Chapter 5 Chapter 5 A Long Journey to the South

The soldiers were laughing loudly. James turned to see what had made them laugh so much, and he saw the two princes approaching.Aland was wearing a heavy chain armor that might not be a jacket, its weight was at least five times that of the leather armor he usually wears, and a red cloak was neatly draped over his shoulders.But the main laugh was directed at his brother, who was covered from head to toe in a robe.The obnoxious purple robe has mysterious symbols stitched with gold thread on the cuffs and neckline-it is no doubt that it is an outfit that a mage has kept in his wardrobe after a few days of good life.A strange crutch with a milky white glass ball on the top replaced the sword that he usually hung by his side.The robes were commonplace on Kulgan or the mage Kesh; but on Borric they were absolutely ludicrous.

Locklear's laughter joined in as he approached James, "What are they going to do with makeup on?" James sighed, "I don't know." He asked the two princes, "What is this?" Elland grinned. "We've found a card game here—poker, they call it. We've been lucky—sometimes good and bad." James shrugged, absent-mindedly waiting for how long it would take for Gamina to be ready.His bride was at her own place, gathering what she was going to take to Cash.It can be expected that after returning from Queen Cash's birthday celebrations, Krondor's palace will be her perch.

Borric said, "I lost my coat to a boatman and my sword to a guy who was going to sell it for wine. But then I met a guy who thought he was lucky but had a bad hand of cards Mage, look, I won these." James glanced at the oddly shaped cane held by the eldest of the twins, "Good. What's this?" Borric pulled the cane out of its sheath and showed it to James for inspection. "It's a magic device. This crystal glows in the dark so you don't have to light lamps and torches. We saw it glow last night. That's awesome. " James nodded, as if acknowledging Borric's statement, "Then what else is it useful for?"

"No, but I think it's better than a nice walking stick," Eland said.To his brother, "But I guarantee that when a guy with a bloody machete shows up at you, you'll wish it was your sword." "I think so too," agreed Locklear. "Well, I'll buy a sword when we get to the city," Borric said. James sighed. "And a suit. This outfit looks ridiculous." Locklear laughed. "You want to look ridiculous." To Borric, "Show him those boots." Laughing, Borric raised his robes, and James shook his head in surprise.Borric wore a pair of red leather boots, each embellished with a yellow eagle.

"I think the previous owner was happy to see the miss," James said. "You look like you're getting ready for a carnival. Please hide this. The color is beyond imagination." He pointed at the boots The conflicting colors of red and yellow and the purple robe added.Then he said to Eland, "And you look like you're about to invade Kesh. I haven't seen chain mail like this since Thethanon." Locklear, like James, wore only a simple coat and leather vest. "When we get to the edge of the desert, you will love this chain mail." Erlander's rebuttal is interrupted by the appearance of Gamina and her parents.Pug held Katara by the arm, and now James could clearly see that she was sick.Whether it was her daughter's wedding that overwhelmed her or her realization that her child no longer needed her care or that the illness had truly overwhelmed her, James had no way of knowing.But everyone can clearly see that Katara's life has entered the countdown.

When they came to James, Katara said to her son-in-law in a calm tone, "This is farewell, James." All James can do is nod.Katara's Clan were proud, outspoken fighters, and Pug was drawn to her mannerisms. "We'll miss you," he finally said. "I'll miss you all." She put her hand on his chest, gentle, and he felt her fragile fingers touch his heart. "We just disappear from view. People will remember that we lived here." James bent his head and kissed her lightly on the cheek, moved and awed. "Always remember," he said. Pug instructed James to follow him, taking a few steps so that they could not be heard. "Katara is returning to her homeland tonight. There is no need for us to delay our journey any longer, and if we stay a few days longer, Katara will not have the strength to travel from the rift of Kairawen to the borders of Sariel. I have Friends will help, but it's going to be an arduous journey when she's on her own."

James opened his eyes wide in surprise, "Aren't you following her?" Pug shook his head. "I have to do other things." James sighed, "We'll see you...?" The rest of his sentence was broken by Pug's expression. Pug looked over his shoulder at his wife and daughter, who were holding hands silently.Pug and James knew they were talking through their thoughts. "I don't think so. I guess if I were to go down this road again, few would welcome me, and I imagine that would be a communication of a dire situation, perhaps like the one we faced in Sesanong. kind of horror."

