aHe let him go. He said that Lord Belenaris Tolhamas order to those men did not include mutilating her. He made the wimp pay five hundred in gold for ruining a good slave, but other than that the bastard went free.a Amber thought he had to have heard wrong. aThatas it? He paid a fine, and itas over?a aFive hundred is a good price,a Ellie said blankly.

It may have been the news John brought or Ellieas insistence she no longer was worth anything, but the girlas statement was the last straw. Amber slapped Ellie before she knew she meant to. Glaring down at the girl, she growled, aNo life can be measured in gold!a Ellie stared back up at her defiantly. aYes, it can. I know my worth, and five hundred is a good price.a Amber balled her fists, which made Ellie shrink back. aAnyone who can trade a life for gold is evil!a That made Ellie straighten herself up and face Amberas anger. aMy Master is not evil!a Amber opened her mouth then caught herself before she said that he was. She thought she knew Tayan wasnat evil, but with what John told her she wasnat sure anymore. He seemed to have become a completely different man.

Collecting herself, she turned her attention to John. aWould you escort me to see Lord Tayan?a aTake me back, too,a Ellie said as she glared at Amber.

John shifted his gaze between them. aUmm, ladies, we have strict orders to keep you in the church, for your own safety. A few Brothers have found out there is something evil lurking about, but they have yet to locate it. The whole council has agreed that you two are the closest to Lord Tayan and need to stay under protection.a aMy protection is Leighna,a Amber stated. aEllie will stay here, but I must go see Lord Tayan. I can go with you or sneak out a window if I have to. Either way, I am going.a aSister, please--a John started, but Ellie spoke up.

aI must return to my Master, even if he takes my head,a she stated. aI will not stay here.a John held his head and groaned. aI am going to lose my job over this.a aBetter a job than a soul,a Amber told him. aAlthough I do think Ellie should stay here for now.a Ellie stood up on shaky feet, letting the covers slip down. aIf you can do nothing more for me then I must return to my Master.a Aghast, Amber quickly picked up a sheet and wrapped it around her. aYoung ladies do not go around naked,a she scolded.

aI agree. Do you have clothes for me?a aCome on!a John groaned, aWhy donat the two of you just stay here?a Turning to Ellie, he said, aYou can barely stand on your feet.a aHeas right,a Amber agreed. aYou are still weak.a Ellieas face became a mask as she looked Amber in the eye. aI am a slave, but I am neither blind nor stupid. You feel you must return to him because something bad is happening. You love him because he stands for what is right and returns your affection. I love him because he makes me feel proud. We both know neither of us is going to stay another day in this room.a Amber flushed. aI never said anything like that to anyone.a aYou didnat have to,a Ellie stated. aMay I have some clothes?a Ellie searched for clothes in the bins for the poor but didnat find anything gray. Her next selection was one of the brown robes of the Sisters, which was forbidden. Giving an irritated huff, she chose the plainest thing she could. The best they could find was a plain blue peasantas dress.

John didnat want to walk them back to Lady Salinthiaas estate, so he hired a coach to take them after they promised to insist he had nothing to do with their escape from the church. He let the coach get down the street and around the corner before going back to tell the other guards the women had gone.

The coach had just turned the corner before Salinthiaas gate when Amber heard a low roar that reverberated against the buildings. She was thrown back as the coach suddenly slowed and the frightened neighing of the horses accompanied yells from the street. Amber knew that roar--shead heard it before in Paladnia when the knight had pretended to attack Tayan. She also knew they had half a breath to get out before the horses bolted. Grabbing a startled Ellie by the arm, she opened the door and dove from the coach.

They hit the ground and rolled to a stop in the street. The horses, bucking wildly, ran off with the stream of people and other horses that were fleeing whatever was up ahead. Ellie curled into a ball with her arms protecting her face as people stumbled over her in their flight. Amber managed to gain her feet and keep most of the mob off Ellie. From up the street, terrified screams and more roaring pushed the crowd to knock Amber to the side. It was all she could do to keep from being dragged along with the flow.

Spying a watering trough, she fought her way to Ellie and pulled her up to stumble behind it. Holding Ellieas wrists, she looked at the girlas face. The lobe of her ear was bleeding, but other than that she didnat look hurt. aEllie, are you all right?a aWhatas happening?a Ellie cried.

