Yes, yes I know. How horrible I am to make you guys wait so long. I should be hanged! Drawn and quartered! Scourged! Be forced to read Mary Sues all day long! The horror!

On a Serious note, thanks to my reviewers especially those who stuck with me this long. I apologize for the delay. Trying to write Chapter 10 was like running into a brick wall, and a bad case of writer's block didn't help matters at all. But I think I have it squared away. Suggestions and criticism, as always, are welcome.

Disclaimer: Must I?

Chapter 10

Things began to fall apart for Archenland a few weeks after Ulric's death. An attack was launched by the Serpens Russus on several large, western farms, one of which had pledged food for the workers of Diarko Pygros. Town militias were immediately called out, and Elisud was gone for weeks, taking a small guard to protect the Telmarine Pass, the only entrance into Archenland from the west. And yet, though no enemy ever got past Elisud's guard, small raids were still being carried out here and there, in different parts of Archenland. One day someone might be captured and killed, a farm might burn the next. Whole families were disappearing, turning up a few days later, nearly cut to pieces. Lord Aidan, the man chiefly in charge of Archenland's internal defense (meaning he prosecuted criminals and things like that), was under a good deal of pressure. He called for what was left of the town militias and began a vicarious hunt for the anarchists. Unfortunately for he, anarchists do not all wear the same face, and nearly half of the people he captured were as innocent as they claimed. Marshal law was imposed in Archenland, and everyone lived in absolute terror, either of being arrested by their own government or of the men who were out to destroy their country.

Our castle-building heros waited anxiously for word from Queen Eleytheria as to whether or not they might be able proceed with construction in the spring. Amongst the other problems in Archenland, money was a definite factor, and questions had been raised as to whether or not Archenland could afford to build a new castle and support an army during wartime, for it seemed that war was just on the horizon. Lord Faolan, sticking to his promise of assisting in any way he could, had argued with the council for three days straight, reminding them of all the benefits of a southern stronghold. Surprisingly, his most vehement opponent was Elisud.

They all sat in Aoife's quarters now; Galian, Lord Sawyl, Pericles, and of course, Aoife, waiting for word from the council. Pericles and Aoife were the more impatient ones; they paced the length of the room time and time again, nervously wringing their hands and constantly glaring at the clock in the corner. Galian and Lord Sawyl sat on the window seat, shivering from the cold that managed to leak in through the window, Sawyl remarking every now and again what a beautiful night it was, with the stars shining so silver and the moon at her full. Galian agreed without really realizing what he was agreeing to. He daren't tell Aoife, but more than anything he wanted the plans to be discontinued, and soon, before it came time to break ground. He felt that at this point, the enemy they needed to deal with the most was the Serpens Russus, though he still suspected the Calormenes of having a hand in the entire mess. His only reservation was that Griffle might be horribly offended, and his was a friendship they could not afford to lose.

Faolan burst in quite suddenly, and the look on his face told everyone that the meeting had not ended in their favor.

"They've gone with Elisud's proposal. All the money that might be used for the castle will go to the army, to the blatantly sickening and unjust imprisoning of Archenlanders."

Pericles fell into a chair, bewildered, while Aoife ranted, "But how could they? When they agreed not four months ago the importance of this castle outweighed the expense?"

"Apparently they feel that any sort of barbaric action is better than any sort of planning for future events,"Faolan said dryly, helping himself to some wine that sat in the middle of the table, "You'd think the Queen would have listened to someone whose knowledge of things like this is unparalleled, but..."and he drank all the wine in one swig.

Lord Sawyl had been silent through all this, but finally said, in his deep voice, "Well, my dear friends, perhaps luck shall favor us in the future. Farewell."

"Wha...you're just giving up?"Aoife asked, rounding on him.

"My dear,"he said, taking her hand and kissing it, "it has been a true privilege assisting you. I tell you now I truly believe in Diarko Pygros, all the good it could do for Archenland, and more. But alas, I serve the Queen of Archenland, and if she is for war, than I must be for war also. Farewell."

