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"We saw no sign of Eika on the road"

He shook his head "I know not where they came from, my lady We are cut off utterly from the east"

Theophanu looked at her captains and her companions, who had fallen into stunned silence "They have come out of the west, or out of the north, and if that is so, then they have circled ht between them, and Conrad Captain, to arms See to our eastern defenses--if we have any We lant, so he is ready e sound our advance"

4

AFTER the rider nah quiet forestlands before a horn called the alaralloped up along the road

"Holy Mother! Sister! I pray you, fall back to the line of wagons at once!"

Rosvita swung her mount around immediately, but Mother Scholastica stared stubbornly at the flushed and frightenedus on the road!"

"Have they identified the, Brother Fortunatus pointed west

A score of beasts stepped out of the trees and onto the shaded road In form they bore a remarkable resemblance to hus and a huht be mistaken for those of a man, but they were not men Many bared their teeth, which had a sharp splendor like to that of dogs They h their silence seeh

"Ai, God!" cried their escort, Peter

"This can’t be Conrad’s arnantly

"Pull back to the wagons," said Sister Rosvita in a quiet voice to the riders surrounding her, erethe royal abbess

"Look in the trees!" exclaiave theed in the forest, all standing as still as if they were statues--and so they old

"I believe we are surrounded" In the face of disaster, Rosvita found that she felt perfectly calons I will reeant Aronvald We’d best discuss our options while we still have ti silence, Rosvita out in front with Peter re bravely beside her while Mother Scholastica led the others back to the wagons