Thieves World 4 – Storm Season by Asprin, Robert

Sanctuary, and the tear-streaked face of the man who gazed at her, with the

reflected splendor of the hidden sun.

* * *

STEEL

by Lynn Abbey

1

Walegrin listened carefully to the small noises carried on the night breeze. His

survival depended on his ability to untangle the sounds of the night-and on the

steel sword he clutched, unsheathed, at his side. Ambushers crept toward his

small camp in the darkness.

Two bright Enlibar wagons sat, unguarded and garish, in the ruddy light of a

neglected fire. Their cargo had been scattered in tempting disarray; chunks of

aquamarine ore shimmered in the moonlight. Walegrin’s cloak lay close by the

fire, covering an armload of thorny sticks-a ruse to convince the brigands that

he and his men were more weary than careful and valued sleep above their lives.

They’d had little enough rest since leaving the ruined mine with the precious

ore; and of the twenty-five men who had left Sanctuary only seven remained. But

Walegrin trusted his six stalwarts against four times that many hillmen.

Walegrin’s thoughts were stopped by the warning cry of a mountain hawk; Malm,

who had a shepherd’s eye for ominous movements, had spotted the enemy. Walegrin

held his ground until the camp swarmed with dark, scuttling shapes, until

someone stabbed a cloak and heard wood splintering, not bone. Then, sword

raised, he led his men out of the shadows.

These outlaws were better armed and bolder than any the soldiers had encountered

before, but Walegrin had no time to consider this discovery. His men were hard