Hefantasized columns of Sordoan soldiers marching along the coastalhighway on their way to a frontier fort, their uniforms all withmatching bright colors and gilded with gold. It took him a momentto realize that Tedi was no longer beside him. He looked up anddown the street and the only person moving was a sturdy woman in along green dress and wearing a felt hat with an embroidered stripof flowers around it. She was walking down the center of the wideavenue and staring at him. Without knowing why, Arik turned anddashed between the two closest buildings and turned down the alleytowards the sea. Arik was halfway down the alley when Tedi calledto him. Arik stopped short and peered around. Tedi was hidingbeside some old crates behind one of the buildings.

“Why did you leave me?” pantedArik.

“I had my reasons,” laughedTedi, “but I’m not running like I just saw a revenant. What are yourunning from?”

Arik winced as he thought of overheardstories of revenants, beings brought back from the dead that couldnot be killed. Suddenly he broke out laughing. “I don’t know,” heoffered. I guess I was daydreaming on the way to the inn and lookedup to see this woman walking towards me. At least I thought she washeading towards me. It felt like her eyes were burning into me. Idon’t know why, but I just started running. Pretty stupid, Iguess.”

“If she was wearing green,”Tedi laughed, “it wasn’t so stupid. That was the woman who screamedthis morning at the inn and she saw us walking together before Itook off running. I don’t know if she saw me through her windowearlier, but I’m not about to take any chances. Best off if we justavoid her.”

“I wonder what she is doing inLorgo,” Arik mused. “Her dress is one of the finest I’ve ever seenand Esta remarked about her traveling without a bodyguard. I can’tsee her getting past all of the bandits along the highway and ifshe had family here, she wouldn’t be staying at the inn. It justdoesn’t make any sense.”