James was silent for a moment.He was only a child when the armies invaded, and the Dark Road clan was duped into attacking by false prophecies made by their leader Mermandmas.These will be fully engraved in his heart.He still remembered the details of the battle between Amengor and Sethanon, and the vivid image of the sky being ripped apart by the return of the dragonlords, and the almost cataclysmic ending.That miraculous victory was achieved by Pug, Thomas Evander, Marco Ross in Black and Arusha, and many others.In the end, James said, "That's when you are needed most." Pug shrugged, as if that wasn't very important. "Anyway, right now I need to guide others and rely on them to get things done. You have to help me."

"what can I do?" With a resigned smile, Pug said, "The number one thing between us is to love my daughter and take care of her." "Nobody can do it better than me," James said. "And take care of her brother." "Willie is a good officer, Pug. He needs no one else's care. I think he'll be Captain of the Guards in Arusha in a few years." Pug shrugged again, hinting that he was not happy that his son wasn't here with him.No matter how difficult it had been for Pug and his son to discuss the matter. "Second point, I need you to speak for the autonomy of Starport."

"agree." "And remember what I told you to speak on my behalf, the secrets I shared with you." James wanted to say something humorous, but all he could think of was, "As you wish, I'll remember. But is it pointless to defend the people of the island who do so much with their magic every day?" meaningful things." Pug patted his arm and told him to follow him. "It's not pointless. Don't fall into the trap of thinking it's pointless when you don't understand it. That mistake will destroy you." James followed him back, and they'd be off.When they reached the port where three large ferries were parked, James took a look at the two princes.

