The seven cocked their ears alertly.
Faintly, mingled with the everyday noises of the jungle, came sounds of murmuring voices and the tramp of feet from around a bend in the trail ahead.
"Probably warriors from Sephar, hunting game," Tamar said. "Let's join them; they may have news for us."
Jotan frowned. "Hunters don't go blundering about so carelessly," he reminded. "Hide in the undergrowth until we can make sure."
A moment later, six human figures appeared in the path. Five were fighting-men of Sephar—all well armed. The sixth was a girl in a close-fitting tunic that emphasized the lithe softly-curved body it covered. Her face was set in determined lines as she moved on, looking neither to the right nor the left.
Tamar, lying next to Jotan behind a screen of vines, nudged his friend.
"Alurna!" he breathed. "What can she be doing here?"
"Looks as though Fordak was telling the truth," Jotan whispered. "She is mixed up in this. He must have got free and gone to her with the story.
"Well, let her go to Rydob's house. She'll find little there to please her!"
As soon as the princess and her escorts were out of sight, Jotan called his men from their hiding places and they took up their interrupted progress toward Sephar.