Chapter XIII, Reading 2

Before Flindra mounted Deru, she heard the distinct sound of galloping horses.  There was no place of concealment near the stream so Flindra decided to stand fast.  Running away could only be interpreted as guilt.  She busied herself checking Deru's girth strap.  She also reinforced Rigga's power shield.  She kept in mind Kewero's advice of mentally becoming what she needed to be.  Flindra needed to be a woodsman's daughter.  She would concentrate on being just that and nothing more.

A group of twenty men sporting the colors of the King's Rangers rode into view.  Flindra breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed that their shields were emblazoned with the Ostarian crest - at least they were Storos's men.  They quickly surrounded her but their postures weren't menacing.  She felt comfortable with them and relaxed.

All the Rangers were heavily armed.  She could see they all carried heavy broadswords beneath their green cloaks.  Most had a bow and a quiver of arrows hanging over the pommels of their saddles as well.  The men were wearing chain mail under their surcoats.  Their helmets were conical in shape, with a section of steel extending down from the cone to cover the ears and the back of the neck.

The leader of the troop was a large man with the insignia of a lieutenant on the breast of his green surcoat.  He had that stern look around the eyes that comes from being a veteran soldier.  This man was used to being obeyed.  His helmet hid his hair but Flindra noticed his brown mustache and guessed his hair would be much the same color.  His eyes were brown and the wrinkles around them indicated he squinted often.

To his left rode a sergeant.  He was as tall as the lieutenant but was leaner in build.  He was clean-shaven, which gave him a very youthful appearance.  His blue eyes looked grim today, but Flindra guessed they could sparkle with laughter in the right situation.

The lieutenant addressed her gruffly.  "You lad, what is your name?"

"My name is Flindra, sir."

There were a few chuckles among the men.

"A maid's name.  What's a lad doing with a maid's name?  Couldn't your mother tell the difference?"

The chuckles turned into raucous laughter.

Without answering, Flindra drew back her hood exposing her long auburn braids.  She shook her head slightly to make sure that her hair was seen.  All the while she had been looking directly into the lieutenant's eyes.

"Well, I see you are indeed a maid.  I guess your mother could tell the difference after all."  There was a hint of amusement in his eyes.  "Now tell me, what are you doing here?"

"I'm on my way to Deodar," Flindra answered truthfully.

"And what do you intend to do there?"

"I have family in Deodar, sir.  I'm going there to find them."

"Do your parents know you are traveling alone?"  The lieutenant had concluded that Flindra was a runaway.  Probably running away from an unwanted arranged marriage.

"My parents were murdered," Flindra said softly with a catch in her voice.  "What family I have left is in Deodar."

The young sergeant swore under his breath.  "Who did this crime?" he demanded.

"I don't know who the men were."

"Didn't they show any livery?"

"No, sir.  Their clothing was plain."