“A challenge has been uttered by Vralius, and accepted by Napius,†Gisor’s voice rang out above the silent crowd of centaurs, who looked back and forth from each other, up to Gisor, Napius, Vralius and I. We were gathered again in the center of the herd, where I’d been first exchanged, and the feeling was much the same as last time. Whispers rustled through the herd, but Gisor quieted them and continued. “The terms of the challenge – if Napius wins, he will keep the slave Nephele. If Vralius conquers Napius instead, he will win the slave back, and he will have the right to free her from the bonds of her slavery, by means of marriage.†Shock coursed through the crowd, and I stared straight ahead, feeling both fearful and excited.