For a brief moment, Borric and Eland were standing together talking about their upcoming trip, apparently planning how to get out of the peace that was to come, and James wondered if they, too, would be sorry that it would no longer be there. sorry. The wind kicked up harsh dust, and the twins rode their horses.Gamina learned court manners and shouted in a voice everyone could hear, "I don't think it's a serious storm, the sky doesn't look right. But that's annoying too." They came to Zapp ( Jal-pur, follow the road to Nar-Ayab, an important city in the northernmost part of the empire.The landscape of the highlands is as bleak as a desert.Only a few trees and shrubs grew along the banks of the creek at the foot of the mountains and hills that the Kesh called Star Pillars. James pointed to a hillock on the far side of the road, and a group of cavalry was slowly moving towards them. "Kash's border guards," he yelled over the wind. "Sergeant! It's time to display our flag." The sergeant directed the two soldiers forward, and the two quickly took out the pre-cut flags from their saddlebags and hurriedly put them together.As Cash's cavalry climbed the hill where James was, they hoisted two small pennants.Two Krondor royal banners, each with a different style of emblem, are the royal banners of Borric and Eland.A trace of doubt flashed in the eyes of the Cavalry Captain of Cash who was paying his respects. A dark-skinned man, his beard clotted with dust, directed his men to halt their advance.From the outside they look like a rough bunch of soldiers.Each carried a bow and arrow, and a shield in front of the saddle to provide cover; each carried a cutlass in his belt, and they were also armed with lances.All were clad in heavy trousers tucked into high boots, white linen shirts and leather waistcoats, and a piece of linen at the hem of their helmets protected their necks.Borric pointed to Eland. "Clever, isn't it? They protect their necks from the sun and cover their heads in strong winds." Eland just breathed a sigh of relief and didn't say anything.He was feeling the heat from the heavy armor. The captain of Cash's patrol slammed his horse and galloped forward, reining in in front of James.He surveyed the dusty procession, not sure that such a filthy, weary procession came from the royal family of Krondor.Finally, he lazily raised his right hand to the side of his head as a salute, and immediately put his palm back on the horse's neck, "Welcome, gentlemen...and ladies." James moved to the front of the line. "I'm James, Earl of Crondor, and this is our Royal Highness Prince Borric and Prince Eland." Borric and Eland raised their hands slightly, and the captain of the Cash patrol returned with a bow. " I am Sergeant Les-o-Falway, my lord.What brought such a noble contingent of you to this wretched place. " "We're going to the city of Kesh for the celebration." The inspector shrugged his shoulders. The way the gods do things is not understood by ordinary people, and the actions of nobles are also not understood by ordinary soldiers. "In my opinion, a noble team like yours should be more... mighty." The wind picked up and the horses began to stomp and back off.James raised the volume to drown out these noises, "It seems that a fast covert movement is more appropriate than a slow movement, Mr. Officer. The storm is getting bigger, can we continue on our way?" The captain said, gesturing to his men, "Certainly, my lord. My men and I are heading to the Twelve Chairs Brigade. I suggest you come with us." "Is that dangerous?" The captain looked at the horizon and answered Jamina's question, "Who knows? Zap storms can form for a short time or for a long time. If I were a gambler, I bet this storm was just an untimely Small annoyance. But still, I'd rather stay indoors and avoid it." "We're going to keep going," James said. "We're staying longer than planned at our last resting place, although we won't be late for the Queen's celebration." The inspector shrugged his shoulders, knowing that there was no need to think about it, "Offending the queen blessed by the gods should be avoided as much as possible. She is a benevolent queen, but she is a little forgetful. May God bless you on your journey, my lord." He waved his men to make way for the Kingdom procession who continued on their way.James directed his small team to descend the soft hill to reach a major northern border road. Borric nodded to Erlander as they rode past the quiet Kesh soldiers, who, too, watched the weary, filthy soldiers.Every soldier is in his prime, and there is not a single young face among them."They've got veterans on our border," Eland said to his brother. James heard this and said it loud enough, "In Cash they have veterans back up. It takes twenty years for a soldier to be discharged, and they're used to quell rebellions and suppress rioting townspeople. They're on our border A tenth of the troops are stationed." Borric said, "Then why are they afraid of us?" James shook his head, "Countries are always afraid of their neighbors. It's like the three moons in the sky at night in life. If your neighbors are stronger than you, you fear their invasion and conquest. If they are weak, you fear Their jealousy, so you invade them. Sooner or later, war breaks out." Elland laughed, "It's still better than having nothing to do." James looked at Locklear.Younger than the twins, both had seen more war than they had shared.Neither agrees with Erlander. "cavalry!" The soldiers pointed to the distant horizon, where the swirling dust formed a wall of sand and was rushing towards them.The approaching knight appeared in the dust, and then the soldier's warning became a signal, and the knight began to spread out and let his horse