Chapter 18: The Altered Journey
Prince Ahmad and his party were slow to recover from the double shock—first of being attacked by the overwhelming horde of brigands, and second of their miraculous rescue by the whirlwind and the rukh who carried off one of their number. For several minutes they stood silent and transfixed, unable to believe the luck—good and bad—that had befallen them.
Prince Ahmad, though, had been trained well for his role as king. Knowing that a leader must always be resolute, he began issuing orders even though he himself was badly shaken. His first commands, therefore, were that they take stock of their situation and see what assets they had available.
Their position was grave. Out of the fifty original guardsmen, only fourteen remained alive, including their captai
