Melody was surprised and, to be honest, a bit disappointed to learn that only 3 of the Sedents had volunteered to make the trek to the Capital with Clan Yalla. She had dismissed the idea of selling the attack's survivors into slavery, of course, but still she would have preferred to have a more realistic number of [i]barbarians[/i] to present at the slave market.

Scouts were sent north from the still smoking remnants of Kengetar's village to look for [i]other[/i] tribal dangers, and an hour later, the caravan began to pull out; half of the mounted warriors led the procession; behind them were a half of the footbound warriors; then came the women, children, injured, and aged (some on foot, some on wagons or carts); and taking the rear were the rest of the warriors on foot.

Melody had explained to Kengatar that, as was the custom for [i]slaves[/i] on the way to market, he and his two volunteers would be on foot, surrounded by the first Company of warriors on foot. "You will have bindings on your wrists but not your feet, and those bindings will be loose ... to allow you to discard them if we come into danger. Kengetar, it is important to me that you [i]appear[/i] to be a captive and yet know [i]without doubt[/i] that you are [i]not![/i]" 

The last thing Melody did before she mounted her horse was have her servant, Haanya, sling a worn, dirty cape around Kengetar's shoulders and tie the leather thong under his chin. Melody explained, "I know you are accustomed to the weather of your own land and likely don't need this..."

Then, stepping closer, Melody gestured to Broon for a Sedent dagger and slipped it into the bound waist band of Kengetar's loincloth. She suddenly felt her face blushing and turned her head in the hopes of preventing him from seeing it; Melody had had a sudden recollection of the [i]barbarian's[/i] impressive manhood from the night before, and knowing that it was well within her easy reach should she decide to [i]partake[/i] of it caused her no end of frustration and embarrassment.

"The cape is to hide this," she explained, no longer facing Kengetar as she moved to her horse. She didn't look to him again until she thought she'd gain control of her complexion, telling him, "My Kapiten things arming you is a grave error. I am hoping otherwise."

She was about to turn to get the procession moving when suddenly there was a great deal of excitement coming from the direction of the Sedents who were remaining behind. As she watched, a group of hurrying survivors with bags over their shoulders or in their arms hurried toward Melody; they included three women, one older but seemingly spry male, and a teenage boy and similarly aged girl. 

They were calling out in a combination of their own Dialect and Common, and Melody very quickly deduced that they intended to join and support Kengetar, who Melody was coming to understand had made quite an impression on the tribe with his heroic sacrifice. When the group got closer, Melody realized that one of the women was the one who'd drawn blood from her bosom with a knife earlier this morning. She make eye contact with the woman, smiled, and made a familiar gesture of [i]welcome[/i] before asking, "Why have you chosen to accompany us?"

The woman pulled the top flap of her backpack open just enough to reveal the blade that could very well have killed Melody the night before and explained in her broken Common, "No seek revenge if not with you." Melody's smile widened; the woman donned the pack and added before joining the other Sedents, "[i]If[/i] seek revenge."

Melody gave the woman a respectful nod, looked about herself for sign that they were ready to set out, and gave Broon a familiar look. The Captain called out loudly, "[i]North![/i]"

And with that, the caravan was underway...

[b]Just short of noon:[/b]

The procession followed a trail in a northeasterly direction throughout the morning; it might have been a road once upon a time, but in many places Mother Nature had done it damage with the runoff of rain, the growth of plant life, and the falling of trees. Often the procession had to be halted to clear the way or aid the carts over collapsed, uneven, or simply rough ground.

At times, Melody had contemplated turning back to the road that had taken her to Kengetar's village; it was entirely suitable for the carts and much easier for those on foot. But that direction would have added another five or six days to the mission to the Capital.

Just before high sun, though, the scouts backtracked to inform their Lady that a very recent, rain-driven landslide had obliterated the road entirely; there would be no going this way with the wheeled vehicles. Melody ordered camp struck for the night and scouts sent out to look for dangers. She told Broon to raise only four of the many tents: hers for herself and the Sedent women and children, a smaller one for the Sedent men, a similarly sized one for Broon himself and his Yallan Juniors, and -- because the sky was threatening to pour more rain upon them -- a fourth one, just a lean-to, for setting up a kitchen for the group as a whole.