run at full speed. "Jamina, get behind," James said, drawing his sword.The soldiers took a moment to free the baggage horses and readied their weapons. "Bandits," one called, riding up to Borric's side.Presently the Prince went to grab his sword, and found a crutch in its place.Resignedly, he circled his horses out of the way of the attack, and rode behind to stay with Gamina, who was doing her best to gather the pack horses into a circle so they wouldn't run away.Seeing that she could not hold the four horses, Borric dismounted and took two reins from them. The clash of gold and iron forced Borric to pull his horse away, with his back to the wind, in time to see the vanguard of the bandits being intercepted by his soldiers.He couldn't find Ellander in the din, but the dust from the circling horses made that seem unimportant. Then a horse neighed, and a knight cursed loudly and fell off the horse.The ever-increasing sharp sound of the wind made the sound of the sword slashing against the shield and the hum of trying to resist the attack sound intermittent.The bandits took advantage of the opportunity that offered them cover, and the wind and sand nearly blinded the travelers, making them vulnerable to an onslaught.Unable to react and counterattack immediately, the bandits have successfully thrown them into panic. But Arusha's guards are tried and tested veterans who quickly regrouped after the first round of bandits passed.They saw Lord Locklear, who was giving orders to move closer to him.Then an astonishing cloud of dust hit them, and the sun seemed to disappear. In the wind and sand, Borric tried his best to control the horse in his hand. The sound of the wind, the sound of fighting and the smell of blood made him feel terrified.He could only use his own body weight to ease the dragging of the horse, and kept yelling "Woo, woo".The two combat-trained, unmanned horses obeyed the order and stopped, but were about to straighten up and break free. Borric lost his balance suddenly, and the reins came out of his hands.He fell to the ground and rolled out a few steps.He thought of Gamina, and feared that the haunted horse had put her in danger.He looked around and could only see knights entangled and fighting.He called out her name.Got her response in my head: *I'm fine, Borric, take care of yourself, I'm just trying to keep the horses where I can see them. Not thinking about being able to communicate by "thinking," he called, "Watch out for the horsemen, they're looking for pack horses." He looked around for a dropped weapon, but couldn't find one. Suddenly, a knight rushed towards him, one of his soldiers, shouting at him.Borric didn't understand what he meant, but it seemed to mean something was behind him.As he crouched, he passed between two charging bandits.One bandit brandished a machete to meet the rushing soldiers, while the other turned his horse and charged at the prince. When the soldier was stopped by the bandits, Borric struggled to his feet and got on his horse trying to shake off the knight behind him.Danma stood up and shoveled Borric from behind and fell heavily to the ground.Knowing that the attack would come soon, he stood up immediately.The bandit on horseback is ready for battle, taking advantage of his weapon.Borric unhooked the cane from his belt, preparing to use it for protection.The bandit charged, swaying from side to side, and Borric thrust out his cane, breaking through the opponent's defense.The head of the cane poked the bandit in the stomach, causing a suffocating blow, and successfully knocked the bandit off his horse.The next blow broke the crutch on the gangster's head, leaving the gangster dead or unconscious.Borric didn't have time to investigate, so he picked up the sword that the bandit had dropped, a short-bladed sword, somewhat heavy, good for slashing at close quarters, neither as sharp nor as sharp as most of the other bandit's scimitars. As easy as a thin sword. Borric turned to look around, but all he could see were the cavalrymen circling, all looming in the rolling sand.His senses were more acute than his hearing to alert him that something was behind him.A head-smashing blow grazed the side of his head and he fell to the ground again.He rolled a few steps, trying to avoid the bandit who surprised him from behind, and knelt up on one knee. When he was about to stand up completely, the bandit's horse bumped over and knocked him to the ground.Unable to move, he barely understood that a bandit was jumping off his horse and approaching him.Through the dust and his own blurred vision, the prince saw a man in boots kicking him hard on the head. James on his horse pursued and intercepted a bandit who was charging towards the pack horse.He counted two soldiers down, and Locklear was joining in a chase with the bandits.The bandit turned and fled, at which point James calmed down from the fight.He looked around, trying to spot the two princes, and saw Elland shooting a bandit off his horse.There was no shadow of Borric here. Through the howling of the sandstorm, James heard Locklear's voice, "Come to me, come to me." He gave up looking for Borric and rode his horse to the place where the island warriors were assembled.Immediate orders and obedience, soldiers who were a few minutes ago in a round and defeated, now even the last man is ready to meet the next round of enemy challenges. Then the bandits rushed over and the fight started again.Wild cries and screams of being hit came from time to time through the wind and piercing sand.Dazzled, excited and terrified, James hadn't been in a fight like this since Thessannon's.He hit one of the bandits, forcing him to back off.Then the storm intensified, and the wind and sand swept over the