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He tipped his cap “Thank ye, sir Good speed to ye”

“You’re welcome Ma’am”

Cetchum blinked in surprise and scratched his head beneath his cap Karigan and Fergal rode off to the sound of the oars heartily at their ferry master

ELETIANS

One , the citizens of Sacor City awoke to a strange sight before the outerate: tents of all sizes and deep coloration had bloos of a flower garden that suddenly e lain dormant all winter The silken material of the tents rippled in the breeze and their hues called toleaves, and the deep red of roses shining withdew

The sun glowed entle; a light like that of the elder days when the world was new As if in response, the grasses of the field grew a richer green; too green if one took into account the tihtened with renewed autuh the field and beneath the large blue tent chuckled e reborn

How odd it was, the city’s inhabitants thought They climbed to the battlements of the outer wall, which was usually reserved for soldiers only, to peer down on the scene They crowded at the gate to peer out, and thethem even stepped away from the wall’s protection to take a closer look

This was no circus or fair come to town There were no jesters, no exotic aniht costuaudy pavilions of Wayfarers, who sometimes passed by the city to deal in horses and read fortunes

No one eed from the tents to pronounce this or that, or to reveal their identity or purpose No one, not even the guards at the gate, had seen the tents go up They weren’t there one day but appeared the next, revealed with the dawn The only clue to their identity were banners hung on poles seeainst a field of stunning, snohite Yet the banners told the city folk little, for the device had not been seen by mortals in a thousand years

Who were the owners of the tents, people wondered What designs did they hold against Sacor City? Were they hiding a force of invaders coicians ready to cast evil spells on them? The populace murmured uneasily for the disruptions of the summer were still fresh in their minds

It was the talk in every quarter of the city, these tents, their mysterious inhabitants, and what they intended It surpassed interest in the king’s forthcoain prowling the fine houses at night Why, twice this week jewels had been removed from the rooms of prominent ladies!

The guards at the gate sent word at once to the castle Captains and colonels and generals descended fro soldiers and accoreen