A waning moon glittered on the water as the ship slipped silently through the waves. The wind was light, but steady, the helmsman keeping them on perfect course. Only a simple flag flew from the top of the mast, that of neutral tradesmen, announcing allegiance to none, but friendship (and merchandise) to all those who approached without hostility.

With hindsight, this may have been unwise, as the patrolling dragon had been given instructions to destroy anything not flying the banner of the house of Irontooth.

As it was, neither the ship nor the crew truly knew where their mistake lay – and nor did they realise what was happening. Squalls happened sometimes out on the ocean, unpredictable and powerful storms that would whip up quickly and batter anything upon the waves. This one came upon them with an unnatural haste that even the lookout couldn’t beat. By the time his shout was heard upon the deck, the first wave had already sent men skidding over the planks as the ship tilted underneath them.

There was an ominous creak and groan from the rigging as the sails suddenly filled with wind, snapping drum-skin tight as the ship leapt forwards into the driving rain that seemed to materialise about her.

By the time Calinan’s knock sounded upon her door, Aleana was already awake, and half dressed – fortunately sufficiently so to preserve her dignity as he stuck his head around the door.

“Highness, we have a problem,” he said, with remarkable aplomb for someone who had just slapped his hand over his eyes.

“I have noticed,” Aleana told him, finishing fastening her blouse and trying not to blush. “Come in. Storm?”

“Sort of,” the lupari said, stepping around the door. To Aleana’s astonishment, he had removed the plate armour that he invariably wore while on duty. She didn’t feel it was a good sign that he apparently felt a need to be more buoyant than average.

“Define sort of.” Aleana’s hands were shaking as she located her jacket.

“There’s a dragon as well.”

“Oh, f...”

“Highness!” Calinan interrupted before she could finish, experience telling him that his young charge was about to say something unbecoming.

“Fluff,” she finished, then she slammed her shoulder into his chest.

Not that it was an intentional move, more that the ship had apparently decided that being vertical was no fun anymore and had sought out a more exciting orientation, and its occupants were just going to have to adapt.

“How come you are allowed to say that?” Aleana glared at Calinan as he gave voice to sentiments that she apparently wasn’t permitted to, while both of them lay pinned against the floor that used to be a wall.

“Because I’m older and less important,” he said, somehow managing to pull her out of the way as a lamp smashed into the ex-wall, glass shards scattering against the wood.

“That depends on your point of view,” she gasped. “So far you’ve been,” Aleana stifled a scream as he rolled over her, shielding her from the wash of water that burst in through the porthole. “Pretty important... to me!”

Calinan looked like he wanted to reply, but the water was rushing in, and everything in the room seemed to be intent on finding her and impacting as hard as possible, and the world became chaotic and impossible to follow. Then the water was over her head, and the only thing she could feel was Calinan’s hand on the back of her jacket.

Darkness, pressure, cold, and confusion as the water closed in. Calinan was pulling her by the back of her coat, but where to? Surely he was dragging them downwards? No, that couldn’t be right, she grabbed at his arm, trying to tell him he was going the wrong way, but his grip was unbreakable. Something banged into her as it passed – or was she passing it? It was impossible to tell. She needed air, but Calinan was dragging her away from it.

Let me go.

Deeper through darkness, through the cold salt water.

Let me go.

She was clawing at him, nails raking his arm, but he still wouldn’t release her.

Let me go!

Fighting against him, trying to unfasten her coat, to free herself, but the tension in the material defeated her. Gods above, he was going to drown her!

Let me... Air.

Bursting out onto the surface, coughing, gasping, face stinging in the cold spray. A wave washed over them and Aleana felt herself go under, but Calinan’s grip was still strong, dragging her back to the surface.

The ocean was in turmoil about them. White crests danced along every wave as wind and rain hammered them into seething motion. Spray blinded them as thunder rang in their ears.

And there was the dragon.

Hanging in the air, lit by the flicker of lightning, as if a part of the storm itself, mighty wings beating in time with the gusts of wind that churned the ocean into heaving froth.

Shining wet in the flickering light, the ship – or part of it. The keel upturned, studded with white barnacles, the wood splintering under giant talons as the dragon swooped upon it. Capsized and holed, the vessel tried gallantly to stay afloat, but it was a losing battle.