Aoife and Faolan continued to vent for the next few minutes. Pericles followed Faolan's lead, taking deep gulps of wine and every now and again throwing in a word of agreement. Galian had not moved from the window seat, and was now wondering how he would tell Griffle he would no longer need his masons, and later how he would tell Aoife that he was going with the army.

Everyone grew silent, and when he looked up Galian saw why. Elisud had entered the room, still in battle dress, for he had to leave immediately (yes, in the middle of the night) for the Telmarine Pass.

"Don't give me those looks,"he said as he stopped in front of the group, "I did what I thought was best. And right now, what is best is to get rid of these anarchists before they infect everyone with their ideology."

"And how do we do that, Elisud,"Faolan said smartly, "by throwing innocent people into prison?"

Elisud flushed at these words, "Do not presume to lecture me about what you do not know, Faolan. By my blood and by my sweat I have done my best to preserve Archenland. Can you say that? Have you even left the gates of Anvard since Galian and Ulric were attacked?"

"Elisud, this is not about you and what you have done for Archenland, nor is it about Faolan and what he has done for Archenland," Aoife blurted angrily, "This is about saving our people, protecting them from evil. Now, tell me which proposal do you think might be better suited to such an aspiration; one in which towns are burned and blood is spilled no matter what action the army takes, or one that can prevent it all from happening?"

"We do not know for sure that Calormene is the enemy here."

"You fool, of course Calormene is the enemy. Calormene has always been the enemy."

"Elisud,"came Pericles's voice, a good deal much calmer than he probably felt, "where is the support you gave us months ago?"

"It died with the peasants, Captain,"Elisud replied bitterly.

"But we can save them. We can build another place where they might have a place for refuge and sanctuary. Don't you think so?"

"By the time Diarko Pygros is built, all of Archenland may already be destroyed."

"All the more reason to not delay construction in the least, don't you think?"

Elisud rolled his eyes, clearly seeing that he would never win the argument. He looked round the room, as if asking for help, and his eyes landed on Galian, "Tell them, Galian,"he said suddenly, and everyone turned to look to the young knight, "you know as well as I do, probably more, that we need to silence these anarchists."

Galian had prayed the argument would not fall to him, because he was sure Aoife would not like what he had to say in the least. Under her scathing glare, he stuttered, "I-I..uh...well..."

"Of course he would say the same as you,"Faolan spat, saving Galian from everyone's attention, "he's a warrior, just like you. You warriors have nothing on your mind but death and bloodshed."

Though he was very much on the great lord's side, Pericles turned suddenly round in his chair, shooting Faolan a glare that was only matched by those of Galian and Elisud. The latter growled, "Say what you will, my lord, but I have done what I thought was best, as I said before. If my sickening obsession with war and violence, as you say, save this country, then I shall have done my duty without regret,"and with those words, he stormed out of the room.

"What will we do now?"Aoife nearly cried, sinking into a chair in despair. Faolan began to pace the room, muttering harsh and undeserved expletives against Elisud. Galian still hadn't moved from his seat in the corner, wondering when would be the best time to slip away without drawing an attention to himself. He had just made up his mind to leave when Faolan stopped abruptly, crying out, "I have it!"

"What?"everyone asked at once.

"Do not fret, Aoife, you'll have your castle. And Archenland will have its safety. Oh, they shall be forever indebted to us, once they realize how important this castle is and how foolish they were to choose war over us."

"How, my lord?"Aoife asked, "how can we build a castle without Archenland's funds and materials?"

"Why, it's very simple. I shall pay for it all."

"But, my lord,"Aoife replied incredulously, "How can you do such a thing? We all know your wealth is unequaled amongst all the noblemen in Archenland, and perhaps the entire north, but I cannot imagine how you would be able to afford the construction of what is already becoming a very expensive stronghold."

