'Now we are in Barbessel Province,' Lienne said, and Talbrik could see clearly, now that they were through the mountains, that the land had changed its characteristics. Beyond them stretched mile after mile of lush, verdant forest and gently sloping hills. Far in the distance he could see a river, and beyond that, off towards the west, smoke from a settlement of some sort. She had told him that of all the provinces in Heraklion, Barbessel was probably the most advanced, the most civilised. He could now speak Herakian fluently, and he had been practising with a variety of weapons belonging to Swarbard's band.

They went leisurely down the trail from the foothills and onto the carpet of green undergrowth that heralded the beginning of the great Barbesselian forest. There were in the band, apart from Swarbard, six others, not counting Talbrik, Lienne and Avelline. During the short but hazardous journey across the border mountains, she had remained steadfastly close to Talbrik, keeping away from the others, and especially Swarbard.

Three trails met at the entrance to the forest, one striking off to the west, and presumably to the coast, one to the east, skirting round the foothills and striking off towards Hor-Lak and ultimately Ancyros. The third trail went into the forest, and therefore, they reasoned, to Horta.

'To Horta, then?' Talbrik asked. Swarbard's eyes narrowed with suspicion. He still did not trust the stranger overmuch, even though he had fulfilled the necessary requisite for joining his band.

'You have business in Horta?'

'I thought that was where we were going.'

'Why should you think that?'

'No reason.'

'If you have business in Horta, state it. I will decide whether or not that is where we should go.'

'I may have business in Horta.'

'Marcellus of Barbessel?'

Talbrik nodded.

'I would like to meet him.'

'And cut off his head, eh?'

'Something like that.'

'As I see it, we have three choices. We can make our camp here in the foothills, and strike out from here, picking off rich merchants on their way to the coast or to Hethoum, or passing from Hethoum into Barbessel Province. Or we could make for the coast ourselves, and make our living taking what we want from the trading craft. Or we could go north east, into Hor-Lak. I am told there is a good trade in female slaves in Hor-Lak.'

'You would not consider the fourth option, then, of going through the forest to Horta?' Talbrik asked.

'Not because you wish to go there, no!' Swarbard roared. He was not used to having one in his employ so prone to questioning his every decision. Talbrik was making him decidedly angry.

'Then I will take the girls and go alone,' Talbrik said.

'No, I cannot allow that.'

'Why? They are my girls.'

'You said she was not your lover!' Swarbard said, pointing at Avelline, who shrank back behind Talbrik.

'Nor is she. Yet.'

'Then I will take her, and the young girl. I can get good money for the both of them in Hor-Lak.'

Talbrik drew his sword. Swarbard laughed.

'Take the girl,' he directed his men. They circled around Talbrik, who had both of the girls cowering behind him. He raised the sword.

'I do not wish to kill more of your men, Swarbard. I do not dispute your leadership of your band. But I will not give you my property.'

'Your property! That is really funny! When I invited you to join up with me, it went without saying that anything you previously owned would belong to me!'

'I did not understand that to be the case. Perhaps it should have been said,' Talbrik said quietly. Again Swarbard's eyes narrowed. He had seen him fight. He could not afford to lose more men. He called them off.

'Very well,' he said. 'We will do it your way. The girls remain your property.'

'And the direction we will take?'

'We will make camp here,' Swarbard said. 'Tomorrow I will decide whether we go to the coast, to Hor-Lak, or to Horta.'

Talbrik nodded, partially satisfied. It was almost dark, anyway. He kept the girls with him at all times while the camp was made. Eventually they nestled down together, the three of them, gazing at the myriad stars overhead.

'Horta can be reached from the coast, Talbrik,' Lienne said, whispering so that the others would not hear their conversation. 'Ships leave every day, taking goods up to Horta, which lies a hundred miles further up, on the delta.'

Talbrik nodded.

'Horta is also a coastal city, then?' he mused.

'It is, and the greatest in the whole of Heraklion,' Avelline said.

'So we should persuade Swarbard to take the coast road if he will not go through the forest? Why is that, I wonder?'

'He is afraid of the forest.'

'Why should he be?'

'There are animals in the forest.'

'There are animals in every forest, Lienne,' Talbrik said, not understanding.

