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"I aain, and more besides Men are all the salimpse of treasure Is that not so, Conrad?"

"So the church teaches," he said without looking at her, as if the shadows of the forest hid so out there," he said in a changed voice

A sentry called out a challenge just as he spoke A second call alerted the camp, but as the soldiers jumped to their feet and servants hustled to the safety of the wagons, pale figures wandered out of woods with hands extended,the familiar refrain

"I pray you, noble one Have you food?"

"Just a corner of bread for my child, I pray you"

"God’s ars!" said Sabella, retreating "Captain! Chase them off"

Alain walked after her "Surely you can spare your leavings for these poor creatures They are har"

"Chase them off!" she ordered

Conrad fell back into the circle made by his retainers, all of whom had drawn their swords "Be on alert," he called

"They ars faltered before they entered the caainst their , adults and sain and ars would look behind toward the deeper darkness of the forest as if wolves were driving theht From back in the camp Alain heard Atto cry out, and the sound of a scuffle

"Stand ready!" Conrad’s voice carried easily; he ood fellows, and let the ots clean their corpses"

"Nay! nay! I know these folk!" Atto’s voice was a wail "How co here in the wilderness? They live but a day’s walk fro you! Do not harm them! They are innocent!"

Soldiers clattered into position Shields fell into line to protect the ranks if arrows flew from the woods A horn called twice Horses whinnied nervously

"Step back!" called Conrad to Alain

But it was Conrad and Sabella’s soldiers, standing with their backs close to the fires, ere easiest to see In the darkening twilight, Alain knew he appeared as noof the beggars and their exposed limbs made them conspicuous, but he was cloaked by the fine dark colors of his clothing, by his gloves and boots, and by his dark hair and darker hounds He was not at risk, not as the beggars were, caught between the noble company and whatever pushed at the the scrape of feet, the hter of one of the lordlings, the tick of a branch clacking against another, the snuffling of horses, and the thuround A child whimpered In the distance, an owl hooted, and he threw back his head, surprised, and listened as hard as he could As he breathed, he caught the inhalation of the world and the slow tre of air as the earth cooled with the onset of night Under the trees waited the wolves who hunted in this night, concealed by underbrush and broad tree trunks and the uneven carpet of the ground with its low rock dikes and knee-deep hollows The outlaere a sturdy, cautious band, and he listened carefully, counting each ht in all--no, there was the thirty-ninth, behind the bole of an ash Not enough to attack a coreater and better arence led the their number, not unless it was hidden from him

"Stay," he said to the hounds He walked into the trees, as silent as death, and ca man out of the darkness and lay a hand atop each head, each one so unsuspecting that the touch made him freeze in terror

Alain said only, in a whisper, each tier"

They ran, a scattering of footsteps as the first he touched fled, and then the second The sound turned briefly into a tumult, like a shower of hard rain, and pattered away into the depths as the last of them bolted He waited, but all he heard were cautious shouts and answers co from the camp as Conrad and Sabella shifted their sentries farther out to probe the darkness, and the quiet ars abandoned betwixt the company and the wild