"Actually, with my assistance, I believe construction will cost much less. We'll use stone from my quarry. Galian was already planning to visit the giants, weren't you?"still surprised, Galian nodded slightly, "if he can convince a good number of them to work for us, we'll be able to cut at least half our workforce, and the rest that do not accept the wages I shall pay them will be replaced by men from my own province. And with those excellent dwarves of Griffle's working for practically nothing, we have all the workers we shall need. It's perfect!"

"But my lord,"Aoife asked, still shocked, "are you sure..."

"I am more than positive, Aoife. Unlike Lord Elisud, I truly believe in this castle."

Aoife then did something quite surprising and rather galling on Pericles's and Galian's part; she ran to Faolan and gave him a great, warm hug, telling him over and over how wonderful he was and what a savior he was.

They all left after this, retiring for the evening, for tomorrow would be busier than they cared to imagine. All left, save for Galian. As Pericles and Faolan bade Aoife good night and left, he said lowly, "I don't think this is a good idea, Aoife. Not a good idea in the least."

"Oh, so now you have something to say?"Aoife spat, giving him the most harshest of glares she reserved for him when he had done something disappointing (which, unfortunately, seemed to be fairly often lately).

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"You didn't say a word before, Galian. Not a word in my defense. You just sat there, looking like a dazed fool, not saying anything."

"He caught me by surprise, is all."

"What about before then, Galian? Or after?"to which Galian had no reply. She stepped close to him, narrowing her eyes, "Just what were you going to say? Hmm? When Elisud asked you what you thought, what were you going to say? Were you even going to defend me?"

"First of all, to hear you talk before, this isn't supposed to be about you or me or Faolan or Elisud or anyone. This is about the castle, remember? This is about the people, isn't it? And second...Aoife, I'm sorry. I have to agree with Elisud. Maybe it does have something to do with the fact that I'm a fighter and that I think like a fighter. But the Serpens Russus have integrated with the common people of Archenland. There are so many poor, unfortunate fools out there that will believe anything anyone tells them. The Serpens Russus themselves are good examples. I just can't let Archenland and Narnia allow themselves to be taken over like that."

Aoife was breathing heavily, as if she had just gone on a good run, though truthfully she was breathing hard with anger. Her eyes filled with tears, and she said, "Fine! Go to your war! Kill as many fanatics as you please. But do not expect me to allow you back once the war is over. And do not expect me to cry if you die. You went back on your word, Galian. Again."

"Aoife, aren't you being..."

"No, I don't think I am. You betrayed me. Now get out!"

He hesitated. When he did, she cried, louder than before, "Go!"

Dejectedly, he left her room. He went to the kitchens, where he knew a fellow or two might have gathered for one last cup of wine before it was time to retire for the evening. Not surprisingly, he saw Elisud there. He sat beside his friend and poured himself a cup of strong ale. After a few moments, Elisud said, "I really am sorry about the castle. I really would have liked to see it built."

"You might get your wish,"Galian said darkly, and briefly told him of Faolan's plan.

"How absolutely perfect,"Elisud said sarcastically, "it's bad enough to hear him brag about the land he owns already. Now he'll have control over another structure."

"Do you think he might have some ulterior motive?"

Elisud rolled his eyes, taking a great gulp of ale, "Not tonight, Galian,"he said shortly, "I'm in a very foul mood and don't have the patience to argue with you about something I've told you time and time again is absolute rubbish."

"Think about it..."

"I'm done thinking,"Elisud said, standing abruptly, "I've been thinking all day and I'm done,"he made to leave, then turned and said, in just as angry a voice, "Can I expect your sword? Or shall you take the more pleasurable route; running about obediently at your true love's beck and call?"and before Galian could retort, he left.

He finished his wine and started toward his room, walking as speedily as he could lest he run into more bad luck. Unfortunately, Bad Luck caught up with him before he could reach his room, in the form of Lord Faolan.

"I hope you don't expect to go out with the army tomorrow,"Faolan said, in as bad temper as everyone else seemed to be that night.

"I had expected to do so, my lord,"Galian replied, a bit wearily. He had received quite a lot of rude comments that day, without just cause he thought, and his tolerance had just about reached its level.

