Blade approached the men with long swinging strides. By now they could see he was naked and unarmed. When he was twenty feet from the campfire the leader stepped forward, drew his sword, and held it out across his body.

«Stop there, man. Who are you?»

Blade decided to start with at least part of the truth and play it by ear from there.

«My name is Blade. Who are you?»

«You do not have to know that, man. But we must know what you are doing in the land of the Scadori.»

«I have traveled here from a far land.»

«Have you had an accident here in our mountains? They do not like stupid strangers, that is true.»

Blade had to guess at the proper answer to that question. «No, I have had no accident.»

The man snorted. «I think then you lie. A naked man cannot travel far in these mountains of ours. He would die quickly when the Watcher of the Day turns away from the land. I think perhaps you are of the Karani. Or will you try to tell me that you fell from the sky?»

Blade was half-tempted to agree with the second idea and try to persuade this leader that he was a messenger from whatever gods the Scadori worshipped. But he didn't know whether the Scadori listened reverently to such messengers or sacrificed them on the spot. He was quite sure he should not admit to being one of the Karani. The leader's tone of voice had made it quite clear, that they were mortal enemies of the Scadori.

«I am not of the Karani.»

The leader's eyes widened. His mouth also widened, exposing a large number of filthy teeth. He threw his head back until Blade thought the man's helmet would slip off, and roared with laughter. When he stopped laughing his eyes returned to Blade.