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me!'
     
And he set off at a run, moving at incredible speed for one so small. Sebastian stared after him for a moment, then unsheathed his own sword. He jumped down from the caravan.
     
T hope you don't think you're leaving me on my own,' protested Max.
     
'You'll be fine. I can't let Cornelius go into danger unaided, can I?'
     
'Why not? He's trained at that kind of thing. You on the other hand . . .'
     
But Sebastian didn't hear the rest of Max's sentence as he took off after Cornelius, his long thin legs covering the ground at a sprinter's pace. Within a few moments he had caught up with the manling and could have easily overtaken him – but he slowed a little to stay alongside. Now he could clearly see the line of wagons he was running towards; and that they were being attacked by a troop of ragged men riding equines.
     
'Brigands!' roared Cornelius. 'Attacking what looks like a respectable supply column. They'll take no prisoners!'
     
Sebastian put his head down and concentrated on running. They had quite a distance to cover and part of him didn't really want to get there, because that would mean fighting. He remembered what Max had said about how being able to use a sword was quite a different matter to lopping some?one's head off. But it was too late to back down. The next time he looked up, he seemed to be uncomfortably close to the action. Now he could see everything.
     
The soldiers who had been accompanying the supply column – handsomely equipped men wearing red plumed helmets and bronzed breastplates – had gathered themselves into a protective circle around one rather opulent carriage and were selling their lives dearly to defend it. The two fine equines that had pulled the carriage lay dead, pin-cushioned with arrows, and many of the guards were suffering a similar fate, the ground already littered with their dead. As Sebastian watched, more of them fell victim to the rain of arrows that the Brigands kept firing into them as they rode round and round their victims, yelling like madmen.
     
'That's not very fair!' yelled Sebastian.
     
'Welcome to the real world,' Cornelius shouted back at him. 'Don't worry, we'll soon even up the score.'
     
As the two newcomers approached the action, one of the Brigands, a huge bearded man sitting astride a grey equine, noticed their approach and broke away from his companions to attack Cornelius. He came thundering towards the little warrior at high speed, a huge battle-axe raised to slice him in two. Sebastian felt like shutting his eyes but somehow couldn't. Just as he was thinking that it had been nice knowing Cornelius, the manling performed an extraordinary manoeuvre, rolling forward and slipping beneath the flying hooves of the equine. Then he launched himself upwards, slashing with the blade of his sword into the creature's exposed belly. The equine lost its footing and went tumbling headlong into the dirt, flinging its rider head over heels.
     
Cornelius didn't hesitate but plunged onwards with a blood-curdling cry as more riders broke away from the fight to approach him. Sebastian couldn't watch any more because
     

     
he saw that one rider had spotted him and was racing to the attack. Sebastian swallowed hard and tightened his two-handed grip on his father's sword, telling himself that if he must die here, then he should do it well and not show fear, even though he was quaking inside.
     
The Brigand came galloping towards him, his ugly face painted with stripes of what looked suspiciously like blood. He was laughing and swinging a huge sword above his head. The equine's hooves seemed to shake the very ground that Sebastian was standing on. He desperately tried to remember the advice his father had given him about situations like this:
     
Let your opponent make the first move but anticipate it. Once you have evaded his blow, make your move and don't hesitate for a second!
     
The Brigand came alongside him and leaned over in the saddle to take a swipe.