no longer alone. He quickly unsheathed his sword and circled. “Who goes there?” he called. The branches waved and the wind hissed its warning. “Show yourself!” Alban dragged sandaled feet across the uneven surface, never lifting them clear of the ground. It was a warrior’s tactic he had learned as a child watching gladiators in the arena, so as not to lose touch or traction. Those who lived to fight again left circles in the sand, where each step created shallow furrows. Always keeping a double-stanced