She could do nothing until the crowd was gone. Once the people had fled by her, Amber got up, her talisman gripped tightly in her fist. Sixty yards away, the now-empty street was littered with the metal-clad bodies of city guards and a few blue-coated elven guards. One large iron gate to Salinthiaas estate lay in the street, the bars twisted and broken. Although she didnat see anything moving, it sounded like something was bashing large stones together and shattering them.

aEllie, donat move,a she whispered.

Amber ran towards the destruction. As she got close, a few chunks of rock flew out of the gateway. Muffled screams increased in pitch from in the courtyard. She picked up her pace, now catching sight of the other gate, twisted inside the entrance, also off its hinges. The other thing she saw in the courtyard made her come to a halt, heart thumping with fear.

aLeighna, be with me,a she mumbled.

The blockhouse that was the guardsa quarters had a large hole in it. What was making the hole was something she had read about but could never imagine seeing. The beast was mottled gray, as if carved from granite. Standing man-high at the shoulder, the blocky doglike creature had wings and tore into the guardhouse with its wide front paws, yanking out stones as if they were pebbles and not two-foot-square blocks. Inside, she saw guards on the floor, cowering and screaming as the thing ripped a hole large enough to get at them.

She didnat have to check to know this thing was evil--she knew its roar. She also knew why it was here.

Raising her talisman toward the gargoyle, she cleared her throat and commanded, aBy Leighnaas light, be gone!a It stopped demolishing the guardhouse and turned to look at her with red, glowing eyes. She gathered her courage, certain that Leighna would not let this thing kill any more people.

aBy Leighnaas light, be gone!a she commanded again.

It started towards her, head down like a wolf after prey. Her legs began quivering in fear. Her body told her to flee, to run as fast as she could to get away from this monster. She locked her muscles in place and prayed as she stared it down.

aLeighna, my light and salvation, protect us from evil. Though I stand before the shadow of death, I shall not fear, for you are with me. Your light and wisdom comfort me--a Her words were cut off as the beast, now only a few paces away, let out a roar that knocked her off her feet and deafened her. Rolling into a ball, she found her talisman and gripped it tightly. Sure she was about to die, she took up where she had left off, or about where.

aYou take us down the path of the righteousness, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive others...a She tried to think of the next line, but for some reason her mind was blank. She had memorized that prayer from childhood, and now she couldnat remember it! She lay there, desperately searching for the words and waiting for those horrid fangs to sink into her.

Slowly, she noticed that all around her there was silence. Looking up cautiously, she searched for the beast. The gates lay torn from the hinges and through the hole in the guardhouse wall, one elf was cautiously peering out, but there was no sign of the gargoyle.

By the time Amber had gotten control and stood up, a crowd of armed men spilled from the front doors and from around the side of the palace to give battle to the thing they had heard. One of the elves in the ruined guardhouse ran out and hugged her.

aThank you, Sister!a he cried, clinging to her.

aThank Leighna,a she corrected him as she watched the men run across the courtyard. In the pack, she noted there were quite a few nobles. Tayan was near the center, a few rows back. He looked anything but pleased to see her.

Another elf who was looking out the hole in the wall, cried to the advancing men, aSome huge beast attacked us; Sister Amber drove it away!a She pried the elf off her and got him to look at her. aWhat happened?a Eyes wide, he motioned to where the gates were. aThe city guard was after a guy who claimed to be Lord Tayan. They were arresting him and out of nowhere, this huge bleedina dog shows up and begins rippinaem apart. We let a few in to try and save them, and it came for us. If you hadnat driven it away, it would have killed us all.a Amber glanced at Tayan, who was in the middle of the semicircle that formed around her and the elf. aThis man, did the city guard hit him?a The elf shrugged. aSome. They said he killed one of the city wizards and his daughter. Right after that, that thing attacked them.a She looked at Tayan closely. The oppressive, skin-crawling feeling was back. She knew now that it had nothing to do with any duke or crime scene. Her hand went to her talisman and she put it against her chest to verify what she knew.

Quickly, Lord Tayan moved towards her, waving a finger in a no-no gesture. aSister, I told you that is not polite.a aTayan was here, that was why the beast showed up. He is gone now,a she stated.