'No, you do not understand. This forest is the only habitat of the karrakakus. It is descended from the silth. Nobody takes the forest trail,' Lienne said.

'Then why is there a trail into the forest?'

'It is probably the trail made by the karrakakus,' Avelline said, shuddering.

Lienne laughed.

'No, it is not that. There always was a trail through the forest. Once silths were being transported from Hethoum to Barbessel. They escaped and interbred with other denizens of the forest. Over the years the karrakakus developed. It is larger and faster than a silth, with a large cat-like head and enormous sabre teeth. There are said to be over a hundred of them in this forest. No one uses this trail any more.'

Talbrik nodded.

'That explains why Swarbard does not wish to take this route to Horta.'

'Swarbard could not care less if we ever went to Horta,' Lienne said. 'I overheard him talking to his men while they were preparing their meal. He does not really like you all that much.'

'That does not surprise me,' Talbrik said. 'The rest of his men are fairly low in intelligence, I should say.'

'He does not like the way you question everything he does. He will get rid of you at the earliest opportunity.'

'You heard him say this?'

'Yes. He has no intention of going either to the coast, or to Hor-Lak. He will probably either remain here and make his living from passing trade, or else he will return to Hethoum.'

'Why did he cross the mountains into Barbessel Province then?'

'He knows that you wish to go to Horta, to find this Marcellus. Now that we are in Barbessel Province, he can see that it will take him too near to the authorities for his own safety. He regrets ever having taken you into his band.'

'I did not suggest that we came to Barbessel Province,' Talbrik protested.

'At the time, Swarbard considered it a good idea to try a new place. He is not terribly intelligent himself,' Lienne said.

'I do not like him,' Avelline said.

'He likes you,' Talbrik said, grinning.

'That is what I am afraid of. Could we not wait until they are asleep, and then take the coast road?'

'I am considering it,' Talbrik said. 'But I had it in mind to go through the forest.'

'You are not serious!' Lienne said, shuddering.

'It has many advantages.'

'Name one!' Avelline said.

'I will name two. It is a more direct route to Horta, and therefore to Marcellus. Secondly, Swarbard and his men would not follow us.'

'I do not want to go through the forest,' Avelline whispered.

'Go to sleep,' Talbrik said, turning her onto her side. 'I will wake you during the night, when it is time to leave.'

'We are leaving then?' Lienne asked.

'We are leaving.'

But as the stars revolved about them, and their eyes closed, Talbrik's plan was aborted as he awoke to find Swarbard and his men standing over them, his weapons taken.

'This is where we part company,' Swarbard said. 'I give you two choices. Take the forest trail or die, here.'

Lienne stifled a scream. There were many swords levelled at Talbrik's chest. Avelline began to weep. Talbrik considered the choices briefly.

'You understand that you are going alone, and with no weapons?' Swarbard said. Talbrik nodded.

'It is what I expected of you.' He stood up, leaving the two girls huddled terrifiedly together. He did not look at either of them. Swarbard and his men escorted him to the edge of the forest. It was still dark, but to the far east was the unmistakable glow of the sunrise.

'I will enjoy looking after your property,' Swarbard said, leering.

'Throw me my sword,' Talbrik said. 'What can I do against so many?'

'Throw him his sword,' Swarbard told one of his men. Talbrik caught it, and turned his back on them, entering the gloom of the forest. The trail was immediately lost in the towering undergrowth. All he could make out were the shapes of the trees, vastly high, dark and unwelcoming. Now and then he heard the noises of smaller animals as they went about their nocturnal business. In the distance, ahead of him, he could see that there had once been a trail, the grass and the shrubs growing much lower than at the sides. He did not know whether to keep to the trail or not. Behind him, he heard the screams of the two girls as they were seized by Swarbard's men. His first impulse was to raise his sword and charge out of the forest to confront them, but he decided against it. Instead, he rested by the bole of an enormous tree and waited for the sun's first rays to penetrate the gloom of the forest. But then he heard the screams again, and the crashing of feet through the undergrowth, and his name was called, as Lienne came hurtling towards him.

'Come quickly, Talbrik, he's killing her! Come quickly!'

