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ambush was harder to organise. First, though, they had to get out of the valley.
    Moving as quietly as possible and keeping to Cyrus’ formation, the Constants set off up the slope. They had gone no more than a few hundred paces when Corby began to growl and sniff around a clump of thick scrub to their left. Navid went to investigate. Standing in front of Roxanne with his spear at the ready, Cyrus watched and waited.
    From behind him, Roxanne’s voice splintered the silence. “Cyrus!”
    He spun round to see a Zed warrior, javelin raised, a couple of paces away. The man couldn’t miss. He tensed his arm for the throw – then suddenly it went limp. The javelin dropped harmlessly to the ground, followed by the quivering body of the Zed himself. A Constant arrow, fired with lethal precision, stuck out from his neck like a quill. Blood pumped from the wound and spread in a crimson pool across the sandy soil.
    Cyrus stared open-mouthed at the archer who had saved his life. Impossible! Not here…How did she…?
    “I thought I’d join you,” Taja said calmly, lowering her bow, “to make sure you knew what you were doing, Cyrus. I also wanted to keep an eye on Roxanne – you know what I feel about her, don’t you?”
    No one replied.
    Taja drew level with Zavar. “You may be a fine swordsman,” she said icily, “but you’re useless at fieldcraft. I’ve been following you ever since you deceived Obadis. Poor man! I hope they don’t execute him.”
    After a painful pause, Cyrus said quietly. “Thank you, Taja. You just saved my life.”
    Taja nodded. “Like I saved Roxanne’s when I ordered the dogs to be shot. Now you both owe me – kindly don’t forget it.”
    “This isn’t really the time for point scoring,” cut in Roxanne. “That man you killed was not alone. We must get out… “
    The sentence was never finished. Ignoring what was going on behind him, Corby continued rooting through the scrub. All of a sudden, he began to bark angrily. As if this was a signal, eight armed Zeds stood up in front of him.
    At the same time, more warriors appeared from the trees on the other side of the track. Before the band of Constants had time to react, their enemies fanned out left and right.
    Glancing around, Cyrus felt his throat run dry. They were surrounded.
    “Well, Cyrus,” said Navid quietly. “You’re the leader. What now?”

3: Fighting Free
    Cyrus was used to making quick decisions. For years, the Emirs of Della Tallis had singled him out as a future Mudir, and he had proved himself by leading a number of successful patrols out of Della Tallis. But he had never before been in such a desperate position.
    Make a run for it or fight it out? The circling Zeds took a step closer. Eight to the left, four in front, and still more to the right and behind them…Twenty in total, all of them armed. No, a break out was impossible. Even if some of the Tallin party got through the ring, one of them was bound not to make it. What if it were Roxanne? If she went, the whole mission would be finished.
    An urgent whisper broke into Cyrus’ thoughts. “Give them Roxanne! Do a deal, Cyrus. Hand her over and they’ll let us go!” It was Taja.
    The words ran through Cyrus like an electric shock, jerking him into action. “Never!” he shouted, covering his response with a general order. “Constants never surrender! Shoulder to shoulder, and we’ll show them what Tallin Defenders can do!”
    The five – three men and two women – did as Cyrus commanded. Without a word, they came together in a tight knot of sinew and steel. At their feet, Corby snarled menacingly.
    “Hold your positions, whatever happens,” called Cyrus, his eyes fixed on the Zed standing directly before him. “Let them come to us.”
    At this, the Zed in front of Cyrus brandished his weapon, an evil-looking instrument known as a “gut-ripper”, and began to speak: “Zed blood! Zed blood! Kill! Kill! Kill!”
    Slowly and deliberately, he repeated