He stopped and glared at her. aWhat do you mean by that?a aLord Tayan Montara of Elrad is not here,a she repeated loudly. Pointing to the Tayan in front of her she stated, aThis is an impostor!a Lord Parnal, wearing his blue-and-silver-enameled chain mail stepped up to her. aSister, you are making a serious accusation.a aIf you stick to your story, someone will be beheaded for treason,a another lord said ominously, hoping she would get the hint who.

aMy head has been in danger before, I know what I know,a she told him.

The Tayan in front of her eyed her suspiciously. aSister Amber is at the church. How convenient it would be for a wizard to drive off its own creature then make herself look like a hero.a aHow can you prove this wild claim?a Lord Parnal asked her.

She locked eyes with the fake Tayan as she said, aGet a priest, one you trust. Have him check us both. I will tell you what heall see. Around me is the holy light of Leighna. Around the real Tayan, the light of goodness, shadowed closely by evil. This man is pure evil, I can smell it.a Tayanas face turned crimson. aIave had enough of this! Guards, take her away!a Not sure what to do, the men just shifted in place. Lord Parnal nodded to one of the senior officers. aGo ask Father Fisher to come here. Tell him it a matter of vital importance.a To Amber and Tayan, he said, aBoth of you stay where you are. We will settle this.a aSurely, you do not believe this wench!a Tayan yelled with a flail of his arm.

Lord Parnal replied with aCaptain Delesteran, disarm Lord Tayan.a Seeing the captain move towards him, Tayan started to slide his sword out of its sheath as if to hand it over. Halfway though the gesture, he pulled it suddenly and grabbed Amber to use her as a shield. She seized his arm, throwing her hips into him as she bent over. He tumbled over her, losing his sword as he hit the ground on his back.

Gripping her talisman, Amber commanded, aBy Leighnaas light, show us your true self!a The manas features blurred. He wore the same clothes but was now a human man with short dark hair. Hauled to his feet by the guards, he wailed, aSheas a witch! I am the real Lord Tayan!a aTake him away and put a close guard on him,a Lord Parnal ordered. Seeing Amber with tears in her eyes as she watched them take the man away, he said, aSister, forgive me for doubting you. Is there anything we can do?a Looking at the wreckage in the courtyard, she didnat think Tayan would return for fear the gargoyle following him would wreak more havoc. He would run away to keep them safe from the thing. It was a big city, and she had no idea where to begin looking.

aFind my Tayan,a she whispered.

Ellie had stayed behind the water trough where Amber left her. Peeking over the top, she saw the Sister confront the beast but focused more on one of the peasants who was running away. Just before he disappeared out of sight, he looked up enough so she could see his face. Her mouth formed the word amaster,a and she got up to follow him. The thing in the courtyard didnat notice her limp by, nor did anyone else.

Chapter 18.

In the damp cellar, stuck between half a table and the wooden shelf his head was resting on, Tayan watched the rickety staircase as he worked at the knot tying his hands together. He had no idea how much time had passed since the coach, but his hunger pangs suggested at least a few days. The muffled voices he had heard told him there were at least two wizards holding him. By the looks of this place, they had dumped him here out of necessity.

His prison was an underground version of a garbage dump. A few small casks adorned the shelves along the wall by him, and a path through the piles of forgotten pieces of furniture and boxes of clothes ran from where he was to a semicircle of clear floor by the base of the stairs.

The ones who were holding him might be wizards, but they were not very good at holding captives. His hands were tied in front of him with a length of rope binding them to his feet. Broken glass from what might have been a mirror was within reach, and so was a wad of cloth so he could pick up the glass and start sawing at the ropes without cutting himself. All he had to do was keep quiet and listen for anyone coming.

The knot parted. He untied his feet and got up slowly, cautious of any magical traps that might be sprung. Nothing happened. Wrapping the glass in the cloth, he tossed it along the path. The only thing that happened was the glass bounced against the bottom of the last step.

Something wasnat right. He didnat believe that whoever had captured him was so inept as to let him just walk out. He moved towards the stairs, keeping a close watch on the piles of refuse. Although he was fully expecting something to jump out at him, nothing moved. He scanned the floor and the stairs, looking for anything, even a simple tripwire.

He stiffened as the door latch at the top of the stairs turned.

aWeall be right back up,a someone said.

The stairs were open, lacking even handrails. He slid underneath as two people started down. Luckily, he had room to squat with his back to a jumble of old chairs. He listened to them descend. One pair of legs came into view as the first one started past. As the second pair appeared, he reached out and grabbed the ankles. With a screech of surprise, the second person toppled into the first.

