The Barren Land
The Shepherd, Book I
A Novel by Jeffrey B. Linn
All Rights Reserved

Chapter X

In the evening when we were retrieving our mounts, I was attacked. My mount was a bit unresponsive as I endeavored to coax her out of the enclosure when something like a long stave struck me hard on the chest. A disgruntled townsman was perched on the roof, and as I hit the ground he erupted in a stream of angry epithets. As I rolled about in a fog of anguish, mindless that dung and straw were adhering to my cloak and festooning my hair, mentor and the gatekeeper negotiated with the man. He relented, though not joyfully, and we were able to depart just before the city gate was sealed for the night.

Later on the road, I queried mentor as we moved our mounts along at a walk in the blackness. "I was able to discern that his daughter had entered the fellowship, and that this displeased him greatly, but I was more interested in finding out if my neck was intact. How did you move him to desist?"

mentor pulled up on the reigns in reflex to a similar action of the gatekeeper ahead. For a moment we held the horses and peered into the night.

The vast silence was shattered as mentor's mount let out a loud snort.

Satisfied that the horses were not alarmed, we moved on, yet more slowly than before. "We were able to persuade him," mentor said softly, "that there was perhaps another way of viewing the situation. That seemed partially to suffice." With a note of levity he added, "At least he let us go." He paused and we listened to the clop-clop of hooves on the path. This was our chief guide in the darkness. If the sound changed to the swish-swish of dry grass we would know we were going astray. After a while he said more seriously, "He will be one of shepherd Bhrata's first challenges, but it really is an opportunity as well."

"Why was I, of the three of us, attacked?" I was still a bit timorous. "Will he be after me on a vendetta?"

"Boy!" he said, in as loud a whisper as he dared, "have I taught you nothing? This is not between you and that man. I sensed straight out that the agents of the dragon had fanned the flames of his outrage. This was a reaction against the encroachment on his territory." He nudged his mount back onto the path. "And you should rejoice that you were considered so significant a threat--"

"Hold!" came the voice of the gatekeeper beyond. As we caught up with him, I perceived the umbra of another horse nearby. It was Nebiah. And she was not alone.

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