Blinded by the spray, kept afloat largely by Calinan, only now did Aleana realise he was clinging to a beam of wood, pulling her around until she could wrap her arms about it. He pointed across the waves, and she followed his gaze. The lifeboat! Manned by six crewmen, the little craft ploughed valiantly through the water, the sailor in front gesturing in their direction.

Blinking water out of her eyes, the rain drumming on her head, Aleana tried to locate the other boats as the ocean heaved around her. There should have been four, enough for the entire crew, but… where were the others? With the next flash of lightning Aleana realised that the dragon had also seen the lifeboat… and she knew what had happened to its sisters.

“No!” Her shout went unheard, the roar of the storm overwhelming her. She saw the men in the lifeboat turn, looking up as the monstrous creature hovered above for a moment… and swooped upon them. Wood splintered and men screamed, crushed indiscriminately by the dragon’s dreadful talons. A shower of debris arched downwards as the dragon’s powerful wings swept it higher into the sky, the broken splinters of the boat splashing into the water along with the remnants of the lives it hadn’t saved.

“Hold your breath!” Calinan’s voice rang in her ear, and without thinking she did as he instructed, and moments later he had pulled her beneath the surface. The roar of the thunder muted, the flashes of light less intense as the cold salt water stung her eyes. Calinan’s grip on her was firm, keeping them both under the surface, but this time she knew enough to trust him. Had he not pulled her free from the ship, she would have tried to swim back up into the airless trap that was her cabin.

A shadow flickered over the surface of the water, and her chest ached. Again it passed. Please let it go away, she needed to breathe! Instinct was kicking in, telling her she must reach the surface, must have air. She was fighting with Calinan again, despite her intent, trying to push him away, but his grip was unbreakable, his face upturned, watching the glittering underside of the ocean. Then he was hauling her upwards and she broke out into the cold air, coughing as water ran down her face. She felt Calinan pull her round until her hands found the floating beam.

Clinging to it, focussed on simply breathing, it took Aleana several seconds to realise that the storm had abated. The clouds still blotted out the stars, but the rain and thunder had ceased, the wind falling to a light breeze, the waves shallower, steady and predictable. The darkness seemed oppressive in the calm, the night featureless around them. Aleana shivered.

“Hold tight,” Calinan stated with remarkable coolness, and she had just enough time to obey before he was pushing against the beam, kicking his legs, propelling them forwards.

“Where…?”

“We were less than half a mile from the shore, Highness. The helmsman had been shadowing it for some time.” the lupari said, his fur flattened by the water. “We must make it that far, and quickly, this water is cold. Swim, Highness, it will keep you warmer.”

Nodding, Aleana followed his lead, using the beam for buoyancy, kicking her legs, feeling her fingers numbing in the chill of the water.

Above them, the clouds were slowly dissipating into gossamer threads, a glimmer of starlight shining through, then another, and another, until the whole sky was dotted with their familiar lights, the waning moon glittering upon the dark water. Ahead, a dark strip rose above the waves. Land. Calinan clearly had his direction perfect, and Aleana wondered if he might not be pocketing a compass. But there was little time to wonder, all her breath, all her energy was going into swimming.

Time passed, the sound of waves pounding against the shore growing in her ears. Her legs ached, and her hands and feet were numb. How long had they been swimming? Minutes? Hours? Aleana honestly didn’t know, the featureless ocean robbing her of all sense of reference.

Her legs felt heavy, her feet leaden, trying to pull her down into the cold water. They had to keep swimming.

By the time Calinan hauled her up onto the sandy beach, she was shivering violently, her sodden clothes icy cold in the night air. When he lifted her in his arms, she didn’t even have strength left to resist or object, allowing him to carry her towards the shelter of a thick copse of trees. He set her down against one, the bark digging uncomfortably into her back, but she didn’t have the energy to move.

Cold. Shivering, she huddled against the tree, her hair dripping down the back of her neck, loose leaves sticking themselves to her soaked boots.

Firelight flickered in front of her. Had she lost track of time?

“Highness?” Calinan knelt in front of her, his furry face wearing a look of concern as his hands wrapped warmly around hers. “I’m sorry, please take off your coat and trousers.”

“What?” Aleana blinked, wishing her head didn’t feel fuzzy.

“I’m sorry, I have allowed you to become colder than I realised. Your clothes are drenched – we must get you dry. Please, give me your coat and sit by the fire.”

