Free Recruited Mage by David Fredric

cart’s load. And there will be around one hundred thousand of us. Well it is not our problem and I think we shouldn’t think about it too much.
    “Ok, that is interesting.” I replied. “But can we change the subject and talk about something useful.” Gannon who had been saying nothing sat forward.
    “Yeah good point, we shouldn’ t worry about it. We should get…”
    Suddenly the cart ground to a halt and we looked around questioningly. Gannon stuck his head out the back then hopped out. We heard him walk around to the front then quickly exchange words with the man. In a second Gannon was at the back again, he had a strange and exited look about him.
    “Quick!” He said. “Everyone out, we have to do something important.” We climbed out as quickly as we could. “Someone is on the run from some soldiers. It is our duty to stop them so quick! Come!” He ran to the front wagon, which had a solid roof with us following closely behind. The wagon was pulled across the middle road and standing on top was Commander Beasley. He was holding a telescope to his eye.
    “Quick up here, grab the spring bows.” He ordered without looking away from the telescope. Gannon quickly went to the bac k of the cart and pulled out Tain’s four spring bows.
    Why do they have them? There was no time to think about that as the spring bows were passed to us and we climbed up a small ladder to the top of the wagon. Only now did I look and see we were at the top of a hill with the road straight out before us easily for a mile or two. Quite far away there was a man on horseback who seemed to be being chased by at least fifty mounted men.
    “Town W atch from Reanda, a small town a few miles forward. Now quick, load then lie down on your front.” We were passed bolts by the rest of the men who were now out of their wagons and standing around. Then I noticed they were being handed swords and when they got them they stood on either side of the wagon in a line that blocked the road completely. When we had loaded we lay down on the wagon and put the spring bows to our shoulders. The rider was closer now and I could see him better. He was wearing black with a cloak billowing behind him. As he rode even closer I saw that he was wearing some sort of mask and I could just make out a curved sword strapped to his side.
    When he sees us he will just go through the trees! I looked to either side of the road and saw that the trees were quite close together. Still, I would try to get through the trees if I had a roadblock ahead of me and a squad of soldiers behind me.
    Then I noticed there were strands of something across the gaps in the trees. The strands had big red thorns all along them.
    Blood Thorn! now I would definitely hesitate; I do not want to prick myself again on a blood thorn.
    Tell me why?
    I once pricked myself just once and was ill for the next week; apparently it would have been a lot worse is I hadn’t pulled it out immediately as Master Morrin said it had not fully injected the venom.
    Commander Beasley climbed off the wagon, onto the road and walked a few metres in the direction of the rider, who was now barley two hundred metres away. The rider was riding flat out but now he saw the wagon and started to slow. The Reanda Town Watchmen however did not close the gap and they kept their distance. The man slowed his horse to a trot and stopped in front of Commander Beasley who was holding a sword in front of him. We all tensed and pressed our spring bows tighter to our shoulders. Nervousness ran through my body, making me shake. The man looked at our roadblock but it was hard to see where he was really looking through his mask, which I could now see was made of rough leather. The man drew a small curved bow and put an arrow to the string. Commander Beasley stepped back a pace and raised his sword into a defensive stance.
    We are not going to have to shoot him are we ?
“Lay down your weapon!” One of the Town Watch shouted, and the