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caravan…
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    There was a flash of green and orange at the north end of the square. The kinless artisan who’d been working on the fountain looked up the road and screamed in terror. He pushed his boy up onto the fountain. “Climb! Climb to the top!” Then he ran across the square toward Sandry. “My Lord, My Lord, save my son, save me!”
    And five monsters burst into the square. Two kinless were in their way. A flash of green, and the monsters didn’t even slow down, the kinless were dead and trampled. The five came on, five abreast, blood dripping from their arms. One monster had a spear in its side, but that didn’t seem to bother it.
    And swords grew out of their arms. It was true.
    â€œYangin’s pizzle! I never saw anything like that!” Peacevoice Fullerman shouted. “Form up, form up! Lock armor, lads! Lord Sandry! What do we do?” He ran up leading Sandry’s chariot. He’d hitched up Blaze and Boots, a stallion and a gelding, both big horses, Sandry’s favorites if there was trouble, but the horses were already rearing at the sight of the monsters and the smell of blood.
    â€œHold on, good boys,” Sandry said soothingly. He leaped onto the chariot. Chalker jumped in beside him. The kinless artisan was right in the path of the monsters.
    Birds! They were birds!
    They were feathered birds the size of a big pony, armed with blades where a bird has wings, and a beak big enough to swallow a prize hog. A beak full of teeth. The horses panicked, tried to turn away. Sandry wrestled with the reins, hauled them around by main force, and shouted. “Go! Go, you beauties!”
    Training held. The horses darted forward toward the running kinless. Sandry brought the chariot as close to the man as he dared, hoping Chalker could handle the situation. Chalker was old, but he wasn’t weak. And there wasn’t anything else to do. Sandry hauled back on the reins, slowing the horses and causing them to rear.
    â€œInside, inside, man—get in!” Chalker was shouting.
    Sandry felt someone beside him. “Go!” he shouted. They clattered back across the square to the assembled troopers. “Off!”
    The kinless man leaped off, shouting thanks and begging them to help his son.
    Son.
    The boy was high up on the fountain, and the bird monsters weren’t paying him any attention. The boy was safe enough. The birds wanted something else. They wanted Sandry.
    Or—
    â€œThey’re after the horses!” Sandry shouted. And they could run as fast as horses too. Maybe not quite. These were fresh horses—panicked but fresh. Maybe—“Go!” Sandry shouted. He led the monsters away from the inn, across the square. They followed. At the far edge, Sandry turned, rode north again. The birds followed. I’ll lead them back up the road, back to the border station, Sandry thought. Only he couldn’t. The north road was cluttered with people trying to tend to the fallen. For a moment Sandry cursed them for being in his way, but that was unfair; the wounded needed attention.
    He rode straight past the north road to the opposite edge of Peacegiven Square and turned again. The monsters followed, five of them, their beady eyes fixed on the chariot. Now, Sandry thought. He led them down the square and past the formed-up troopers.
    â€œThrow!” Chalker shouted as they rode by.
    â€œStand ready! Aim! Throw!” Peacevoice Fullerman shouted. Spears arced out toward the monsters. Three penetrated the lead bird, and it stumbled.
    â€œThrow!”
    Another barrage of spears, and that would be all of them. Fullerman shouted to the knot of kinless huddled behind the shield wall. “Get me spears! There’s more in the barracks! Steady, lads, don’t break ranks! You, innkeeper—get me spears!”
    The pretty kinless waitress was the first to understand. She rushed toward the lean-to Fullerman’s troops used as a