Chapter 26‘What do you make of them?’ said Isloman discreetly.
‘I don’t know,’ replied Hawklan. ‘But we’ll be very conspicuous if we try to avoid them now. Keep smiling. If they offer us violence don’t resist unless it gets really serious.’
They had been riding openly through the mountainous edges of Fyorlund for some days, avoiding villages and settlements as much as they could without actually appearing to do so. Now, however, they had no alternative but to pass through a large village situated at the mouth of a valley which was effectively the only route available. The cause of their concern was a modest but growing crowd of men in the square ahead of them. No women or children, Hawklan noted, and some of the men were carrying farm implements and other tools. Glancing casually around