fighting men, making them dizzy in the dust and noise.Everyone knows they now have a weakness, an inability to see in a storm like this.People tried in vain to cover their faces with their clothes or sleeves, but the only way was to get out of the storm.After a gust of strong wind, the storm became smaller. A cry of surprise and a throaty groan of blood came as the horses obeyed their master again and there was a clatter of metal.In the clash of swords and swords, people once again tried their best to kill strangers. Only the storm can make people forget about fighting.The wind is literally blinding, and turning your face to the howling sand is an adventure in wanting to lose sight.James turned and ran away from the wind, unable to take into account that there was no protection behind him, but that was also impossible.His only comfort was knowing that the bandit was as blind as he was. The wind died down again, and James reined in his horse to face the would-be attacker.But like an unrealistic dream, the bandits have retreated in the storm. James looked around and could only see his own people.Locklear ordered the horses to be dismounted, and everyone firmly held on to the reins through the big and small storms.Putting these mounts against the wind, they waited for the storm to die down. Locklear called, "Are you hurt?" James said no. "Jamina?" He then thought of his wife. Locklear pointed back, "She's looking after her luggage, and Borric is taking care of her." Then Jamina's voice rang in James' head: *I am here, my love.I was not hurt.But Borric and a soldier were taken away by bandits. * James yelled, "Jamina says Borric and a soldier are captured." Locklear swore, "There's nothing we can do but wait here for the storm to die." James looked out into the dark sandstorm and could barely see ten paces away.All they can do is wait. Borric groaned as a rough toe on his side brought him back to consciousness.Above him, the storm still roared as it reached her, but it was relatively quiet in the ditch where the bandits hid.He braced himself to find his hands bound by a strange chain suit. A soldier from his ranks lay unconscious beside him, bound with rope.He groaned but hadn't regained consciousness.Blood clotted in his hair, suggesting he had suffered a severe head injury.A hand reached out and roughly snapped Borric's jaw, allowing Borric to face the person who had just kicked him.He was squatting in front of Borric, a thin man, freshly shaved, wearing a cap that Borric thought looked good in the past, but now it just felt like a mess to wear on his head.He wore simple trousers and a coat with high boots.Beside him stood another man, naked and wearing an ordinary leather armor.He is bald, with only a lock of hair in the middle, and a large gold earring hangs from his left ear.Borric recognized him from the slavers' guild in Deben City's trading grounds. The first man nodded to Borric, looked at the bloodied soldier, and shook his head in disappointment.The slaver pushed Borric roughly to his feet, and the thin man drew a dagger and slit the soldier's throat before Borric could understand his intentions. The slaver whispered to Borric, "Don't play tricks, jugglers. This chain suit repels your magic, or the traders of Mystokne will taste my dagger at dinner. We will be with your friends Retreat before we find you. Say one word out loud and I'll kill you." His accent was Northern Cash. Borric, still reeling from his head wound, nodded feebly.The slavers wheeled him across a small ravine, crowded with bandits and piled with bundles of recently seized luggage.A man cursed softly.The slaver's companion jumped over Borric and grabbed the man. "What did you find?" His question was laced with the native language of the desert, a mixture of kingdom and imperial language, the language of the people of the Zap desert. "Women's clothes, and jerky and cakes. Where's the gold we promised?" The skinny man, obviously the leader of the place, cursed, "I'll kill that Raff, he said there is a team of nobles going to the empire passing here with gold." The slaver shook his head, as if anticipating this disappointment. "You should know not to trust fools." He looked in the direction the storm was blowing. "The storm is going to pass. We're very close to this kid's gang." He pointed at Borric. "We don't want to be Find." The thin man turned to face his accomplice. "I command the team, Kasim." He looked on the verge of breaking out. "I'll say when we go and when we stop." The slaver shrugged. "If we stay here, we'll have to fight again, Lu Tan. They're ready this time. And I don't think we'll ever find gold and jewels from this team." The one named Lu Tan looked around, his eyes burst out with a light that almost only belonged to beasts. "They're soldiers in arms." He closed his eyes for a moment as if about to cry, then opened them and gritted his teeth.Borric saw him as a brutal fellow, using threats and intimidation to exercise his leadership. "Ha," he cried, nodding to Borric. "Kill him, and we retreat." Kasim stepped up to Borric, as if to protect him. "Our agreement is that I shall be captured. Otherwise my men will not join you." "Bah." Lu Tan spat, "We don't need it at all. We have many more people than those soldiers. We were all misled by that fool Raff." When the wind died down, Kasim said, "I don't know which is worse, the fool or the man who listens to the fool, but this man will be our lot. He is our profit in Deben. My The guild will not be polite to see me come back without this little profit." Turning Borric's face away, Lu Tan said, "You. Where's the gold?" Borric pretended to be ignorant, "Gold?" Lu Tan took a step forward and slapped the prince, "The gold that those nobles