Dragonfly

"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.

"But we don't have the time to go so far out of our way," argued Tashi.

"We'll have even less time if we end up in one of Fergox's prisons," Ramil countered.

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"But what good is my country's aid if it arrives too late? It's already February and we still have weeks of travelling ahead of us. The thaw will come in late March or April and it will take my

navy at least a month to sail to Gerfal."

"You speak, Tashi, as if Gerfal will not last beyond that time. We will put up a stiff fight if I know my father. I would not expect the battle to be over in a few weeks--we might even last the

summer."

"And then there's the resistance harassing Fergox from the rear--he'll be made to regret he's

stretched his supply lines so far," added Melletin.

"So you both favor the longer route," Tashi said, her arms folded across her chest.

"Yes, I do," said Melletin, rolling up the map.

"I do too, Your Highness," seconded Ramil, his hands on his hips.

But would it give them enough time? Tashi fretted. She closed her eyes for a moment, seeking

wisdom in a silent prayer. Their mission was in the Goddess's hands. If She wanted them to

succeed, the Mother would make it happen by Her own means.

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"I will follow your advice unless we see a clear sign that we have chosen ill,"

she said. "Then all I ask is that you be open to a change of plan."

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"Of course," said Ramil, rather pleased to have won this first battle of wills.

"I'm open to any suggestion of yours."

Tashi pelted him with a twig. "Don't: you sound like Merl when you talk like that."

Ramil put his hand over his mouth, feigning horror. "I will not speak another word."

"Good." Tashi smiled.

Melletin proposed that they reorganize their party so that they no longer resembled the same

group that passed the border a week ago.

"In case the alarm has been raised since and they are on the lookout for us,"