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"Our people have a saying that you should never bid the evil one good day until you ood day"

He was met with silence One of the horses nickered softly and others began sta

"He’s a rude one," said another s that eat all the draff," said another

The first one, whom Phae presumed to be the leader, looked askance at the Kishion "Too proud to speak, are you?"

"Everyone is wise till he speaks," chuckled so his arms "He thinks that he’s the very stone that was hurled at the castle Look at hi?"

"She has red hair," said another Ro nose nearly grazing her ar this season, I think Let me see you closer, lass"

Phae shrank as he reached for her, pressing her back against the Kishion’s, ready to drop low The et a fistful of her cloak The Kishionhim clear from the saddle He fell so fast and hard he could not cry out before sers before whirling to face the leader again

The Kishion’s attack stunned them e, the leader shouted for the Ro sword from his scabbard

"Stay low," the Kishion whispered to her and disappeared He sidestepped between two horses, his dagger whipping around and stabbing their flanks, startling the them to rear violently and pitch off their riders Phae watched in awe as hewith the rhyth beasts and the sword thrusts co down at him from all sides He was never in one place forquickly and soundlessly, his tattered cloak fanning behind hi the reins froely so that the horse would react in pain

Phae remembered in time to drop low, just as another hand reached for her hair The man tried in vain to snatch at her, and Phae scuttled away fro up behind her Her heart raced with fear and exciteainst one Somehow, she knew the Kishion would win He did not bluster or threaten He did not need to

A rabbed her around the waist from behind and hoisted her off her feet She had not heard hi to squir her around

"Oy!" he called to another Ro her to the rabbed her by the arainst his ar to hit his face The horse shied, but the rider was expert and controlled it Fresh terror rose inside The Kishion was boxed in by other riders He could not see her

"Lift her higher!" the Roood that the cat purrs!" the one holding her said "We’ll taled, her fear turning into anger He had called her cinder-haired Cinder--a word about fire Her fingers began to tingle The words carabbing her arms yelped when those very arht fire and the horse screamed in terror and bolted All anirabbed the h protected by leather bracers, the leather blackened and hissed and the man’s skin blistered With a howl of pain, he released her, scraet back from her

Phae turned and faced hier seared her heart, fanning the power that flooded into her Gone were the feelings of helplessness Gone was the tied like a fountain and she held up her hands, unleashing a stor to get away froly delicious

Horses shrieked in terror and bolted In the distance, she could hear the groan of the gate as the Romani inside desperately pulled it closed Phae stood in a half-crouch, staring at the fire licking the grass where the ues rippled with heat and charred the grass, spreading with the wind and causing billowy black smoke to rise in the air