Back then, the redheads had held only a slender corridor into the heart of Eoforwic--but enough, curse them, to use to bring in reinforcements. Now the whole city was theirs again ... at least, until such time as the Unkerlanters chose to try to run them out. Ealstan had a demon of a time finding the particular abandoned building he was looking for. “It has to be around here somewhere,” he muttered. But where? Eoforwic had taken quite a pounding since he’d last come to these parts.

If this doesn’t work, I’ll think of something else, he told himself. Still, this had to be his best chance. There was the building: farther into Eoforwic than he’d recalled. It didn’t look much worse than it had when he and his pals ducked into it to change from Algarvian tunics and kilts to Forthwegian-style long tunics. Ealstan ducked inside. The next obvious question was whether anyone had stolen the uniforms he and his comrades had abandoned.

Why would anybody? he wondered. Forthwegians didn’t, wouldn’t, wear kilts, any more than their Unkerlanter cousins would. Ealstan didn’t think anybody could get much for selling the clothes. And so, with a little luck . . .

He felt like shouting when he saw the uniforms still lying where they’d been thrown when he and his friends got rid of them. He picked up the one he’d worn. It was muddier and grimier than it had been: rain and dirt and dust had had their way with it. But a lot of Algarvians in Eoforwic these days wore uniforms that had known better years. Ealstan held it up and nodded. He could get away with it.

He pulled his own tunic off over his head, then got into the Algarvian clothes. The high, tight collar was as uncomfortable as he remembered. His tunic went into the pack. He took from his belt pouch first a small stick, then a length of dark brown yarn and another of red. He twisted them together and began a chant in classical Kaunian. His spell that would temporarily disguise him as an Algarvian was modeled after the one Vanai had created to let her--and other Kaunians--look like the Forthwegian majority and keep Mezentio’s men from seizing them.