He started to his feet and ran to Lienne, comforting her briefly, and directing her to remain just inside the forest. He peered cautiously out into the gathering dawn, and could see, perhaps a hundred or so feet away, the group of Swarbard's men, and occasionally the flash of pink flesh as they began to rape Avelline.

Roaring like an animal, he wielded his sword aloft and began his run. Not before he was on them and amongst them did they realise they were being attacked, and by then it was too late. The sword sliced through the air, taking with it the head of the first man, clean off, and a gout of crimson blood jetted ten feet into the morning air. A second man's arm was severed at the shoulder. A third felt the blade slide effortlessly into his gut, spilling his insides across the ground. A fourth man bent to retrieve his weapons, but was hampered by the fact that his clothes were around his ankles. He tripped and staggered forward, and Talbrik's blade ran him through the heart. Swarbard and the final man managed to pull up their clothes, and while Swarbard picked up a sword and charged at Talbrik, the other ran, screaming for his life. Talbrik stood his ground and met Swarbard's charge. Their steel clashed. Talbrik pushed the other away and stabbed at where he had been. Swarbard dodged and ducked, hacked and parried, evading thrust after thrust, but he was overweight, and had neither the energy nor the anger to retaliate long enough to break through Talbrik's guard. Finally, he lost his grip on his sword and stared death in the face as Talbrik pinned him to a tree. All the while, Avelline sat on the ground, mostly naked, sobbing anguishedly, rocking backwards and forwards. Talbrik pressed home his advantage.

'I give you two choices, you fat evil bastard!' he said, under his breath. 'Either you can die, here and now, executed for what you have done to a lady. Or else I will relieve you of your clothing and your weapons, and you may enter the forest.'

At this the fat man began to blubber with fear, imploring Talbrik to spare him, but Talbrik was unmoved, and was anxious to begin comforting Avelline as best he could.

'Your choice, now!' he demanded, and when Swarbard continued to scream a mixture of obscenities and supplications, he ran him through, plunging the sword into him so hard that the blade went clean through and into the tree. Talbrik turned abruptly and gathered the naked Avelline into his arms, soothing her, caressing her luxuriant hair, now tangled with twigs and leaves and earth. Her sobbing increased, and the tears cascaded down her face and onto her throat. Talbrik held her close for several moments, then retrieved what was left of her already meagre clothing and attempted to dress her.

'I am sorry if I was too late,' he muttered thickly, but she would not meet his eyes. 'I did not think they would do anything like that.'

'They were men, weren't they?' she said with a degree of bitterness which he could not help but notice. 'Men are all the same!'

Talbrik shook his head and again tried to comfort her, but she pulled angrily away.

'I am sorry,' he said again. 'I did not think.....'

'It is not your fault,' she said. 'You had no choice. There were seven of them.'

'I should have stayed.....'

'And be killed? Then what would have happened to me?'

'I should have fought for you.....'

'Talbrik, look at me, will you?' she demanded. 'I am nothing special. I am a whore! I dance for men. I sing for men. I let them have me. I receive payment for it.'

'You are an angel!' he breathed, but she did not hear him.

'I have known only slavery since I was old enough to satisfy the lusts of men,' Avelline continued. 'You cannot have lived all your life on Heraklion without seeing how women are treated by men. You cannot have closed your eyes to the fact that we are all nothing more than sexual objects, kept for the amusement of men! What did you think they were going to do to me?'

'I know why they did what they did,' he said, but she would not be silenced now.

'Women on Heraklion are treated worse than the animals in the fields! You call for us, and we have to perform. It matters not if we are unwell, or sore, or tired, our feelings do not count for anything. Men are the masters, women their playthings!'

'I know why they did what they did,' he said again, and this time she listened. 'They did it because you are beautiful, more beautiful than any woman they have ever seen before.....'

She laughed shortly, and turned away from him, rubbing her hands up and down her naked arms.

'They did what they did because that is the way of things on Heraklion!' she said, disgustedly. 'They knew I was a whore. If I had been a free woman, they would still have done it. Are you blind, Talbrik?'

Talbrik shook his head.

'If I were blind, I would not be able to tell that I was in the company of the most beautiful woman on Heraklion,' he said, and again she laughed in his face.

'You are stupid! You are stupid. You are.....stupid.'

