'But gets late,' the first protested. 'Won't get far 'fore sun downs, set camp.' The leader responded without a word by pulling a
dagger and pointing it at the other. The reluctant one slunk away, mumbling, around to the other side of the corral.
One of the captives, a young man, broke loose from the knot of humans and goblins and tried to vault over the log fence. The sergeant calmly lifted his bow and shot the youth in the chest.
'Shoulda paid taxes, fool,' the sergeant remarked. 'Wouldn' be here then.' He gestured to the goblins, who swarmed over the body.
Mynx hid her face in her hands, and Tarscenian put a gentle arm around her shoulder. 'We must help them, Mynx/' he whispered.
She lifted her head. 'The two of us against two dozen goblins and hobgoblins? Are you crazy?'
'All these people did was refuse to pay Hederick's taxes,' Tarscenian replied, voice low.
'What do I care? Thieves don't pay taxes.'
'Don't you see what's happening? They're being sold into slavery, Mynx!'
'Not one would lift a finger for me. We're outnum shy;bered, old man.'
'There are fifty people in that ring, at least thirty of them strong men and women. Plus we're armed. That's not being outnumbered.'
'And you think those two-legged sheep will stand with you against hobgoblins?' Mynx laughed out loud. The nearest monster looked over its shoulder into the greenery, frowning, pointed ears atwitch.
'There's only one way to find out.' Tarscenian rushed out of the underbrush, sword at the ready. Without warning, the old man slipped the blade under the hob shy;goblin's arm and sank it into its rib cage. The creature bellowed and went down, arms and legs churning.
'Hejami, Tycom, Gret!' the sergeant called to three of his men. 'Attack!' The rest of the force remained around
the slaves. In a moment, Tarscenian was surrounded by three spear-wielding hobgoblins. Mynx watched from the underbrush, barely breathing. She'd stay right here; she didn't owe the stupid old man anything.
The blue-nosed one called Hejami closed first with Tarscenian. The others held back, poking each other and smiling. They didn't seem to think it would be much of a battle-a full-grown hobgoblin against a tuft-haired beg shy;gar-although the beggar did wield that sword with some assurance. The hobgoblin Hejami jabbed at the man with his spear.
Tarscenian dodged, feinting, and the hobgoblin leaped after him. Tarscenian doubled back and struck. Hejami fell, lifeless, to the ground, blood from his nearly severed neck soaking the ground.
The other two launched themselves at Tarscenian at the same instant. Tarscenian parried and whirled. As he held off the hobgoblins, he called out to the captives. 'Join with me! We can outfight them.'
None of the prisoners moved. If anything, they huddled even closer together. 'They might hurt us!' one of the women called.
'Don't listen to him,' a man counseled his fellow slaves. 'He's a beggar. We're worth more to the hobgob shy;lins if we're healthy. They won't hurt us as long as we cooperate with them.'
Another woman called, 'It's easy for you to order us to help, old man, but we have children to think about!'
Although Tarscenian brandished the sword as though the weapon were part of him, horror grew on his face.
'You old fool,' Mynx whispered from the honey shy;suckle vines. 'I told y-'
Then she was dangling in the air, grabbed around the middle by the largest hobgoblin she'd ever seen. Its laughing grimace exposed yellow teeth and a slimy red tongue. The monster jabbered something, then hoisted her over one shoulder, all the while howling with glee. 'You big overgrown…'
She kicked wildly, hoping to catch the beast in the face. Hanging head-downward over his back, she had an excellent view of the dagger she'd dropped, but not much room to maneuver.
The creature swaggered over to the other hobgoblins. 'New slave!' the creature crowed.
The arms around Mynx's waist tightened suddenly, and she heard a screech from her captor. Then she was falling. In her years as a thief, Mynx had dived out of many windows-most often with enraged homeowners close behind her-and knew how to land on her feet. She caught herself lightly with her hands, then threw herself over into a somersault and rolled away from the dying, gabbling hobgoblin.
Tarscenian pulled his sword from the creature's middle. He grabbed Mynx by the arm, hauled her to her feet. Then they were off and running, dodging around the other hob shy;goblin corpses and leaving the slave market behind.
A pair of hobgoblins and three goblins pursued them along the path. As Mynx and Tarscenian swept around a curve, Tarscenian shouldered her to one side and began to chant. 'What are you doing?' Mynx cried, trying to break free.
'Be still!' Tarscenian snapped. 'Yessupot siagod idae.' His hands fluttered. He sketched an outline around Mynx from foot to head and back down again to the for shy;est floor. Then he pushed the thief into a bush, crushed a silver aspen leaf between the fingers of his left hand, and shouted, 'Nilad ur'sht, yjod wraren, sar ytakreryt.' He dived after the real Mynx. A lifelike version of the thief raced down the path just as the pursuers hove into view. 'You take it the female!' one of the hobgoblins hollered, pointing to the magic-induced Mynx vanishing down the trail. The other hobgoblin and one of the goblins raced
after her. That left one hobgoblin and two goblins beating the underbrush in the immediate vicinity.
Tarscenian shoved the hilt of his dagger into Mynx's hand. 'This time,' he whispered, 'try not to drop it.'
Then he was gone, attacking with an intensity that far belied his years. He dispatched one of the goblins before the creature could raise a squeak, but the other goblin managed a cry.
'Go get it, more fool!' the hobgoblin yelled at the gob shy;lin. 'Is order, verminstink!'
The last goblin hurtled at Tarscenian without pause. It found itself facing two weapons-Tarscenian's sword and Mynx's dagger. Yellow-orange eyes blinking spas shy;modically, it glanced at Mynx, then at the corpse of its comrade and, frantically, down the path where the other, magical Mynx had gone.
Then it raced away, abandoning the field to the hob shy;goblin chief.
The monster clutched a sword in its right hand, a spear in its left. Tarscenian saw immediately that he and Mynx faced a creature well versed in combat.
'How close are we to the ring's den?' he hissed to Mynx. Tarscenian slurred his words, hoping the hobgob shy;lin wouldn't understand him. He and Mynx circled the creature.
'Short run,' Mynx answered, mimicking his mumbling.
'Want to make a dash for it?'
Tarscenian shook his head. 'There'll be no outrunning this thing. Get your fellow thieves, bring help back here. That Xam fellow is big enough to-'
'No luck, old man. They'll never come.'
Tarscenian growled. 'What's a gods-blasted thieves' ring good for, then, if they won't help you when you need it?' His face was pale with exertion.
'Gav calls the moves,' Mynx panted. 'We're the play shy;ers. And I don't think he'd risk the others for a new
man-someone who isn't even one of us, yet.'
'What about for you?'
Mynx sidestepped a tree root. 'I can leave here at any time, Tarscenian. Can't you tell the beast's after you?'
Tarscenian looked the hobgoblin in its tiny yellow eyes. The creature waved its sword tauntingly and leered. 'Big money,' the hobgoblin said. 'Bounty fat on ol' funny-looking guy. Hederick plenty mad you, human.'
It was still leering when Mynx landed on its back, looped her arms around its neck, and butted its helmet forward, obstructing its sight. She sliced at its shoulders and neck. The blinded creature howled but continued to slash at Tarscenian with its sword hand, thrusting its spear at him with the other. The double blades formed a whirlwind of steel. Tarscenian tried to sidle to one side, but the creature's hearing must have been acute; even without sight, it followed whichever way Tarscenian moved.