"You forget your duties. I employed you to protect me. Remember?"

"Yes, my lord, but in light of recent events..."

"In light of recent events, I think now I shall need protection more than ever, especially now that this detestable clan has recruited some of the rustics to do their bidding."

Galian let the rustic remark slide for the moment, instead saying, "But, my lord, if the cabinet determines that driving out the Serpens Russus required military force, should I not be amongst the soldiers, as that is really what I am best at."

"You are at your best when you are killing, Galian?"Faolan asked, eyebrows raised.

"I am best when I am defending, my lord,"came the reply, respectful yet warning.

"But you shall be defending. You shall be defending me."

He turned to walk away, considering the matter closed, saying in parting, "We shall meet in my quarters tomorrow morning after breakfast. If you are not inclined to help plan, then you shall be there as my bodyguard."

"My lord,"Galian called as he walked away, "you know that no one else worries more about your safety than I. But do you not agree that common bodyguard duty is a waste of my time and talents?"

Faolan gave a dry laugh, and a biting answer, "And there it is. Sir Galian, the most humble knight to grace Anvard's halls, feels himself to important for bodyguard work."

Galian flushed, "My lord..."

"No, no, perhaps you're right. Perhaps you are too important. I suppose I should just let you go join the fighting then, leaving myself unsuitably protected, endangering Archenland's future, just because you cannot swallow your pride and do something a little less exciting. No, Sir Galian, you shall be in my quarters precisely after breakfast. Or else."

"Or else what?"Galian challenged.

Faolan turned round, a devious smile on his face, "I think you know what else, Galian."

And so, though it was much against his wishes, he did arrive punctually at Faolan's quarters early the next morning. Aoife and Faolan both refused to give him a second glance, and the only one who acknowledged his presence was, oddly enough, Pericles, though his recognition of Galian's presence did not go much beyond scathing glares. At any rate, he, Aoife, and Faolan worked out a great many of the details, or at least they put ideas to paper. Much of it relied on Faolan and what he was willing to commit to the project, though he assured them that his workers would have no qualms about working in southern Archenland, nor would his miners have any trouble transporting the stone from quarry to construction site. The only uncertain detail was that of the giants. Lord Faolan promised to take care of that minor problem, and decided that he and Galian would leave within the week.

It had been a long day, and everyone trudged out of the room wearily. Aoife and Galian were the last two to leave. She permitted him to walk her to her room, though the silence was awkward and strained. As they reached her door, she told him, "I really didn't mean it when I said I wouldn't care if you died."

"I know,"he said simply, glad at least that they were speaking.

"I am still angry about you going back on your word."

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

"I'm not a fool, Galian. When Faolan releases you from his service, you'll join Elisud on the battlefront. Won't you?"

Galian didn't answer, very much assuring himself that he would join the battle. She nodded resentfully, "I thought as much. You've still gone back on your word. That is a very hard crime to forgive,"and she slammed the door in his face.

Between herself and Elisud, who seemed to no longer be angry with him but still avoided him when possible, Galian was glad to leave a week later, even if he had to endure the company of a man like Faolan. The great lord insisted that in addition to Galian's protection, a small guard go with them, a small guard that Archenland could not really afford to spare at the moment. The day they left, a small brawl broke out in a village a few miles away from Anvard, though it was not between Serpens Russus and soldiers, but between farmers who supported either one or the other. It took the local militia a long time to respond, because their resources were scattered elsewhere, and by the time all was said and done, three men were dead.

The ride to the northernmost section of Narnia, where the giants lived, was inconsequential save for the few peasants that stopped what they were doing to either bow to the passing lords or else shout insults with fists raised, all this occurring before they reached the Narnian Pass. There was one particularly frightening altercation in which some roadside workers actually tried to stone the small detachment as they rode past, and only Galian's severely harsh threats kept two of the soldiers from riding back and killing them all (though they can hardly be blamed; they had been forced to deal with such a thing for quite a while now).