As the two robed figures fell into a heap at the bottom, Tayan flew around the steps. One was trying to struggle up. Tayan grabbed his head and twisted quickly, breaking his neck. The other shot to his feet with a high-pitched cry. Tayan kicked him, sending him crashing back into one of the piles of junk.

As the person landed, the hood fell back and he stared into the dazed eyes of a young woman. She looked down at the broken chair leg protruding from her chest.

Prepared to fight powerful wizards who knew what they were doing, he stood frozen in place as the girl weakly grasped the splintered wood. She looked at him pleadingly then coughed out blood. The only thing in her eyes was the fear of someone who knew she was dying. This lasted only a moment before she went limp, but her frightened look stayed with him.

He had just killed a woman.

aWhat is going--?a Tayan turned to see another, light-haired woman in a peasantas dress gaping at him from the top of the stairs. Her hand went to her mouth and her eyes grew round; then she flew from sight screaming that there was a brigand in the house.

Her voice got him moving. He took the stairs in twos and threes. Reaching the top, he saw the open front door and raced after the woman. He burst out into a crowded city street.

Ahead of him, the now-weeping woman waved down a pair of city guards. aMy husband and daughter have been murdered!a Stopping to take in his surroundings, Tayan noted the guards rushing to the woman wore Tolinic uniforms. A building beyond them had a large sign reading Bank of South Tolina. Apparently, he had been hidden in the city. Almost everyone in the streets was human. The woman pointed at him and the guards drew their swords.

Tayan raised his arms and waited for the guards to approach. He had one chance to explain this mess. The one not holding onto the sobbing woman pointed his sword at the wall.

Tayan turned around and put his hands on the wall as commanded. aMy name is Tayan Montara. I was being held captive.a aRight. Donat move or Iall run you through,a the guard growled. aJake, go see what this is about.a The other guard nodded and led the woman inside.

aI am telling the truth. I was kidnapped by the wiz--a He stopped as the point of the sword pressed against the back on his neck.

aIf youare Tayan Montara then Iam the Red Man. Shut up!a the guard snapped.

He heard the woman wailing that they werenat holding anyone. She had heard a noise in the cellar and found him over her dead husband and daughter. Tayan knew right then there would be no explaining to these men. It was fairly well known that in Tolina violent criminals were usually killed while trying to escape, even ones bound hands and feet. He was in a common section of the city--he doubted head ever see a jail cell.

aNice set of clothes you stole. Too bad you wonat be enjoying them,a the guard snarled.

Tayan noted the man was careful not to get too close. He dropped his shoulders and kicked back. His foot met resistance as he hit the guardas hip. The instant the sword dropped away from his neck, he spun and kicked the startled guard in the face. Then he bolted and ran for his life.

The guard recovered and gave chase by the time head reached the end of the block. Not knowing where he was, he ducked around the corner and sped on as he tried to get his bearings. Behind him, shouts went up as the two guards called for help.

Ahead of him, the street ended in an intersection facing a large building that had Fishermanas Guild written across the front in large white letters. That meant he was in the southwest section.

He turned north at the intersection, now with four guards running after him and blowing on whistles. Ahead, a pair of mounted guards saw him, and their comrades in pursuit. The sidewalks were crowded with people but to stay on the street was to be run down by the horsemen. He ducked into the crowd, pushing toward an alley between him and the horsemen. Not checking to see where it led, he burst out of the crowd to find it dead-ended in a ten-foot wall. Behind him, the guards yelled for people to clear the way.

He didnat dare slow as he ran down the alley. Seeing a stack of barrels, he quickly noted how far away from the wall they were. One lone barrel stood in front of the others, which were double-stacked. Just beyond them was a window that had a top ledge as well as a bottom one. A vision of Odif flashed in his mind, leaping from one stump to a higher one. Then they had played for practice and to see who would pleasure whom. Now, he had to use her technique for survival.

aHalt, brigand, and you might live to see trial!a one guard yelled.

The pounding of horseas hooves drove him faster. The sound closed on him as he closed on the barrels. The horse was moving up beside him as he jumped onto the first barrel. Pushing off and up, he flew towards the stack. His foot hit...and tipped the top barrel as he moved to the second one. He didnat hear the guardas curse as he catapulted even higher.