Aleana nodded, but her fingers were still numb, fumbling with the buttons.

“You pardon, highness,” Calinan said quietly, reaching out and unfastening them for her. Aleana closed her eyes, biting her lip and trying not to show her embarrassment.

Left with only her underwear, Aleana huddled by the fire, the heat of the flames slowly pushing back the chill night air, returning the strength to her fingers.

“I’m sorry, Highness, I don’t even have a blanket to offer you…”

“Do not be silly,” Aleana said gently, looking up as Calinan returned with another pile of firewood. “You were not to know. Besides, had you carried one, it would also be wet,” she added with a glance at her clothes as they hung from the branch above.

Staring into the flames for several seconds, Aleana took a deep breath. “Did any of our men make it to shore?”

Calinan shook his head, sitting down wearily beside the fire. “If they did, highness, I did not see them. The dragon was… thorough.”

“Damn it!” Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Highness,” the lupari said softly. “All the men who sailed with us did so of their free will. They did so because they believe in you, and that it was important that you reach the Freelands. They have fulfilled their duty, and their deaths are honourable…”

“How can you be so,” on her feet before she knew it, Aleana swore at him, “stupid? I do not give a damn about their deaths being ‘honourable’! Dying is not honourable! It is not noble, or a person’s duty, it is just a waste! A horrible, stupid, unnecessary waste! Some of those men will have families! Families that my decision to come here has taken them away from! Families whose fathers and mothers will not be going home! Do you believe it will be any comfort to them to know that their deaths were ‘honourable’? Do you?” Aleana screamed the last words, not even noticing the tears on her face.

“Highness…” Calinan looked almost terrified as he gazed up at her, lost for words.

“Honourable means nothing when it was unnecessary! I did not have to come here, not this way. It was my foolish choice and the cost is now borne by people who had nothing to do with it! My stupidity has done this! Where is the… the honour in that?” Anger was burning out, rapidly being replaced by horror and guilt, her vision clouded by hot tears. “My fault, and their loss… there’s no honour in that…”

“Princess…” Rising to his feet, Calinan went to her, putting his arms around her gently as she sobbed bitterly against his chest. “Princess…” he started again, uncertain what to say. “Your decision to come here was not wrong. His Majesty must be informed of what has happened, or many more lives may be lost. If our actions here today save a thousand, then they have been worth the price.”

Shaking, Aleana found herself clinging to him as he spoke, his fur still slightly damp and cool against her hot cheeks, his calm, measured voice soft in her ears.

“Any military commander will face this choice one day, highness,” the lupari went on. “It is the nature of such things that sometimes people must be sacrificed in order to save others. It is a decision that even the most experienced generals face with dread, and it is a decision that never becomes easier. The only thing that we may do is remember that those under our command chose the life they did. They know full well that the fateful choice may one day be made, and that it may go against them, but they believe in their commanders. They have faith that it is a decision made only out of dire need, and that if they do not perform their duty, then many more will suffer, and they accept the sacrifice.”

Calinan stroked her hair as he spoke, and Aleana found herself relaxing, just slightly. He was right, of course, and she told him so, head still resting against his chest. “But I do not like it,” she added quietly.

“No, highness,” Calinan sighed softly. “None ever do.” The lupari paused for the space of several breaths. “I am sorry that these times must be yours to bear,” he said at length. “Such matters are…” he trailed off.

“What?” Aleana prompted, pushing back enough to look up to his face.

“Forgive me, Princess,” he shook his head. “I was about to speak out of turn.”

“Tell me anyway.”

Closing his eyes, Calinan sighed. “I am sorry, Highness. I was about to say that, such matters are best left to adults.”

“I see,” Aleana took a deep breath, stepping back, wiping the backs of her fists across her cheeks. “Is that how you see me? As a child? Incapable of making the decisions that adults make?”

“Incapable, no, Princess,” the lupari knelt before her, placing himself so that she was looking down at him. “You have ever proven that your judgement is sound beyond your years. But I regret that those years are all you have behind you in these times. I regret that I cannot return you to the safety of childhood, because you deserve a happier time, one where war and death and politics need not concern you.”

Aleana found herself looking at the ground between them, unable to meet his gaze. “There are times when I regret that, too,” she admitted quietly. Raising her head, she faced him, eyes locking with his. “You spoke about sacrifice, about those who forfeit their wellbeing, their lives, for others. This is my sacrifice. This is my duty. I perform it because if I do not, then thousands shall suffer for it. And I shall perform this duty until death itself stops me.”