"You are soldiers whose duty it is to protect the common Archenlander,"Galian told them, "it would be dishonorable to attack those who cannot defend themselves as you can."

Once they reached the Narnian Pass, things calmed down a great deal. The Narnians were as yet unaffected by the threat of anarchy, and the ride through Narnia was inconsequential. Within a week, they reached the giants' land.

Galian's reputation preceded him. The giants, who didn't know much about statistical information regarding how many Archenlanders lived as slaves in Calormen, nor did they care much to hear about poor, unfortunate Calormenes who knew nothing of a free society but instead had to live their lives in the grip of an uncaring upper class. What they did know was that if Sir Galian claimed that a castle on the southern border was vital to the survival of Archenland, that it truly must be so. Therefore, they pledged at least three grown giants, and six child-giants. While this may not sound like much, bear in mind that one giant can do the work of three hundred men, and we can assume that the children could do half as much. Their assistance would speed construction along greatly.

They spent the night in a tavern, then started home the next day, Lord Faolan evidently not wanting to waste any time. As before, the ride through Narnia was uneventful. It was after they crossed the pass into Archenland that they ran into trouble.

It was as if they had known the detachment was coming, and had all aligned themselves at the proper place at the proper time. As the soldiers topped the first ridge, they saw below them a group of no less than thirty peasants, armed with rocks and farm tools and all sorts of primitive weapons.

"What the devil..."Faolan swore.

"What do we do sir?"one of the soldiers asked Galian.

Galian had been wondering the exact same thing. There were only ten in his group, four centaurs and the rest men. Looking around at them, he pointed to two of the centaurs, "You two...if it so happens that we have to fight our way through this crowd, which I pray does not happen, you two take Lord Faolan and go back to Narnia. Send help if you can. The rest of you, do not, under any circumstances, attack. Defend and disarm if you can, but avoid killing when possible. Do not be the first to attack. Be on your guard, but do not attack. These people do not know what they do. They are as much so victims to the Serpens Russus as we are. Don't hurt them."

They rode towards the gathering. Once the peasants saw them coming, they began to raise an ungodly din of curses and threats. At this point, the two centaurs in charge of Faolan stopped short with the great lord. As he neared, Galian asked (having to do so several times to be heard above the racket), "What is the meaning of all this?"

They quieted enough for one to reply, "We're here because we're sick and tired of being taken advantage of. We're here because we want to be treated like men and not as the Queen's own personal chess set."

A great many people shouted in agreement, and when they grew quiet enough Galian called, "And who says you're being taken advantage of? I'd very much like to know. Because you know damn well that's not true."

"Isn't it, my lord?"the same man asked, "Then why are we forced build castles we want nothing to do with or fight in battles that have nothing to do with us?"

"I don't know much about being forced to build a castle,"Galian cried, quickly shooting a glare back towards the road Faolan had taken, wondering if the too powerful lord had anything to do with it, "no one is making you participate in that. But you ought to want to fight, if it means protecting your land and your family and your Queen."

This might have been the wrong thing to say, for the head speaker was no longer able to make himself heard, for voice rang out angrily, saying things like, "The monarchy is the enemy!" and "We don't want to defend a tyrant!" or else "We do not fight for a government that takes advantage of us!"

Without warning, a stone flew from the crowd and hit one soldier in the face. Seemingly a hundred more came from the crowd. Luckily, Galian and the rest were well protected enough from sticks and stones, but they were in danger of being overrun by the crowd. Those that had spears were striking peasants with the butt ends of them, the rest were warding them off with the flats of their swords. One or two of them lost their heads and every now and then accidently stabbed out, leaving one poor fool lying in a puddle of his own blood, thus enraging the rioters more. Presently, Galian had to call for a retreat, and they did, to the top of the ridge, where Faolan and the two centaurs stood, thankfully unscathed, the former looking at the entire scene with disgust.

"You are all trained soldiers!"he yelled as they neared, "And you cannot defend yourself against a band of ignorant farmers?"

