'They must be mad,' thought Ukeo, 'crossing the boundary. What are they doing?!'

  She bit her lip as she crouched there on the veranda, uncertain of next step, watching in faulted hope that the young Navy Soldiers would realise their stupidity and slink back over to the Collosean territories. But the sailors persisted, creeping swiftly in the shadows of the tall houses, until they reached the base stilts of the neighbouring house... Qalun's house... Before climbing through the cross-hatch support beams into the open cellar.

  Ukeo's mind rushed for reasons why these fools had encroached upon Ruskel lands in such brash fashion. While it was effectively impossible to fully patrol the borders between the realms, any foreign citizen, whether it be Haemonine or especially Collosean, who's found on Ruskel lands without adequate papers to justify their crossing, were punished with serious prejudice - a minimum 5 year prison term. Furthermore, Ruskelites, being as they were, creatures of intense patriotism and secrecy, would harshly penalise any citizens who failed to report said trespassing.

  These thoughts and more were chasing themselves around Ukeo's head. But, what of her Mother? If she raised the alarm, would the intruders flee or would they scale the steps to shut her and her Mother up? Catrin Nasz was a hardy woman in her day, built strong from scallop diving, but the arthritis had aged her terribly, and left her with upsettingly vulnerable. Then, Ukeo's runaway train of thought was broken by a noise. 'Damn!' She thought. She hated her proclivity for becoming distracted, even in times of urgency such as this. The sound was of a metallic bang, followed by a flitting and very short-lived rattle. They were going for Qalun's catch box. Had they really ventured over here, risking imprisonment in a Ruskelite non-dom cell, to steal a day's worth of freshwater barbel fish?!

  Ukeo had already inferred that they must be from the Northern Barracks of Indam Water, Collosea's only lake in the Triskellion. It was an outpost of substantial size, visible in the distance during midday from the very spot where Ukeo was now crouching. It wasn't uncommon for minor skirmishes between the Collosean Navymen and Ruskelite South Dale Lake Regiment break out at the borderline itself, but not deep within the territories.

  There was squeaking noise now from across the way, but higher up, level with Ukeo. She looked up and witnessed Qalun's front door open, and from it emerged Qalun's older brother, Jac, with Qalun behind him. They had puzzled, irritable expressions, and in Jac's hand was a fishing pike that stood as tall as him from the ground. Qalun's curly blond hair shook in the growing wind as he walked to the edge of their porch and looked over the side. The sun had set now though, and she was finding difficulty in making out the movements of the soldiers lower down behind the slats.

  Qalun and Jack trotted down their stairs quickly, decisively, muttering to each other. As they did so, Ukeo decided it was time to quit being a bystander. She reckoned there were five soldiers there, leaving her friends worryingly outnumbered. She twisted from her crouching position and ran into the house. Her Mother turned around, startled, at the sound of the in-swinging door.

  'You're later than usual Darling.' She said, as Ukeo ran right past the kitchen to her bedroom. 'Your hours are getting far too long, it's not good for you!' she continued, now calling across the house.

  Ukeo emerged once more with her Father's old service sword, a stubby blade about the length of her forearm, but sharp and light as ever, with the cast silver trim at the handle found on all Ruskelite weapons. The thick candles resting on the furniture in the front room flickered in her wake.

  'Where are you going with that?' asked the bemused-looking Catrin. She was stirring a thick soup over their indoor firepit stove.

  'I think Qalun and Jac are about to run into trouble.' Replied Ukeo, slowing as she said it, trying to hide the anxiety in her voice.

  'Oh okay, go, go!' Said Catrin. She'd always taught her daughter the value of standing by those they held close.

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  Ukeo nodded and continued out of the door. The dry steps creaked as she chased down them, now listening for activity to the left, hoping to hear the rallying of their other neighbours. Nothing yet though. She gripped the banister at the base of the stairs and swung round, breath deepening, fingers tightening on the short blade, feet feeling leaden within the thin, yellow diving shoes.