Calinan bowed his head solemnly.

“Minister?”

“Yes?” Tarwin looked up from the chess board to find a dishevelled young man at the entrance to the room. “What do you want? Is that a pigeon?”

“Yes, Minister,” the youth nodded, crossing the room and holding out a piece of parchment with his free hand, the bird under his other arm looking as disgruntled as it’s limited range of expression and movement would allow. “You said to bring you any messages without delay, so I did.”

Tarwin glanced across the table to the lutrani opposite, who hid a smile.

“Very well,” Tarwin accepted the parchment, then indicated that the messenger was free to leave.

“The news?” Minister Silverwater asked, slyly moving one of his chess pieces while Tarwin was reading the small note.

“Advance scouts confirm the Lordenor army where we were told it would be, marching east.”

“Then Irontooth…”

“Was being truthful.” Tarwin folded his hands thoughtfully for a moment, then grinned. “I will have him this time, Romon!” he stated fiercely, standing and pacing towards the fireplace, jabbing at the wood with a poker. “He comes to the Freelands, my lands, and thinks that he can dictate our future?”

“Then we will ride to meet him?” the lutrani asked.

“No,” Tarwin shook his head, turning to face the other minister. “We won’t ride to meet him, Romon. Not meet him. We will ride to crush him!”

Farview was a town with problems.

It was built on a steep incline for one. The main road, running parallel to the shore went from barely above sea level to sixty feet up, hoisted on the shoulders of shimmering silver cliffs. Not that there was any silver in them – that was another problem – just thousands of tiny grains of quartz. Nonetheless, the resulting rainbow along the rock at sunset was quite famous, as were the torrents of water than slewed down the gutters every time it rained.

Then there were the jellyfish. Once every year, thousands of the gooey creatures seemed to spontaneously converge upon what little beach the town could lay claim to, their entire aim in life apparently to be trodden on by hapless waders.

None of these were the problem that most of the inhabitants were cursing today, however. Today’s irritant of choice was, as it had been for several days, the invading army.

It had been a fittingly red dawn the day the scarlet banners of Lordenor were sighted on the horizon, four ships ploughing relentlessly nearer through the dark sea. The only reason that every man on the town’s garrison had not died that morning was that the commander, seeing how totally outnumbered they were, had called upon the invaders to guarantee the safety of their townsfolk in exchange for a peaceful entry. Lordenor’s army had accepted the terms, and that, it appeared, was that. The guarantee of safety was upheld, and once Lordenor troops were in place and patrolling the streets, there was remarkably little trouble. The townsfolk were permitted to continue fishing, farming, tailoring, and any other craft to which they were trained and able to perform. A fair proportion of their produce was rerouted to the soldiers in their midst, but sufficient was left that nobody went hungry or naked. There were those who found themselves sleeping more soundly at night, knowing that the streets were safe, the local thieves in the jail, and nobody would be coming home drunk and abusive.

There was, however, one thing the invaders did not grant the townsfolk.

Freedom.

Within hours of the invasion, Farview was locked down. Soldiers were stationed at every corner of every field, on every street, on every dock and pier. A curfew ran from evening watch until dawn, taverns were closed to all but the Lordenor military, and gatherings of more than four people would be dispersed by the first patrol that passed. Those travellers who inadvertently entered the town were informed that they weren’t leaving again, declared as additional labour to the townsfolk, and set to whatever task seemed most suitable or necessary.

Small wonder that some objected and refused to cooperate.

Led by some of the town guards, a small group of resistance fighters remained actively opposed to the invaders, and took it upon themselves to spoil as many of their plans as possible. Sadly, due to the rather effective dispersal of Lordenor’s troops, this often amounted to sneaking around in the dark, stealing or destroying unattended supplies. Still, as their leader decided, every little helped, and such goods and equipment as they did manage to liberate could be used to aid the townsfolk and bolster their ranks until such a time as they were able to take a more decisive action.

“You don’t want to go that way, miss.”

Aleana paused in some surprise, looking around for the source of the unexpected statement. Behind her, the battered old sign suggested five miles to Farview town, which she recognised as the port their ship had been heading for. The sound of metal across leather sounded from her right as Calinan drew his sword. Following his gaze, she found it pointing upwards into the shadows of a large beech tree that overhung the road.