"Even the best warrior can fall if he's outnumbered, my lord,"a centaur answered before Galian was able to. A bit shortly, he told Faolan, "My lord, we cannot possibly push through this riot. We have to go back to Narnia, and wait until it's safe."

"No. We can take the long way round to Stormness Head. From there we can gather a larger unit of soldiers and get to Anvard and alert the Queen of the situation."

"For one, I'm sure Queen Eleytheria is quite aware of the situation,"Galian snapped, "and also, I must most respectfully disagree with your lordship's proposal. We have to get to safety as quickly as possible, and Narnia is our closest haven."

"Galian, I am not going to allow myself to be badgered by a band of ill-bred rustics,"Faolan shouted, "We'll go to Stormness Head. That is my order."

Rolling his eyes, Galian waited until the majority of the protestors had gotten tired and gone away, then led the group through the thick flora on the little known road to Stormness Head. It was little known because most of it was partially hidden, and you wouldn't know about it unless you had traveled it several times, as Faolan had. Also, the path was extremely rocky, and not well cleared, as trees and great boulders lay in the way, as well as mounds of dirt that hadn't been beaten into the ground like those on a more traveled pathway. It was a difficult road to take, and it took twice as long, the main reason it wasn't so popular, but at the moment, it was heaven-sent, and late into the evening they reached Faolan's manor.

They stayed a few days, allowing the peasants time to calm down, and giving Faolan time to sort out the business about the stone quarry and the workers that would be needed for construction and things of that sort that he pledged to the castle. They left two weeks later, this time with more soldiers, all of whom dressed in full battle gear (from Faolan's own armory). Galian stuck close to Faolan, not taking any chances. As they rode, Faolan said, "Galian, the Serpens Russus didn't begin attacking until after Christmas, until after you brought that package to Anvard."

Galian shifted in his saddle, not daring to look at Faolan, "And you think one has to do with the other, my lord?"

Faolan rolled his eyes, "Galian, I'm tired of playing these games with you. Any man can see that of course one has to do with the other. Whatever it is, can't we just use it for bartering? Perhaps persuade the Serpens Russus to leave if we give them the package?"

"My lord,"Galian said impatiently, "I brought the package to Anvard for a reason. I brought it because I felt that it needed to be in a safe place, away from the anarchists."

"Yes, well, of course I wouldn't know that,"came Faolan's biting answer, "as I do not know enough about the package to make an educated guess."

"My lord, again you must trust me when I say that the last thing this country needs is for that package to fall into the wrong hands."

"How can I trust someone..."but he was silenced immediately, for just then Galian had pushed him off his horse and onto the ground, to avoid the torrent of arrows that had come flying at them from all directions.

From what he could see as he peered from underneath his shield, a large group of green-tunic wearing men had surrounded them on both sides of the canyon, and were shooting at Galian's guard with effortless speed and accuracy. There was nothing he could do as he watched as soldier after soldier fall. They were being picked off one by one, and there seemed to be an unending supply of arrows. These were no ordinary clansmen, Galian realized. These were the elite, the true backbone of the Serpens Russus, the reason they were all so feared. They were true warriors.

Eventually, though, they did run out of arrows, and began their assault on the few soldiers who had survived the slaughter. Roughly, Galian picked up Faolan by his tunic, who had stayed on the ground the entire time, and threw the lord roughly into a small crevice, the best defensive structure Galian could find.

"Stay there!"Galian ordered, and wheeled round to face a large, black bearded man with one eye. He met his death as Galian's sword punctured through the chain mail and drove into his stomach. The next fell as his exposed left hand accidently flew out into Galian's reach, and this man fell to the ground in horror as his disembodied hand lay turning white on the ground.

The next man was more fortunate. This man was bigger than the first, and his parries were much more powerful. He managed to knock Galian's sword away, and with a punch from his hand that felt as though it had tons of stone behind it, a hard blow fell to Galian's still tender left side.

