The Warded Man

farm.”
    “Agreed,” Ragen said. “Keerin will need gold, though.”
    Rusco gave him a wry look, and Ragen laughed. “Had to try … you understand!” he said. “Silver, then.”
    Rusco nodded. “I’ll charge a moon for every performance, and for every moon, I’ll keep one star and he the other three.”
    “I thought you said the townies had no money,” Ragen noted.
    “Most don’t,” Rusco said. “I’ll sell the moons to them … say at the cost of five credits.”
    “So Rusco Hog skims from both sides of the deal?” Ragen asked.
    Hog smiled.
    Arlen was excited during the ride back. Old Hog had promised to let him see the Jongleur for free if he spread the word that Keerin would be entertaining in the Square at high sun the next day for five credits or a silver Milnese moon. He wouldn’t havemuch time; his parents would be readying to leave just as he and Ragen returned, but he was sure he could spread the word before they pulled him onto the cart.
    “Tell me about the Free Cities,” Arlen begged as they rode. “How many have you seen?”
    “Five,” Ragen said, “Miln, Angiers, Lakton, Rizon, and Krasia. There may be others beyond the mountains or the desert, but none that I know have seen them.”
    “What are they like?” Arlen asked.
    “Fort Angiers, the forest stronghold, lies south of Miln, across the Dividing River,” Ragen said. “Angiers supplies wood for the other cities. Farther south lies the great lake, and on its surface stands Lakton.”
    “Is a lake like a pond?” Arlen asked.
    “A lake is to a pond what a mountain is to a hill,” Ragen said, giving Arlen a moment to digest the thought. “Out on the water, the Laktonians are safe from flame, rock, and wood demons. Their wardnet is proof against wind demons, and no people can ward against water demons better. They’re fisher-folk, and thousands in the southern cities depend on their catch for food.
    “West of Lakton is Fort Rizon, which is not technically a fort, since you could practically step over its wall, but it shields the largest farmlands you’ve ever seen. Without Rizon, the other Free Cities would starve.”
    “And Krasia?” Arlen asked.
    “I only visited Fort Krasia once,” Ragen said. “The Krasians aren’t welcoming to outsiders, and you need to cross weeks of desert to get there.”
    “Desert?”
    “Sand,” Ragen explained. “Nothing but sand for miles in every direction. No food nor water but what you carry, and nothing to shade you from the scorching sun.”
    “And people live there?” Arlen asked.
    “Oh, yes,” Ragen said. “The Krasians used to be even more numerous than the Milnese, but they’re dying off.”
    “Why?” Arlen asked.
    “Because they fight the corelings,” Ragen said. Arlen’s eyes widened.
    “You can fight corelings?” he asked.
    “You can fight anything, Arlen,” Ragen said. “The problem with fighting corelings is that more often than not, you lose. TheKrasians kill their share, but the corelings give better than they get. There are fewer Krasians every year.”
    “My da says corelings eat your soul when they get you,” Arlen said.
    “Bah!” Ragen spat over the side of the cart. “Superstitious nonsense.”
    They had turned a bend not far from the Cluster when Arlen noticed something dangling from the tree ahead of them.
    “What’s that?” he asked, pointing.
    “Night,” Ragen swore, and cracked the reins, sending the mollies into a gallop. Arlen was thrown back in his seat, and took a moment to right himself. When he did, he looked at the tree, which was coming up fast.
    “Uncle Cholie!” he cried, seeing the man kicking as he clawed at the rope around his neck.
    “Help! Help!” Arlen screamed. He leapt from the moving cart, hitting the ground hard, but he bounced to his feet, darting toward Cholie. He got up under the man, but one of Cholie’s thrashing feet kicked him in the mouth, knocking him down. He tasted blood, but strangely there was no pain. He came up again, grabbing Cholie’s legs and trying to lift him up to loosen the rope, but he was too short, and Cholie too heavy besides, and the man continued to gag and jerk.
    “Help him!” Arlen cried to Ragen. “He’s choking! Somebody help!”
    He looked up to see Ragen pull a spear from the back of the cart. The Messenger drew back and threw with hardly a moment to aim, but his aim was true, severing the rope and collapsing poor Cholie onto Arlen. They both fell into the