want to bring to the imperial celebration." Borric continued, "Nobles? We met a group of nobles on the road. Two or three nobles with guards, heading towards... a brigade. Twelve chairs brigade, I think. The reason we're going... It's...the leather merchant fears his wares will rot before they get to the cobbler." Lu Tan turned around and yelled crazily at Bao Feng.The two bandits nearby couldn't help touching their sword hilts, they were startled by the cry. "Quiet," said Kasim. Lu Tan spat, pulled out his dagger, and pointed at Kasim. "Don't order me, slaver." Then he pointed the dagger at Borric, "This man is lying, I'll show more people the bloody boots that cost three lives!" Borric looked down at him The boots from the bet are now worn on Lu Tan's feet.This means that he was completely unconscious just now.Lu Tan pushed Kasim away and faced Borric directly, "We will learn the truth from him." He put the dagger back, as if he had believed Borric, and then froze there suddenly.A sad, almost apologetic look crossed his face for a moment, and he dropped to his knees. Behind him, Kasim drew the dagger he had just thrust into his back, then grabbed his hair and said, "Never threaten me, you idiot." On the neck, blood spurted from the wound. "And never turn your back on me." Lu Tan rolled his eyes, and Kasim let him go, letting him fall at Borric's feet. "Let this be your lesson for the next life." To Lu Tan's team, he said, "I am the leader." There was no voice of argument.He looked around, pointing to a depression in the canyon where the bushes grew. "Throw him here." The two men lifted Lu Tan and threw him into the depression. "There's another one." The dead soldier was also thrown into the hollow, lying next to Ruttern. Turning to Borric, the slaver said, "Don't bother me, and you'll live. Annoy me, and you'll die. Understand?" Borric nodded.To the others, Qasim said, "Get ready to leave now." Then he defied the howling wind and jumped onto the edge of the ravine.The strong slaver pushed a huge rock, causing a small cave in to cover the two bodies.Then he quickly jumped down and stared at an accomplice of Lu Tan who he imagined would make trouble.He straightened up until no one obeyed his command with difficulty. "Go to Broken Palm Oasis." "What are you capable of?" A slave trader stood before Borric on horseback, his wits slowly recovering.He is dragged towards a horse and rides with his hands bound.The trauma to his head left him feeling disoriented.He vaguely remembered that the storm stopped suddenly, and that he came to a strange oasis surrounded by three ancient palm trees that had been broken by sandstorms many years ago. Borric shook his head to wake himself up, to answer Cash's lingua franca question, "What is it?" The slaver gave Borric a slap in the head at Borric's questioning answer, "Trick, what magic do you use?" Borric understood.The slaver thought he was a mage from the Starport, all because of the mage's suit.For a moment, Borric wanted to explain who he was, but he didn't answer the question immediately because of the ransom demand his father would receive.Anytime between now and the Deben auction, maybe he could just get away with it. Suddenly the man pulled out his whip and gave the prince a backhand, "I don't have time to be so polite to you. The team looking for you is a few hours away from here, or they don't care about you. But there are still many patrols .We mean as far away from here as possible, right now." Another came up to a kneeling figure, "Kassem, kill him. Nobody's going to pay a good price for a slave mage, they're too tricky." Kasim looked the man over his shoulder. "I lead the team. I will decide who dies and who is brought to the market." Borric said, "I am not a mage. I won this robe from a game of poker." The second speaker stroked his beard. "He's lying. It's a trick some mages use when they try to get rid of that chain suit, and then he'll kill us all with his spells. I say kill him, Now." "I said if you don't shut up, there will be another useless carcass for the vulture's snack. Get ready. After the horses drink and rest, we will be on the road as soon as possible to distance the guards." Yes Borric he said, "We found some lovely magic toys in the bottom of the chest, mage. The lady you travel with has enough gold to send those robbers away. You are my profit." Muttering something, the horseman went to tell others prepare. Borric sat on top of a boulder. "I'm not a mage." "Well, you're not a warrior either. An unarmed man comes to the edge of Zapp, either with a horde of guards or a load of faith. Faith is relative to priests, but you're not. You look Not like a fool, but I've never been so unsure of a person's appearance." Switching his accent from Cash to Wang, he said, "Where are you from?" "Clondor."—Borric decided not to reveal his identity—"but I've traveled a little." The slaver sat back on the ground and put his hands loose on his knees, "You're pretty much just a kid. You speak Cash like a native, and you have a royal voice. If you're not a spellcaster, what are you of?" Borric wrote, "I...teach people. I know many languages. I can read, write, and do arithmetic. I know geography and history, and can recite a long list of the names of the leading nobles of kingdoms and empires and the Traders Council—” "Enough." Kasim interrupted him. "You convinced me, a governess, didn't you? Well, some rich people need someone who can educate the children of their slaves." Before Borric could answer, he Stand up, "You're useless to me when you're dead, sir, but I'm not a patient person either. Give me a hard time and I'll kill you as fast as I spit." Then he said to his group Ordered, "Get on the horse! Let's go to Deben City."