He fell to the ground in agony, vomiting a little and trying his hardest to not faint. Somewhere behind him he could hear Faolan calling for help. More out of instinct than anything else, Galian drew a dagger that had been dropped by one of the men he had killed, and plunged it into the assailant's calf. The man was only enraged, and turned to Galian and slashed and cut with his sword. Luckily, Galian's armor held fast, and the worst injury from this assault was a cut to the cheek. He rolled away from the big man's blows, catching up his sword as he did so. The man's more powerful blow broke Galian's sword in two just as he was delivering a stroke, but the big man made the mistake of hesitating after he swung, and with what was left of the sword was driven into the bad man's chest. This time, he fell and did not move again.

Galian was now weaponless. He tried to handle the big man's sword, but it was as heavy as it had looked, and he discarded it after nearly getting himself killed once or twice. He took up a lighter weapon that had been dropped, and resumed his fight, never taking more than a few steps away from the crevice where Faolan was hidden. The Serpens Russus seemed to grow fewer, thankfully, but Galian's soldiers also seemed to grow more tired. Only a dozen remained, out of the forty that had left Faolan's manor that morning. The ones that hadn't been shot down or died by the sword felt as though they were fighting a battle they couldn't win. It didn't seem as if the massacre would ever end.

And it didn't, not yet anyway, but it did slow down, as over the ridge, in the direction that Galian and the others had tried to take, now sat a blacker than black horse, as large as an elephant (or nearly), carrying a rider whose face was hidden by a large, black cloak.

"The Sorcerer,"someone whispered. Galian's teeth grinded, his fists clenched. He caught a horse that was passing by, mounted it, then called above the din, pointing his sword at the Sorcerer, "You and I! The battle will be decided between the two of us!"

In response, the Sorcerer drew his own sword, and time seemed to halt as the two started towards each other. When their swords met, everyone really did stop and turn as the two fought it out. After taking a hard blow, Galian fell off his horse. The Sorcerer charged down on Galian, who ducked and cut the saddle of the horse, and the Sorcerer rolled off, quite winded but not beaten. He was fast, and powerful, and Galian wasn't sure if it was his sword, one he was unused to, or if he had finally met his match. He seemed to predict Galian's movements before he made them, and it was only just in the nick of time that Galian ever blocked an attack. He was beginning to reverberate back to his slave fighting days, when he fought on pure instinct, when the best he could do was deliver a blow and pray it hit its mark. His former wild style of fighting was beginning to come back to him, and he noticed with surprise that it was working to his advantage. Then it hit him; the Sorcerer was fighting like a nobleman!

Galian was able to utilize this knowledge, and just as the Sorcerer was beginning to think he had the upper hand, Galian struck his wrist, and the Sorcerer's sword went flying. Delivering a hard knock with his free hand, Galian sent the evil man sprawling, and he landed on the canyon wall. Holding the blade close to the fiend's neck, he ordered, "Tell them to surrender. Now!"

"Throw down your weapons!"the evil, fearful voice cried. His men obeyed, and as soon as it was safe, Faolan came running from his hiding spot. He arrived just as Galian whisked the hood off the mystery enemy. The face was dark, not as dark as a Calormene's, and the hair was brown. Whiskers grew in patches across his face, and thick eyebrows sat above dark, loathing eyes, eyes that cast curses on the man who now waved his sword in his evil face.

"Kill him, Galian,"Faolan spat, his voice belonging to one who wanted vengeance, "cut off his head. He's a murderer, Galian. He deserves a much worse fate than that."

Galian studied the face carefully, then replied, "No. I don't think I shall."

"Galian, are you a fool! This is the man who is responsible for all the death Archenland has encountered this past month. This is the man who is responsible for that wolf's death. He is a danger to society as long as he lives. Kill him, Galian."

Galian turned round, "My lord, I would like nothing more than to be the one to look into the Sorcerer's eyes as he dies by my hand."

"Then why do you hesitate?"

"Because, my lord,"Galian said, facing the attacker once again, "this man isn't the Sorcerer."