  There was now the unmistakable sound of argument, tense voices parrying each other. As Ukeo gripped the slick, splintery, crisscrossed planks underneath Qalun's stilt house, her eyes adjusted immediately to the murky space. A procession of faces snapped in her direction, those of haughty, youthful Collosean sailors to the left, and to the right, the proud- and angry-looking Qalun and Jac.

  'Who the fuck is this now?' Spat a tall, black-haired Collosean at the front of the pack. The words came slurred with an air of forced confidence. Ukeo took an initial reading of them, as Ruskelites were taught to do during their mandatory combat training at school. They were without the hooked partizan swords issued to Collosean Navy soldiers, probably left behind as a means of avoiding detection, but they still carried their shortswords. Their cheeks seemed flushed, and their eyes squinting, which could have been from exertion, but with the slurred speech, it was more likely they were drunk or high from amber smoke. There were five of them, as she had estimated, all looking just a few days north of eighteen. Next to them was the catch box, now open and warped at the lid from being struck. A short, skinny woman standing behind the leader held a dripping sack.

  'Eyes on me boy.' Said Jac. 'As I said, you drop the catch, tuck ya tails back to the Indam, and we leave it there. Or we tussle, and you get your kneecaps broken.'

  'I don't know if you've noticed big man, but we've got double your numbers. So how about we leave with the bag. All peaceful, no fuss. Get yourselves a fresh catch tomorrow.'

  Ukeo stepped slowly over to the brothers, facing the Colloseans the entire time. 'It ain't double anymore.' She said.

  'I'm not sure these Ironers can count that well.' Qalun Added.

  'Your mouth is getting you in a hillpile of trouble, fisher.' Called one of the other Sailors, their voice rising.

  'It's you chaps that are in trouble, ya newt.' Retorted Qalun. 'Talk any louder and you'll get the whole neighbourhood down here, and they're older folk, world-weary like, not as understanding as us three.'

  Ukeo was wondering why they hadn't sounded the alarm. There were plenty of hardy, heavy-set Ruskelite fishers living in this string of houses, most with a healthy distaste for Haemonine or Collosean alike. She could only assume they didn't want to risk a death of one of the Sailors. To capture and jail the Colloseans would cause a rumble between the governments, but it could be worked out diplomatically, with the Ruskelites holding the cards. For the sailors to be killed at the hands of Ruskelite civilians could be a match to kindling during the current times of strife. Still, Ukeo thought it was worth the risk to have more bodies next to them. She leaned to whisper to Jac.

  'We should sound the horn.'

  'It's risky. If it was a bunch of Collosean coal sparkers then they'd already be fertilising the grass, but we don't wanna kick off a war do we? If we get Scuggs down here at least one of these nippers is getting buried. Plus we can take these youths, knock some sense into 'em. They're barely heavier than the fish they're carrying.'

  'We just need to scare 'em, and three of us obviously ain't doing it.' Offered Ukeo.

  'Hey hey hey,' said the leader Collosean, 'if you've got something to say share it with all of us... Look, just let us take this worthless sack of fish and you'll be done with us forever.'

  'If if ain't worth a damn why'd you risk your skin to come steal it then?!' shouted Ukeo, breaking from her clandestine discussion with Jac. The anger in her tone came less from them trying to rob Qalun, but more for putting her and her closest friends in this position.

  'It's worth plenty.' Said the dumpy solder to the leader's right. 'That's why we risked it. In case you haven't noticed, trade's at a standstill. You Ruskel dogs aren't good for much but your fish are the best eats around. We're just gonna eat a couple, sell a couple. That's all.' The leader twisted round and gave her a scowl.

  'You ain't doing shit.' Barked Qalun.

  Jac looked at his Brother, then Ukeo, then back at the gang of Colloseans. 'He's right, we've suffered this fools' parade long enough.' He pulled from his belt loop a palm-sized horn ringed with beige and bronze markings, and put it to his mouth.

  'Don't you sound that horn.' Said the leader of the pack, as he pulled his shortsword half out of his sheath. ' Don't, or you'll be dropped before your kin arrive.'

  Jac held their gaze for a few agonising seconds, and then blew.