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Wonderful, Lan thought Highwayht road for weary travelers Well, three erous They rode behind Lan at a trot They wouldn’t attack until they were farther from the inn Lan reached to loosen his sword in its sheath

"My Lord," Bulen said urgently, looking over his shoulder "Two of thosethe hadori"

Lan spun around, cloak whipping behind him The three men approached and did not stop They split around him and Bulen

Lan watched the?"

One of the three--a lean, dangerous-lookinghair held back with the hadori It had been years since Lan had seen Andere He looked as if he’d given up his Kandori unifor leathers underneath

"Ah, Lan," Andere said, the threeup to stop "I didn’t notice you there"

"I’m sure you didn’t," Lan said flatly "And you, Nazar You put your hadori ahen you were a lad Now you don one?"

"Iold--he must be past his seventieth year--but he carried a sword on his saddle His hair had gone white

The third man, Rakim, wasn’t Malkieri He had the tilted eyes of a Saldaean, and he shrugged at Lan, looking a little e his eyes as the three rode ahead What foolish ga his eyes

Bulen started to say solare He turned southward off the road, cutting down a s, he heard muffled hoofbeats fro behind hiritted "I’ the Golden Crane!"

"We didn’t say you were," Nazar said The three parted around hi up to the me"

"Last I checked, ere ahead of you," Andere said

"You turned this way after oran," Andere said He glanced at Lan, face shadowed in the night "If you haven’t noticed, I’o I’ve become a soldier, and soldiers are needed So I will ride this way if I please"

"I coo back," Lan said "Find a different path eastward"

Rakihed, his voice still hoarse after all these years "You’re not er, Lan Why would I obey your orders?" The others chuckled

"We’d obey a king, of course," Nazar said

"Yes," Andere said "If he gave us co here Unless I’ of a fallen people," Lan said "No king without a kingdo his reins "Ride to your death in a land you claied, then pulled ahead of him

"Don’t be fools," Lan said, voice soft as he pulled Mandarb to a halt "This path leads to death"

"Death is lighter than a feather, Lan Mandragoran," Rakim called over his shoulder "If we ride only to death, then the trail will be easier than I’d thought!"