“Well, it’s a good thingyou’ve decided to branch out then,” chuckled Esta. “This is a finemorning’s work, Arik, the best batch of rabbits you’ve brought inthis month.”

“Thank you, sir,” beamed Arikas Esta counted out the coins for the young hunter. “Do you thinkthe bandits will attack Lorgo again?”

Esta leaned his bulky frame against thelong wooden table that was the centerpiece of the kitchen. “Isuppose they will,” he answered. “Ever since the Collapse, theworld has been a very unsafe place. The bandits will keep attackingand raiding until one of the great armies wipes themout.”

“Do you think we could send amessage to one of these great armies and get them to come help us?”quizzed Arik.

Esta laughed and scowled at the sametime. “Lad, the only difference between the bandits and the greatarmies is that the armies are bigger. They’ll loot and plunder usas sure as the bandits. The only reason that they will kill thebandits is to get rid of the competition.” The innkeeper’s browknotted with concern. “Sooner or later some of them are going tocome, though.”

Arik gazed at the innkeeper trying togauge his mood. For once Master Tern seemed to be talkative, butnone of the townspeople seemed to want to talk about the daysbefore the Collapse. Hesitantly, Arik broached the unspeakabletopic. “What was it like before the Collapse? Could you really seethe sun? Were there bandits then also?”

Esta jolted upright and hurriedlyglanced around the room before turning a frosty glare at Arik. Hisfists were clenched and he appeared to be struggling with himselfto avoid striking the boy. Arik stood toe-to-toe with the innkeeperand didn’t flinch. Although he was considered a boy in the town,Arik was already a year past Forgeno, the age when young menstarted their apprenticeships. Forgeno didn’t hold much meaning inLorgo anymore, as trade with other cities was limited to anoccasional merchant or caravan because of the bandits. Mostmerchants refused to travel except with the rare caravans. As aresult, most trades in Lorgo were of a similar nature to a smallvillage instead of the bustling seaport town it used to be and mostyoung men became fishermen.