She whirled, immediately realizing there was someone standing close enough to grab her. But she gasped with relief when she saw that it was Zedo. He held two staffs. Both were tipped with silver spirals.

‘Here,’ he said, handing one to Chloe. ‘Athos needs you.’

‘I can’t . . .’

‘You can.’

Without another word, the magus narrowed his eyes and turned toward the nearest of the two raiders, the red-faced youth. The three men continued their approach, but now Chloe and Zedo had come to a halt. The youth laughed. He lifted his sword and charged at the whipcord-lean priest in the white robe.

Zedo pointed his staff. The silver cone lit up in a flash of white light, a split second before a conical blast of wind lifted the raider up and sent him flying. His back struck the solid trunk of a tree, making an audible crack before he crumpled.

The bearded raider roared. He waved his sword wildly over his head as he ran at Chloe.

Fighting the urge to freeze, she tried to remember what she’d been taught. She leveled her staff at him. Her constant meditation helped to cloak her in calm. She fed the fire inside her with thoughts of the wind. The silver flame grew and sizzled through her skin, making her right arm tingle as the power traveled to the device on the tip of the staff.

In an instant, she released it.

The wind struck the warrior in the center of his chest. But although it was strong, he pushed against the powerful gust and snarled. She stared grimly and drew on still more of the silver fire until her entire body was quivering. Finally she made a sudden cry and a second wind slammed against him, picking him up like a leaf in a storm. Sailing through the air, he screamed as he flew backward and then fell, smashing his skull on the rock.

But her victory was short-lived. The gray-haired warrior barreled into her, and she felt the staff go out of her hands as she tumbled. Her head struck the ground hard and a burst of pain sent starbursts sparkling across her vision.

Suddenly everything was black.

‘Chloe? Chloe!’

Zedo’s voice sounded distant but gradually came closer until she realized he was leaning over her. A hand shook her shoulder as she groaned, blinking in the bright sunlight.

She sat up and put a hand to her head, relieved when there was no blood. From the position of the sun she could see that some time had passed. The raiders had come at dawn; it was now mid-morning.

‘Are you hurt?’ Zedo asked.

Beside Zedo stood one of his brothers, a staff in his hand with a copper fork on its summit. Both were watching her anxiously.

‘I’m fine,’ Chloe said, though her head was still spinning.