“You can put that away, friend, I’m no bandit, and no threat to you,” the man’s voice was unexpectedly calm, and perhaps it was this tone that caused Calinan to glance about him. “But no, I’m not alone,” the man continued, still sitting at his ease on a large branch. “And you’d do well to heed my words. Ain’t nothing but trouble up that road.”

“What kind of trouble?” Aleana asked, and the man’s gaze focused on her again, brown eyes studying her intently.

“More than you look like you’ll handle, miss, if you’ll pardon my saying so. Young lady like yourself wouldn’t do well to wander into occupied territory with just the one escort.”

“Occupied? By whom?”

The man regarded her thoughtfully for a few moments, his eyebrows drawing together. With unexpected speed, he slid down from his perch, landing gracefully on the road. Late thirties, maybe forty, Aleana decided, and with several days worth of beard. Clothing worn but clean, and an attitude that seemed less hostile than it was concerned.

“Stay your blade, friend,” he raised a hand towards Calinan.

“Then you’ll keep your distance,” the lupari stated calmly.

“If you wish. Do you really not know?” the man glanced at Calinan appraisingly, then looked back to Aleana, seeming to decide that she was in charge.

“Know what?”

“Aye, figures…” this didn’t seem to be directed at anyone in particular, his gaze on the pebbles underfoot. “Guess nobody cares. Why would they make a fuss, after all? We’re not a big town.” Sighing, he looked up at the sky.

“We? You’re from Farview?” Calinan asked, lowering his sword until the tip hovered above the ground, but not prepared to sheathe it just yet, his ears still alert to the surroundings, mindful of the man’s admission that he had company.

“Was from Farview,” the man corrected. “Ain’t no home of mine that I recognise now. Jail’s full of my friends, and the streets are empty but for Irontooth’s soldiers.”

“I hardly think that…” Aleana stopped as Calinan’s hand landed on her shoulder, and she realised she had been about to say something very foolish. “That… nobody cares,” she finished, weakly.

“Wouldn’t know it,” the man said bitterly. “Do you know how many soldiers were sent to help defend us?” he snarled, his face twisting with sudden anger.

Aleana shook her head mutely.

“Fifty. Just fifty.” he said heavily. “No useful resources. Low probability of attack,” the man said, mimicking a dry and official tone. “They just don’t get it, do they?”

“Who?”

“The council! The ministers! Effing Goldwood! Old Irontooth isn’t out to take our resources, he wouldn’t give a damn if there was a gold mine under this town or naught but jellyfish, it’s a landing site and a foothold, and now his men are sat there all happy in my town!”

Aleana glanced up at Calinan, but the lupari’s gaze never left the man ahead. He had lapsed into silence, thudding one fist against the other, looking thoughtful.

“My town,” he repeated suddenly. “Now it’s crawling with Irons.”

“Irons?” Aleana repeated, confused.

“Iron Army,” the man said, as if this clarified things. “What the news scrolls are calling Lordenor army… because of Irontooth?” he went on, frowning at her.

“Oh! I see! I’m sorry, I have a lot on my mind,” as the man looked at her, Aleana felt herself flush.

“Right… well, I can understand that,” he nodded.

“So why are you here?” she asked.

Drawing himself up straighter, the man’s expression hardened. “I was a sergeant major in the Farview town guard,” he stated. “Now I’m second in command in the Farview Liberation Front. We do our best to make sure the townsfolk are coming to no harm, and prevent travellers like yourselves from walking right into that spider web that’s waiting.”

“That’s... very brave of you.”

“Brave?” the man raised an eyebrow, then shook his head with a bitter laugh. “No. Brave would be walking in there and taking my town back from the scum now living it in. But we don’t have the men, and I won’t spend what few lives I still have under me on a futile quest.”

“I understand,” Aleana said quietly. “Then I wish you good fortune. If you will excuse us,” she turned back towards the road as indicated by the sign post.

“Did you not hear me, miss?” There was a change to the man’s tone. Before he had sounded calm, cautiously friendly, but now there was a stern, cold edge behind his words. “I told you that you don’t want to be going that way.”

“I heard you quite clearly, thank you,” Aleana looked at him over her shoulder. “But I have important business in this town and I cannot turn back.”