He approached her cautiously, putting a cloak taken from one of Swarbard's men around her shoulders. It was still cool despite the growing warmth from the early sun.

'Avelline, I came back because I could not bear to think of what they were doing to you.'

She stared at him through her tear-stained eyes, disbelieving. She uttered a harsh laugh.

'This is some kind of joke at my expense, is it not?' she demanded. 'You do not expect me to believe you, surely? Men do not treat women this way, Talbrik. You can have no feelings for me, none! I am a slave! A whore-slave! I am available for any man to have! Do you understand? Do you understand?'

'Avelline, when we left the inn in Hethoum, I gave you your freedom, even though it was not mine to give. I took you from your rightful owner, and I liberated you. You are free. It is you who do not understand! I know the way of things on Heraklion well enough. Men have a total disregard for women, valuing their money, their utensils, their animals higher. I am not familiar with this way of life, because I was brought up in Ancyros, near to the holy city, hidden in one cell or another to escape the authority which would have castrated me and made me fit only to look after the holy virgins of Prakussara. I escaped, but I sheltered in the hills, seeing no one, knowing no-one. I could no more make a girl my slave than to force her to.....you are free, Avelline. You are no longer a slave. And to me you never were a whore, just someone who was used and abused illegally by men who knew no better.'

She started to weep again, and he drew her to him, feeling the delicious warmth of her curves against him. He turned her face to his and kissed her, full on the lips. Then he took his sword and offered it to her, hilt first.

'I will defend you against them all, Avelline. I am only sorry I was too late this time. You need never fear anyone again. You are free to come and go as you wish anywhere on Heraklion. You are a free woman!'

She smiled a watery smile.

'You still do not understand, do you, Talbrik,' she said softly. 'I can never be free. There is a mark on my buttock that proclaims me slave, whore-slave, forever and a day. I can never be free.'

'I will get the mark removed.'

She shook her head, still smiling.

'Then there will be a scar denoting the fact that someone has illegally removed the mark of a female slave.'

'Surely there is some way you may be a free woman?'

'Only if I were to remain with you forever, never leaving your side. As though I was your - your love companion. That is the only way it may be done.'

'Then that is how it shall be!' he said fiercely. 'Never leave my side, Avelline. Stay with me.'

She shook her head sadly.

'You are young, and naïve, and inexperienced in the ways of the world. You have killed many men since I have known you, in just a few days. But you know nothing of the world. When we reach Horta, and you see the fabulous women that live there who may be yours for just a copper coin, you will discard me and I will have to earn my living as a whore-slave once more!'

'No! I have given you the hilt of my sword! It means my undying.....love!'

She touched his face, tenderly, and kissed him again.

'I do not know what it means, Talbrik,' she said softly. 'It may mean something in the codes of chivalry that never touch we lesser mortals, there again it may mean absolutely nothing except what you intended it to mean. Very well, if you will have me, I will remain with you until you tire of me.'

He kissed her again and stroked her hair, and her neck, and was tempted further but she restrained him, reminding him gently how she had been but recently abused, and he, apologising profusely and in some confusion, helped her to bathe her wounds and to remove the grime and the dirt from her where they had thrown her to the ground and beaten her. Within a few minutes, washed and refreshed, she felt more like her old self, and the secret knowledge that she now wielded a degree of power over her champion lifted her heart and her spirits. She felt a glow of warmth suffuse her. Then they both remembered the young girl.

'Lienne!' he called, and turned to help Avelline to her feet. There was no response. He walked towards the forest trail, pausing only to kick a severed limb out of the way, and called again:

'Lienne! It is safe to come out now!' Still she did not answer, and he frowned. Avelline was now on her feet. Together they approached the forest as the sun's first rays broke the mountains and bathed them in warmth and light.

At the edge of the forest, the trail was clear and well-lit. There was no sign of Lienne.

'Where can she be?'

'She would not have ventured further into the forest,' Talbrik said, without conviction. 'She knew what was in there.'

'There are no signs of her having come out of the forest,' Avelline said. 'See, here are your footprints, heavy in the moist soil. And here are hers, equally heavy, entering the forest to apprise you of what was happening.....'

'Do not remind me!' Talbrik muttered grimly.

