Three soldiers and an Amparan messenger stand where the paths meet. All four of them are staring at me. Cursed gods, of all the times to get thrown into the past…

I keep my head down and do my best to imitate Tal’s accent. “My goat got loose…sir…and I chased him here.” My palms begin to sweat. I clench my fists for lack of anything better to do with them. Do the villagers keep their goats penned up? I’m not even sure the bleating I heard on my way over really was a goat.

The soldier squints at me, and suspicion enters his voice. “It’s almost dark. Why are you still wearing a hat?”

“Easier than carrying it, sir.” I look at him from under the brim as he comes closer. He’s bigger than I am. Right-handed, judging from the relative size of his arms. My pulse quickens and heat pumps through my veins. My fingers itch for the daggers strapped under my tunic. I’ll die before I let them capture me again.

“Take it off,” he says. “I want to see your face.” He’s five paces away now.

I bite back a curse.

“Yes, sir,” I say as the Amparan dog stops in front of me. I lift my left hand to the brim of my hat.

Then I drive my other fist into the soldier’s face.

The man reels from my blow. I’d hoped to knock him out, but he’s still very much awake. He cups his hand over his broken nose, and his creative use of Amparan swear words raises my opinion of him considerably. As his comrades shout in confusion, I turn tail and run. Dara men and women jump out of my way as I sprint to the border of the village and finally to the cover of the bamboo groves. I hear the soldiers behind me, their boots grinding the dirt as they call to each other about where I am.

It’s getting darker by the moment, and I can barely see the bamboo stalks blocking my path. I’ve hardly breathed a prayer against stepping into a fox burrow when my foot lands sideways on a stone and twists. Pain shoots up my leg. For a moment I stand there, doubled over, sucking in air through my teeth. Then I hear more shouts. I clench my jaw and take another step. More pain, and I borrow a few phrases I’d just learned from that soldier. I grit my teeth and limp on, but it feels as if I’m dragging a wild dog by the fangs.

Suddenly, the forest falls away, and I break through into another clearing. I stumble to a halt. I’d thought I was heading away from the village, but ahead of me is another cottage. Did I get turned around?