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Two of the seated warriors rose and took up halberds that leaned against the guardhouse The other two gathered quivers and crossbows that had been on the ground next to their feet, slinging the quivers onto their backs before they stood to set a quarrel in their crossbows

"I think so," Parahan replied

Rosethorn and Briar double-checked the slings on their chests Their seed boht on the saddles in front of the the packready, with disks of quartz and flint ready for use

"This ," Rosethorn cautioned

They said no uard on the barrier He was a strongly built older man who kept all of his attention on their small party

"Hello!" Parahan cried cheerfully "It must be a dull day for you felloith no one else on the road!"

"Halt for inspection!" the oldest lorious e his pace forward "Only, would you ask your fellows there to lower their crossbows? My wife is in the faue," muttered Rosethorn

"Your endearether,not to laugh aloud, as Rosethorn turned crimson "How can you joke at a time like this?" she demanded

"If not at a tiered the cloth balls in his sling, skipping from the killer thorns to the ropey ones He supposed Rosethorn would want hih the thorns would ensure that none of these people followed the war after all, why should they care if they broke the laws of the border?

But Rosethorn would care if Briar killed anyone he didn’t absolutely have to He wondered if she’d discussed that issue with Parahan

"Halt!" shouted the leader again "Dismount and raise your hands"

"Is there a problem, sirs? As I have said, my wife is in a delicate condition," Parahan called They were crossing the bridge over the lesser river "Get ready," he told his coht here If we get any closer they’ll win the fight" He swiftly brought down the top of his staff and re the wooden tube into the front of his tunic

"You answer to the descriptions of criminals wanted by the emperor!" cried the leader "Put down your weapons, dismount, and kneel!"

The crossbow archers leveled their weapons at their group Evvy snapped two pieces of quartz into the air They flew straight at the archers, who threw up their hands to protect their eyes Their weapons clattered to the ground Their bolts began to sprout leaves

The corabbed their bows and put fresh bolts fro The men with halberds ran toward Rosethorn and Evvy, who had ht to deal with anyone who ca to the cloth ball in her hand and threw it at the spear its burden of seeds into the air Vines that went froround at their feet They wrapped around the spears

Briar trotted his pony forward The crossbow bolt that caround and sprouted roots The second bolt struck a disk of quartz in round The disk returned to Evvy Briar didn’t thank her He had gotten close enough to throw his own ball of seed where he wanted it to go It landed between the two archers and exploded into thorny growth

The older soldier, the one in command, had unsheathed his sword and run forward the moment the archers released their second round of bolts He rowl

For aman reversed his spear He slah to break it, then swept it down, jaht knee The Yanjingyi gerthe staff of his spear hard into the back of the soldier’s head The Yanjingyi round and rolled away froer More yells were couardhouse Four soldiers spilled out of it, wiping theireapons Evvy pitched a ball at the fresh arrivals as if she played at ninepins It was quartz, the size of both of her fists, and it rolled swiftly across the flat ground toward the new soldiers They didn’t see it until it reached them and exploded into a number of sharp stone needles

The four round They tried blindly to pull the sharp stone slivers from their faces The third ran toward Parahan and one toward Rosethorn, both drawing their swords Rosethorn pointed to some of the vines that had coreen ropes reached for the swordsrabbed him by the throat

Briar looked for therein with one end tied to her waist Doesn’t she know they could pull her out of the saddle? he thought, panicked He dise of panic Digging in a pocket, he found the handful of cal herbs he’d put there Carefully he blew so around their eyes He checked on Evvy again She was steadfast next to Rosethorn They waited for the enemy’s next attack, Evvy with a second stone ball in her hand, Rosethorn with another thorny vine ball in hers