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comes to sexual promiscuity is legend.  The poor mamas at court are at wits end to know what to offer you to settle you down."

"That is because they are becoming desperate to hide their own wantonness.  I would have been approached more than once, if my reputation with my blade would not have been better known than my womanizing."

"True, your dexterity with your blade is well known, but the rest I had heard nothing about."

"Nor will you repeat any of it.  I do have a maid in mind to take as a wife, and in time, I will approach her brother for her hand."

"Her brother and not her father?'  The man puzzled, then exclaimed: "Signi?  You seek to court the incomparable Signi?  Thorn would cut your heart out if he knew you lusted after her."

"Not if I did so within the bounds of matrimony.  That would make it acceptable, even for the great Lord Thorn."

"It is risky, even the High King respects and seeks the Lord Thorn's counsel.  He is no man to play for a fool."

"I agree, he is a dangerous man, but I am determined to deal with him in an open and honest fashion.  It is the only possible way I can hope to win her hand and live.  Signi is loyal to her family and their code of honor.  You must admit, she is a beauty and well worth the effort."

"She has a dowry large enough to attract any suitor she wants, and they say her brother has promised her free choice.  She will choose only a man she can love they say.  Nor is the Lady Signi anyone's fool, as for the rest, I am eminently lovable but enough of this.  It is time we moved on if we expect to make the next town by nightfall.  I have no intention of staying in this town.  The people here are too suspicious of strangers."

"They also have been informed of the raids, nor are we all that far away.  I cannot blame them for their wariness."

As far as Aura was concerned, the men had long over stayed their welcome, despite their lesson in language.  She was stiff from maintaining her perch in the tree, she was hungry as she had not eaten since morning, and she was beginning to feel chilled because of the setting of the sun.  She could think of nothing, other than getting down so she could make herself something to eat and review what she had learned.  She had a lot to think about.

To Aura, who was used to the finest of modern conveniences, the town she had seen was no better than a cluster of mud huts and hovels, and she was appalled at the living conditions.  To her the cave was much preferable.  She realized that she was going to have to be careful not to be seen.

Her clothing and manners seemed completely alien to what she had witnessed so far, and she feared what they might do to her if they found her.  Primitive societies were not very understanding towards things they did not understand, and they would not know what to think about her.  Nor did it help that she was female and this opened possibilities that she did not care to dwell on for too long.

She also understood that to run off from the area, without knowledge of what the true conditions were like about her, would be an act of a really ignorant person.  She needed time, time to watch, time to find out where and in what time period she was in, time to decide how to adapt, and time to find a way to get back to where she belonged, because she certainly did not belong here.

CHAPTER VI
    "They are breaking up."   Duke Vernon yelled at Thorn over the clash of the battling armies.

"I know," Thorn yelled back as he met yet another warrior, and dispatched him with two swift lethal blows of his sword. "That means the chase will be on soon."

"Do not remind me," Vernon answered.  "You might like to run down the enemy, but that does not mean that I have to do it too."

"Admit it, you enjoy the thrill of the chase.  It makes for an efficient ending."

"I do not have to admit anything, but as you are so happy about the challenge I will leave the cleaning up to you and your men.  I am