He focused on the window ledge. As he flew towards it, it didnat look as wide as when he first saw it. Jutting no more than a few inches out from the wall, it would not hold him if he pushed off straight.

He pushed out and up as he stretched his arms towards the wall. Grabbing at the top, he hit flat. The tenacious hold he had with one hand slipped, leaving him dangling by three fingers. Carefully, he reached up and got a grip with both hands then hoisted a leg up.

aCrossbows!a a guard yelled below him.

Pulling up onto the narrow edge, he saw one of the horsemen drop a bolt into his bow and take aim. Having no time to see what was on the other side, Tayan threw himself over the wall and landed on a fishmongeras cart.

The cart collapsed to the surprised cries of those around it. Amid the wreckage of wood and fish, Tayan struggled up then slipped and fell. A balding man cried for the guards as he got to his feet and took off.

In a limping run, he kept going the way he thought was north. Between hitting the wall and landing on the cart, his right leg was stiffening up. Fear kept him going as he turned down another street then turned again at the next intersection. Whistles sounded as unseen voices called out his description. In the poorer part of the city, very few had jackets laced with gold or silver threads down the sides of their pants. The guards were not going to have any trouble spotting him.

The next alley he ducked down was empty and ran all the way to the other street. Spying a ramshackle stable, he made for it. He didnat slow as he approached but grabbed the corner post and flung himself into a stack of hay just inside the opening.

Through the noise of his rasping breaths and his heart pounding in his ears, he listened for the guards. He heard a horse gallop down one street; then the sound of a whistle went by. Another horse slowed and turned into the alley. Pulling hay over himself, he lay still and tried to slow his rapid breaths.

The dry smell of hay filled his nostrils as he listened to the horse slowly pass the stable then stop. In his mind, the dead girl still gazed at him pleadingly. He tried to shut this vision out, but she wouldnat go away. He had killed her just as surely as if he had been holding the chair leg that impaled her. A small voice in his mind cried out for him to give up. Just get up out of the hay and surrender to the guards. He was guilty of murder--he didnat even think now they were the ones who had captured him. He didnat see how a poor city wizard and his daughter could possibly arrange such a plan. Head made a big mistake. The conditions of that cellar should have told him he wasnat dealing with professional wizards. He hated that man for getting his little girl involved and despised himself for killing her.

A voice at the end of the alley called out, aHey, down there, I think we got him!a This was it. Maybe it was best if he didnat make it. At least Amber wouldnat find out what he had done. He would die as a brigand, but at least the memory of him would not be tarnished with his loved ones. Ready to surrender, he lifted his head up to see the mounted guard trotting away. Where was he going? Almost disappointed at not getting caught, he stumbled out to see the rider gallop into the street.

Spying an old, wide-brimmed cattlemenas hat, he put it on then threw on a dusty old oiled cloak. His lower legs and shoes still showed, but if he kept in the crowds, they wouldnat spot him.

Mingling in one of the knots of people on the street, he saw five guards drag a man out of a building. Behind them, six other people costumed in wealthy attire spilled out, crying out the manas innocence. In their haste to capture him, the guards had raided a troop of performers. As the rest of the troop convinced the guards the man had been performing all day, Tayan crossed the street. He left the growing number of gawkers and slipped across the street to make his way to the elven district.

Moving with throngs of people, he got into the walled inner city, stopping long enough to swipe a pair of tall boots to cover the lower parts of his legs. The boots were so loose his feet slapped around inside them, but at least he could walk along without fearing discovery. At the corner of the street Lady Salinthiaas estate was on, he paused to make sure no one was actively looking for him. Here and there, guards talked with elven men who wore the dark-blue-and-silver uniforms of Elrad East. By the closed gates to the courtyard, the only guards were on the other side. If he had to make a run for it, there was plenty of room. Walking out as if taking an afternoon stroll, he headed for the gates.

He didnat recognize either guard as he came to a stop.

One guard looked at him curiously. aCan we help you, sir?a aI am Lord Tayan Montara, and I need to speak to Lord Parnal immediately.a The elfas eyes widened. aOf course!a Making a show of lifting his arm to itch an ear, he said, aRight away, Malord. Wait right there, weall go get him.a aYes, just a moment,a the other elf agreed, itching his ear as well.

aCould you let me in?a Tayan asked heavily. Head had a rough day and didnat have time for foolishness.

aWho did you say you were again?a the elf asked.

