Prince of Time

Chapter Fifteen - Bandit Country

The days of riding fell into a steady routine. Maple’s skill improved to passable, though it was universally despaired of making her hold her elbows correctly. She either had her arms matchstick-straight or she flapped like a chicken. It wasn’t worth fighting with.

 Conversation was limited. Aside from a few basic discussions, in which Maple discovered that Zeno had been born a forester and Ane was the daughter of a jeweller, nobody was willing to talk about themselves. There seemed little else to mention.

  They rode in silence for most days, keeping at a steady pace. These were army horses and they kept up the speed for the first week. Muscles ached and grew hardened. Hunger twisted stomachs at a constant. Somewhere, they crossed the border out of Merdia.

“We’re on foreign ground,” Tobiah laughed shortly. “We’re kill-on-sight now. Be warned.”

But on the long, lonely road, they met scarce few others and none that paid them attention. The drumming, persistent pattern was drilling itself into their brains, imprinting on their minds.

“Enough,” Zeno broke the silence on the ninth day of riding.

Everybody turned to look at him, stunned by this unexpected speech.

“Enough,” he repeated. “For heavens’ sake, let us find an inn for tonight. Please?”

“Have you seen any inns along this road?” Maple sounded bored. “At all? Nobody travels between Harian and Merdia, not on this track.”

“I know a place we can stay.”

All eyes now turned to Nicanor, who shrugged.

“How do you know?” Tobiah asked, suspiciously. “How could you know this road?”

“I’ve been this way before,” Nicanor waved a hand lazily.

“Oh?” Pepper rolled her eyes. “I expect you have a secret double life, don’t you?”

Nicanor looked surprised. “I thought everybody did. I can’t imagine how it’s possible to live without one.”

“Don’t you ever confuse them?” Ane wondered, as if this was the major concern.

“If I did, I wouldn’t deserve them,” Nicanor flashed a smile. “It’s easy, anyway. There’s nothing similar about them.”

“What do you mean?”

“In one life, I’m the confident, arrogant young dragon rider champion,” Nicanor explained patiently. “In the other, I’m a wandering traveller, quiet and gentle and kind, brave though, faithful and always returning.”

Zeno scoffed. “I can’t imagine that.”

“Both are masks I’ve taken great care over. It’s hard to imagine the one you can’t see.”

“So where is this place?” Maple interrupted. “How far down the road?”

“We should get there after dark,” Nicanor glanced at the sky. “Once we’ve passed through bandit country.”

“This is bandit country?” Pepper looked around. “My faith in bandits wanes every second.”

“Oh, don’t let that happen, dear,” a voice spoke from the trees on the left. “We’d hate to lose your admiration.”

All of a sudden, it was raining thieves. They dropped from branches, leapt from behind trunks, swung out of the leaves and dropped to the ground. In a split second, they were surrounded.

“Forward!” Tobiah roared, drawing his sword with a flourish.

Pepper, Maple and Nicanor were already armed. Ane hastily unslung her bow. The bandits didn’t hesitate either. There was no time for pointless chatter. They leapt, bristling with knives, into the fray.