from the saddle by two assailants. One Tashi struck with a stone but she had no
time for a second as a man dropped from the trees, knocking her to the ground with him on top
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of her.
"Let's see what we've got under here!" He reached for her veil and pulled it off. "Another pretty wench!"
He got no further--a foot kicked him in the jaw, catapulting him backwards.
Yelena stood over Tashi, crouching in combat stance, her own attacker a crumpled heap on the
road. Tashi scrambled to her feet and positioned herself behind Yelena, swinging her sling,
searching for the next mark.
Ramil was fighting two men--one fell to a stone, the other he ran through with an efficient
swipe.
"Retreat! Retreat!" shouted the leader.
The bandits who could still walk stumbled off into the trees, dragging their wounded with them.
That left four on the ground: one killed by Thunder, one by Ramil, and two crushed by Gordoc's
bare hands.
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Ramil limped over to the girls, sword still bloody.
"Are you all right?" he asked anxiously, stabbing his blade into the ground so he could hug Tashi.
"Yes, thank you, sir," Yelena said with a grin. "Thank you for being so concerned about me."
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She did not stand uncared for long as Melletin was soon at her side asking the same question.
Professor Norl-ing and Gordoc swiftly caught the horses and brought them to the girls.
"We'd better get going before they come back," said Melletin. He grimaced at the bodies lying in the road. "What a waste--half-starved, desperate, now dead. The Inkar has a lot to answer for to
her people."
They reached the border between Kandar and Holt three days later. All were heartily sick of
forests and looked forward to the open plains of Fergox's land, though they knew they would
soon miss the cover the trees had provided. Melletin showed Tashi and Ramil a map, rolling it
out on a log at their final stopping place before the checkpoint.
"Tigral is way down to the southwest," he said, pointing to the capital on the shores of the Inland Sea. "We have a choice, risk going straight for it--it is the most direct route but it's also the most dangerous. The lands between are rich. There are plantations, vineyards, big towns and cities: in
short, lots of people on the road. If we go south we can skirt round to the sea by the desert
region, not going into the sand zone, but
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keeping to the edge. It's a longer, tougher road but perhaps safer."
"Longer, tougher, and safer sounds good to me," said Ramil.