body to discover that nothing was amiss, that none in Chom Deiru apparently had any idea that anything un-savory had occurred that night.
And so he went out again the next night, this time moving more to the south and less to the west.
He knew at first, distant sight, that the encampment he spotted was that of the To-gai-ru and not of Yatol Bardoh.
"Pruda has been garrisoned once more, and no doubt with many spear-throwing ballistae in case our dragon should make an appearance," a scout reported to Brynn that same night.
The woman nodded, hardly surprised. The pursuing Behrenese were having little luck in catching her, but Yatol Bardoh was doing well to outfit every nearby city against possible attacks.
"No doubt they have been told of our typical tactics, as well," Pagonel said to her when the scout left them alone. ?What new tricks will we find to shape the upcoming battlefields to our liking? ?
Brynn shrugged, having few answers. ?Agradeleous grows impatient once again," she noted, for she had been speaking with the dragon nearly every night. ?How many weeks has it been since he has seen any large battles?"
"You give him free rein to destroy the caravans."
"But that is hardly the adventure he so craves."
Pagonel looked at her intently. ?Hold the course," he advised. ?As mis-erable and hot as we are, our pursuers are even more so. Let us run Yatol Bardoh all across the hot sands of Behren, finding opportunity to sting where we may."
It was true enough, Brynn realized. There was no way they could turn about and do battle with the pursuing Behrenese army, even with a dragon at their disposal. Agradeleous had been fairly injured at the escape from Bardoh, and to Brynn's surprise, she had learned that dragon wounds were cumulative, that they really didn't heal very quickly. As much as the dragon desired battle, Brynn knew that she had to take great care, using him only when he was most needed.
"Your guidance keeps me strong," she said to Pagonel, stroking the side of his head and neck gently, ?We will hold our course and run Yatol Bardoh into the hot sands. And when winter comes, we will return to the steppes, quietly, and next spring wage war against every outposter settlement."
"And when the Behrenese army charges into To-gai to stop us?"
"We will turn again upon Behren," said Brynn. ?We will sting them over over again - it is all we can do - and hope that the Chezru Chieftain come to see his expansion onto the steppes as a fool's - She stopped suddenly, her face locked in a strange and confused manner, and she blinked her eyes repeatedly.
"Brynn?" Pagonel asked, moving toward her.
She lashed out suddenly, her fist speeding for his chest, but the supremely trained Jhesta Tu snapped his hand up to deflect the blow gently.
She punched out again, and again, and then began to thrash about, and it became apparent to Pagonel that she wasn't attacking him, but was strug-gling against some unseen enemy, some demon within herself!
"Brynn!" he cried repeatedly and he finally found an opening to grab the woman and bring her down to the ground. ?Brynn! What is it? Tell me!"
Undecipherable, almost feral, sounds escaped the woman's lips and she shuddered violently, nearly tossing the Jhesta Tu off her.
And then she lay very still, staring at Pagonel, her face a mask of confusion.
"What was it?" he asked, recognizing that the danger had passed.
Brynn shook her head. ?It was... someone else..." She stammered and shook her head, unable to fathom what had just occurred. She finally started to better explain it when the pair heard a scream from the neighboring tent, where Pagonel had secured the captive Merwan Ma.
"Someone else?" Pagonel asked as he started to rise, pulling Brynn up beside him.
"Looking, into me... looking through my eyes!"
By the time the two got into Merwan Ma's tent, the poor Shepherd was curled up in a corner, trembling with obvious terror, and whispering ?God-Voice," over and over again.
"God-Voice?" Brynn asked Pagonel.
"The Chezru Chieftain," the mystic replied, and he turned to Merwan Ma. ?You have seen him?"
The Shepherd just continued to tremble, and shook his head repeatedly.
Brynn and Pagonel looked to each other, then back to the man.
"He has seen him," Brynn remarked. ?The Chezru Chieftain was here - in spirit, at least." She looked back to Pagonel. ?But how is that possible."
"With a gemstone," the mystic replied. ?A hematite." He watched Mer-wan Ma as he spoke, and noted that