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Three or four ti the river road They were not welcouards whocould take the ferry across to my father’s well-run town Hours down the road, out of view of both e, there were six open-sided sheds, a fire pit, and watering troughs set up for the coffle trains My father was not without mercy, but he distributed it on his own terms

My father had strictly forbiddenof the penal trains, for the prisoners included rapists and perverts as well as debtors, pickpockets, whores, and petty thieves There was no sense in exposing eant Duril and I sat our horses for the better part of an hour, watching the the river road He did not say that ration to the east, but I suspected it was so Soon enough, as a cavalry trooper, I’d have to deal with those who Troven had sentenced to be settlers on the lands around his eastern outposts My father would not send ons led the penal coffleits centipedian way toward us Mountedcolu their way through the hanging dust, teaons laden with the wo their way toward a new life When a trick of the wind carried the sounds of the prisoners to us, they sounded more animal than huht until they reached one of the king’s far outposts on the frontier They’d be fed bread and water, and know a respite frood

"I feel sorry for the shackles, the hanging dust; sometimes it seemed a miracle toeant Duril was disdainful of my soft sentiment "I feel sorrier for the ones left behind in the city, to continue being scuod decrees for every man what he is to do But those down there, they scoffed at their duty, and ignored the skills of their fathers Now the king offers them a second chance When they left Old Thares, they were prisoners and cried, they’d probably be killed by their fellows, or live out their lives like rats in a wall But King Troven has sent the hard way, to be sure, but it’s a new life that awaits theet there, they’ll have built so’s road for a year or so, pushing it across the Plains, and then they’ll have earned the right to their freedoes for a couple of years of toiling King Troven’s given them all a new chance to be better than they were, to own land of their own and to live a clean life, to follow in their fathers’ trades as they should have, with their old criotten You feel sorry for the’stheir thieving hands off, or living in debtors’ prison with their wives and little ones alongside them? Those are the ones I pity, the ones too stupid to see the opportunity our king offers them No I don’t pity those men down there They walk a hard road, and no inally chose for theed line of chained men and wondered how many truly felt it had been their decision to choose this course And what of the woons? Had they had a choice at all? I er if Duril had not distracted er!"

I lifted my eyes and looked toward the east The river snaked off into the distance, and the river road followed its winding course beside it Passenger coaches, freight wagons, and the post traveled that road Ordinary ons for the most part; letters to soldiers from their families and sweethearts in the west and their repliesTroven’s couriers traveled that road as well, bearing i’s capital in Old Thares to the west Part ofas a landed noble was to e of horses for the ers Often the dispatch riders were invited up toafter they had passed on theirkept up to date on events at the frontier, and the enerous hospitality in the harsh land I hoped ould have co meal; it always enlivened the conversation