“And I cannot let you continue!” All hint of friendliness had vanished. “Giles! Fenwin, Lenny!”

Indeed he had not been lying when he said he wasn’t alone, Aleana discovered. A little down the road ahead, two people had stepped out of the shadows and were now advancing towards them. The lutrani was the shorter of the two, coming in two inches less than his vulpani friend, though even so he would comfortably look her in the eye. Both were armed, though neither had drawn their weapons yet. Spacing themselves equally across the road, they stopped some five yards away, adopting solid postures that made it quite clear that they considered passage to be denied. A fourth man had appeared at his leader’s side. Aleana wondered how long he had been in the cover of the bushes. The entire time seemed likely, yet she had seen no sign of him. A trained professional, she concluded.

“I’m sorry,” the first man said shortly. “But access to Farview is prohibited. I have no choice but to detain you for your own safety. Please hand over your sword,” he finished, addressing Calinan.

“No, wait,” Aleana put her hand on the lupari’s forearm as he lifted the blade. “We’ll go back,” she told the man.

“No you won’t,” he shook his head. “You’ll try to find another way past my men. If you were going to go back you would already have done so after I warned you.”

Well, to be fair, that was entirely true, Aleana thought, though it was regrettable how obvious her thoughts must be.

“Your sword please, sir. You have my word that neither of you will be harmed if you cooperate.”

“Do it,” Aleana told him quietly, sensing him looking at her though her gaze never left the man’s face. “You can’t fight...” her words turned into a yelp of surprise as a hand grabbed the hood of her cloak, pulling her backwards roughly. Calinan turned, weapon raised, but too late, they were already separated.

“Stop it!” Aleana grabbed at the lutrani as he turned his back on her, apparently deciding that Calinan was the important threat. He lashed out with unexpected speed, catching her with a stinging blow across the side of her face that knocked her to the ground. Tackling Calinan from behind, one to each arm, the two men wrested his sword from him as the vulpani hit him hard in the stomach.

“No!” flinching back, she scrambled away as the lutrani reached down for her. Instinctively turning her face away, head shielded by her arms, Aleana waited to be hauled to her feet.

It didn’t happen.

Instead, there was a heavy thud, a curse, and the sound of a body landing hard on the ground. A swish, a thump, a yelp, and Aleana turned her head back just in time to see the vulpani hit the dirt, legs taken out from under him by the red haired young man who seemed to have spontaneously appeared in the midst of the commotion. Wasting no time, he stamped on the vulpani’s sword, pinning it – and its owner’s fingers – to the ground.

Aleana blinked at him, too astonished to move. Calinan apparently was not, which was fortunate, since he had gained the aid of a sturdy looking lupari, the newcomer grabbing hold of one of the men at Calinan’s back, hauling him bodily into the air before pitching him across the road. Immediately taking advantage of his benefactor, Calinan spun on the spot with such speed that the man at his back lost his grip, only to be struck across the shoulders by the lupari’s other arm, sending him sprawling forwards.

Watching the men crumple into the dirt, exchanging a brief glance and nod with Calinan, the red haired young man turned back to Aleana. It was a rare day that Aleana, long accustomed to keeping her reactions politic, found herself lost for words. This however was one of them. Up until now, with the confusion of motion, she had taken him for human, but now the dust had settled she realised that the description didn’t seem to be quite right. Large, furry ears stuck out through his hair, and unless she was much mistaken, a russet tail swung behind his legs.

“Goodness... what – who are you?” she amended hastily seeing the flicker that crossed the young man’s face as she spoke. Flushing, he put his hands behind his head, pulling the blue hood of his cloak up, quickly covering those curious ears.

“Cripes, Red,” a voice spoke up, and a moment later its owner appeared at the strange young man’s side. “Don’t leave any for us, why not?” The sciurel dug an elbow into his friend’s ribs, and he nodded absently under his hood, displaying the unmistakable air of someone who has caused a situation that he has no idea how to handle. “You two all right, are you?” the sciurel looked from Aleana to Calinan as the lupari hurried to her side.

“Yes,” Aleana nodded, taking Calinan’s hand and being pulled to her feet. “But you should...” she gestured to where the leader of the men was picking himself up.

“That wouldn’t be wise,” the unknown lupari growled, hauling the second man to his feet, pinning his arms behind him in a way that made it quite clear they’d get broken if there was further trouble. The leader looked at him for a moment, then nodded, resignedly holding his hands out from his sides in a gesture of peace.

