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THE WOMAN WHO RIDES LIKE A MAN
ALANNA OF TREBOND, THE SOLE WOMAN KNIGHT IN the realm of Tortall, splashed happily in the waters of an oasis, enjoying her first bath in three days Hard to believe that it’s winter in the North, she reflected In the Southern Desert the teh she objected to so much sand
“Best hurry up,” Corauard on the other side of the bushes that concealed the pool “If this is a Bazhir waterin’ place, we don’t want to wait and find out if they swear for the king or against him”
Alanna stepped out of the water, grabbing her clothes She had no urge to ades She and Cora to battle with the warlike desert men would cut their journey very short
Drying off, the young knight pulled on a boy’s blue shirt and breeches Although her femininity was not the secret it had been when she trained in the royal palace, Alanna still preferred the freedo It was odd to remember that the last tie and Prince Jonathan had just found out she was a girl Those days—the days in which she bound her chest flat and never went swione She didn’t miss them
Faithful, her pet cat, was yowling a warning “Alanna!” Coraot trouble!”
Grabbing her sword, Alanna raced for Cora cloud of dust indicated tribesriht’s saddle She trotted forward totoward her across the sand The cat leaped, landing squarely in front of hisinto the leather cup that was his position on her saddle Alanna’s gentle s
“Let’s try to reach the road!” Alanna told Coram
They rode hard, Alanna crouched low over Moonlight’s palehis head “It’s no good,” he was bellowing “They’ve spotted us! Ride on—I’ll hold ’em!”
Alanna wheeled and stopped, Lightning glittering in her hand “What sort of friend d’you think I am? We’ll wait for them here”
Corahter, I’d tan yer hide! Go!”
Alanna shook her head stubbornly She could see their pursuers now: they were hill behind her, she unbuckled her shield fro it over her left ar suit
“Stubborn lass,” he grule with ten Bazhir tribes than any hillmen”
Alanna nodded The Bazhir were deadly fighters, but they had a strict code of honor Hill and loot
Renewing her grip on Lightning’s hilt, she settled her shieldout in a half circle that would close around Alanna and her coht clenched her jaw and ordered, “Take thee”
“What?” yelped Coram
Alanna charged directly at the hill out a war cry
Moonlight reared as they reached the first raiders, striking out with hooves: she had been trained for battle years ago Alanna slashed about her with Lightning, ignoring her enemies’ yells of fury
A one-eyed villain closed in, grabbing her sword arry yowl Faithful leaped from his cup with his claws unsheathed The one-eyed hill cat away from his face
“Lass! Beware!” Cora to fend off three at once He yelled in pain as one of theash on his sword ar his shield and switching his sword to his good left hand
Warned by her co uided his shaggy pony with his knees, leaving his hands free to grip the hilt of a sith an odd crystal blade Alanna eyed its razor-sharp length and gulped, ducking beneath the redheadedHe reversed it, and she blocked it with her shield just in tihtning, only to miss as her attacker darted away