'.....but there are no signs of her footprints emerging from the forest to take either of the other trails. No, I am afraid she is still in the forest, Talbrik.'

'So be it,' he said, again drawing his sword, 'if she is still in the forest, then that is where we shall find her. Stay close to me, Avelline, and we will search for her.'

They entered the forest, Avelline clinging to Talbrik as though her life depended on it, which to a certain extent, it did. As they moved farther inside, the overwhelming green of the interior, now illuminated by a full and unseen sun, started to produce an incredible warmth and mist. Brightly coloured birds and small mammals darted here and there, and the din was deafening. They examined the trail, now mostly overgrown, for signs of Lienne's footprints, and were certain they were travelling in the right direction.

'Do you know this part of Barbessel?' he asked her.

'No, I have never been here. Lienne.....'

They were interrupted by a scream, away in the distance, off to the right, and away from the trail.

'That is her!' Talbrik said. 'Come on!'

They crashed through the undergrowth, Talbrik cutting a swathe through the giant fronds which were the floor of the rainforest, and then, in a clearing, they saw it. Lienne was rigid against a tree, facing a monstrous animal, scaly along its back, its tail, its legs and its head covered with fur. They circled warily around it, and Talbrik saw that it did indeed have the sabre teeth they had been told about. It was a good twelve feet in length, and moved with a feline grace that was out of place on such a large animal. It was low on the ground, its forelegs little more than stumps, but its hind legs were long, and muscular, coiled and ready to pounce.

'I will try to attract its attention,' he whispered.

'Help me!' screamed Lienne, and the karrakakus moved stealthily towards her. Talbrik looked around, and found a branch, broken off, lying on the ground. He tossed it as hard as he could, and caught the creature squarely across the shoulders. It turned, glaring, hissing, and spitting, and lumbered slowly towards him, saliva dripping from its enormous fangs. Avelline screamed.

'Get up in the tree!' Talbrik shouted to the two girls, and watched as Lienne swung herself onto the lowest branch, then turned to help Avelline do the same. He faced the creature, planting his feet squarely and raising his sword.

'Talbrik, don't!' Avelline cried. 'Get into the tree, quickly!'

'It is hungry,' Talbrik observed. 'It will not let us down from the tree. I have to kill it.'

'You cannot!'

'I will die trying!' he muttered. The karrakakus was barely ten feet away from him, gathering speed, tensing its back legs in readiness to leap at him. He could see the creamy white of its eyes, and his heart began to hammer in his chest. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lienne pull something from one of the branches and hurl it at the beast. Her throw missed. Talbrik waited until the last moment, then leaped out of the path of the beast, slashing with his blade as he did so, and caught it on the snout, drawing blood. It howled with pain and rage, and raked its talons down his calf. His first impulse was to fall to the ground, clutching his bleeding leg, but he knew that he would never be permitted to get up again. Instead he rolled over and limped behind the tree as the beast crashed into its trunk, shaking its foundations. Lienne picked another object from the branch where she sat in comparative safety, and this time her aim was better. Avelline looked above her, and saw that hanging from the branch on her tree were more of the same enormous gourd-like objects that felt extremely hard to her touch. She struggled to her feet and grabbed the gourd nearest to her, tugging with all her weight.

Talbrik leaped out from behind the tree, thrusting frantically at the beast, again drawing blood from its face. It snarled with a chilling ferocity, and moved swiftly to attack as a third missile from Lienne caught it squarely behind the ear. Its head reared up, turning to see where the attack was coming from, but she had hidden behind a giant frond, and it saw nothing. The diversion was exactly what Talbrik needed. He swung the blade quickly, cutting a long gash in the beast's hind quarters, and again it howled with agony and ear-splitting rage.

Avelline at last managed to free the gourd from its stalk, and threw it with all her might. It landed between the beast's eyes, splitting immediately, showering it in a foul-smelling yellowy creamy substance. With a gesture that was almost comical it raised a forepaw and tried to wipe the mess out of its eyes, but it was sticky, and appeared to be setting hard. Talbrik jumped onto its back and brought his sword down clean through the animal's brain. It staggered momentarily, then collapsed, its heartbeat swiftly fading to nothing.