“Keep it calm, lads,” he instructed his men, looking down as the sciurel padded over to stand in front of him, regarding him for several long seconds before speaking.

“That weren’t the friendliest of greetings to give a young lass.”

“I’m trying to keep her out of trouble! You do not want to go to Farview,” he stated firmly, looking towards Aleana.

The sciurel smiled grimly. “That’s not really your call, guv.” Sighing, he shook his head. “I don’t think you meant no ‘arm, but your boys need to learn to take it easy on a lady.”

“These lands are my responsibility, as are travellers in them, and I’ll take whatever action I deem necessary for the greater good.” Wincing, he dabbed at his nose, fingers coming away bloodied. “And were Farview not occupied I would have you all arrested and imprisoned for assaulting town guards!”

“But they are occupied, guv, let’s face it,” the sciurel shrugged slim shoulders. “And hasslin’ random travellers ain’t gonna change that.”

“I cannot permit you to enter the town!”

“Well you sure ain’t stopping us, neither. Maybe you’ve noticed, me and my friends can take care of ourselves, and I don’t doubt the fella and lass here can do the same. Now if you don’t mind, a couple of questions before we take our leave...”

Aleana noticed that the hooded young man was still looking at her, and that his eyes matched the colour of his cloak. She felt herself blush, and tried to give him a small smile of gratitude, but suspected it looked a little flustered. At the same time, Calinan’s hand landed on her arm, nudging her gently along the road.

“If you will excuse us,” she said softly, and the young man nodded wordlessly as they quietly departed.

Glancing over her shoulder, making sure they were out of earshot, Aleana looked up at Calinan. “How very peculiar,” she said, and the lupari nodded. “Will they be all right? Should we have stayed...”

“I think that the young man can take care of himself, Highness, as can his friends. It seems best to leave before questions are asked.”

“I suppose so,” Aleana sighed, glancing over her shoulder. “He was rather...”

“Training,” Calinan shrugged. “Reactions and actions alike eventually become instinct.”

“But he was quite young...”

“Near your own age, Highness, if I am not mistaken.”

“How many trained warriors my age have you known?” Aleana asked, and the lupari looked thoughtful.

“Two,” he said at length.

“Really? Who?”

Calinan looked down at her with a half smile. “Your father, and myself.”

“Nicely done, Red.” Feral jumped as the sciurel approached, realising he had been staring along the road after the young woman, though both she and her companion were long out of sight.

“What?”

“I said nicely done,” Blue repeated with a smile. “Though give us some warning next time, eh?”

“Sorry.” Blushing, Feral rubbed the back of his neck. “It just seemed... I thought that... that they were going to hurt her, and...”

“Yeah, I know,” the sciurel patted his elbow. “You thought that it was the right thing to do, though I ain’t so sure the chief there agrees,” he nodded over his shoulder to the four town guards. “But he ain’t dumb enough to give us any more ‘assle. He hasn’t seen anyone else pass, by the way.”

“Oh,” Feral’s face fell a little.

“That doesn’t mean they aren’t there already,” Balthor said, walking up behind them. “Cassy’s smart, if she saw a patrol, she’d have gone off the road long before it saw her. If she’s even using the roads to start with.”

“Good, let’s quit wasting time and get movin’ then.” Starting off along the road, Blue pulled a map out of his pocket. “Forks in two miles... east road looks best. Right,” he nodded to himself.

“Blue?” Feral asked a minute or so later.

“Hmm?”

“Do you think we’ll see them again?”

“Sure! Told you, smart girls, both of them.”

“Actually, I meant...” Feral trailed off, realising the sciurel was looking shrewdly at him.

“Maybe,” he said, one eyebrow twitching. “And yes, if I’m any judge, she were quite a pretty young lass.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Feral hurried. “I meant that I – I didn’t really say hello, or goodbye, and they probably think I’m rude or stupid or both, and... and...”

“’Course you did, mate.” Winking, Blue smiled and stuck his hands in his pockets, whistling jauntily.

Feral sighed and fell silent, deciding it was easier not to try to explain. It would have been nice if he could have remembered a few words at the time though. Maybe it was just the suddenness of the fight... yes, that seemed sensible. With luck, he’d get a chance to speak with the girl and her companion when they arrived in town, make sure they were all right.