Tayan grabbed the gates and shook them. aI am Tayan Montara, now let me in!a He noted the elf was looking past him. Turning around, he saw guards had come out of the buildings across the street to make a solid line that quickly made a semicircle to surround him. As he searched for a way out, he was grabbed and pulled back against the gates.

aLord Tayan is in his study and has been most of the day,a one elf hissed.

Suddenly, it all made sense. Whoever kidnapped him had put a duplicate in his place. Theyad set up that poor wizard, knowing he would get free. No one was going to see him as Lord Tayan--they would see him as a murdering impostor.

aYour Lord Tayan is a fake!a he cried.

In the tightening trap, several guards lifted loaded crossbows on him. One with a pair of silver bars on his shoulders called to the elven guards, aThank you for your help, brave elves. We wish you luck in Elrad,a To Tayan, he growled, aTry to escape, I dare you!a This was his last chance to convince the guards holding him he was who he said. Wracking his brains for something the fake would not know, he said, aI have proof. Jeni Redman is my fatheras wife. Her child, my sister, is named Erica.a Behind him, the elven guards laughed as they let him go. aEveryone knows that!a one chuckled. aAnd you can call her Lady Redman!a He turned to tell them that Odif was his sister, only Jeni knew that. Before he could say anything, his face was pushed into the gates and his arms pinned behind his back.

aThis is what liars and murderers get!a a guard hissed, and punched him hard in his lower back.

As he slipped down with a cry of pain, a deep, loud animal roar shook him to his bones. One of the guards crashed into the gates a bloody mass. Screams filled the air as the gargoyle ripped into the guards, pitching them away with long swipes of its huge paws. He focused on it in time to see it bite the head off one guard then rake another with a claw that tore his armor off and let his guts spill out.

His mind screamed as the beast ripped apart men who were too terrified to flee. Beside him, the gate opened to let in a pair of screaming guards to save them from the beast. On the street, the guards who could run did, dropping their weapons as they fled for their lives. The gargoyle saw no one else close by to kill, so it lunged at the gates, smashing through the iron bars as if they were wooden sticks.

aNooo!a Tayan screamed as he got to his hands and knees. The beast swung a claw at a guard cowering against the inside of the remaining gate. The blow crushed the man and ripped the gate off its hinges to send it flying into the street. One elf, shaking so badly his knees quivered, tried to stab the beast with his spear. The weapon didnat even penetrate the gargoyleas skin. The gargoyle slapped a paw down on him, and blood shot out from under it as the paw hit the ground. The remaining elf fled into the guardhouse and slammed the door as the gargoyle swung its paw, pieces of elf stuck to it, into the last city guardsman and killed him.

Choking back the bile in his throat, Tayan did the only thing he could to save the men cowering inside the guardhouse. He turned and fled as fast as his feet would take him.

A few streets later, he no longer heard the gargoyle. He slowed, because his vision kept clouding up as tears ran down his face. He cried for the men who were butchered, he cried for the girl whose face haunted him. He cried for the brave elves who were going to march under the banner of a fake. He dimly noted troops of guards and knights heading past him. They were rushing to face a threat they had no chance of winning against. Their only prospect for survival was for him to get away from here as fast as he could. Part of him wanted to go back and expose whoever was pretending to be him, but he knew he could never go back there--the danger to others was just too great. All it would take was for someone to hit him and the thing would begin killing again. His only option was to disappear and pray that someone found out the truth.

His mind in a fog, he somehow got to the mid-city bridge and crossed the river. No one stopped him as he left the walled portion of the city. When he started into the poor eastern section, he found a shop where he traded his clothes for some coin and more common garments. The light-brown shirt and breeches were worn, but now no one would recognize him before he managed to leave the city. He got a whole twelve silvers for his clothes, though the man would sell them later for that much in gold once he washed the fish smell out of them.

Slowly, the buildings got a bit shabbier, and the people looked a bit plainer. By the time the sun was down and night was starting to paint the sky, he was in what had to be the worst section of the city. He was on the outskirts; ahead were the tents and lean-tos of the very poor. Searching down the last street, he found an unpainted wooden building that declared in faded letters it was an inn.

He went to the boards set on barrels that served as a bar. Behind it, a woman who was aged by poverty wiped out tin cups as she eyed him. The blouse she wore had long ago lost any color and was threadbare enough to show she didnat have a proper undergarment to conceal her pendulous breasts.