SPRING CAME EARLY IN AStIBAR tON. It ALMOSt ALAYS did along t sered nortern side -out islands of t and soutart of t ts close to she year.

        Senzio raders in Astibar ed, te blossoms of trees making t o e. Cill cold it    t imes in early spring on t    be long before tled the seas around her.

        Senzio and Chiara.

        Alberico of Barbadior lay do nig ter intense, agitated nigtle rest, s turbing dreams.

        If ter tling, rife s and rumors, ts of early spring irely. And tive about them.

        Everyto be    once. ing doe, Alberico icipation of ed to him.

        to let t ime si o do t and for mu aing os    ducive to opening . Necessary tive, after ion of tors lands. y and gain came toget didnt en but o Alberico of Barbadior to represent almost t pleasure to be found in power.

        trivial in scope, and troubles made ter seem like minor, epions—brief flurries of snow in a nig h now were rivers in flood, everywhere he looked.

        At tected using    tracker and ty-five men Siferval ely sent after ered in a pass by outlao t man. An act and revolt almost impossible to believe.

        And    even properly exact retribution: ttered ted tla man abroad to see    a    Ortiz to    trace. Only long dead campfires in t y-five men s:     after all, and everyone kribution.

        "o use nec; Sifervals te    tains to carry tidings nortreated quickly in    t er all, ty-five of its men to be killed, and    out as to do no more t laug in the hills.

        It ordan    o t ructive t    s of traint . t night his eyelid

        began to droop again, t umn.

        tly after, came the news from Quileia.

        er triarc rade, an absolute    for t importantly, t    ever vigilant guardian of tern borders of tern Palm. So muctle actual prospect of difficulty. Even if tess-killer on o trade     t y botime. Soon enoug so make ted advantages of fog owards Barbadior.

        In tion of t many time- le, some rato see ticular ligs of    evey monarco vieters usefully. eo explore them, once he was home.

        , after all, , t of absolutely everyt t ts of tterly refused to cooperate.

        Marius of Quileia sent a gratifyingly s reply to Albericos latest benevolent offer to trade. An emissary delivered it directly into t Ortiz.

        Unfortunately, t brief gratification ed ime, in reition of its importance, by Siferval edly sopicated language it tained a message t, ely and circuitously p and clear: tfully judged t Brandin of Ygrater, firmer po green in    risk incurring trading     to.

        It ter t could easily drive a man into a killing rage.

        Figrol, Alberico ain of tter, t o extrad copy from t all trol deserting him.

        o turn ao stride aloo t tate and drao calm ell-tale treminning again in    eyelid; ttering o get rid of si nig died in truggled for ty t    ions of tercepted message, but calm ly reg illusion and s in t orm.

        Senzio! t to link e puppets in t    impossible to credit t a man, o tage, could be su imbecile.

        o ains, staring blindly out tly began to sider o look to to t of t mattered: to Alberico. idings be read, if Brandin of Ygratrading souts    t beyond tregea and tains to Quileian ports and all t land, so loo tesses?

        If to t. Denied access because Alberico of

        Barbadior oo infirm in o t . . . Alberico felt o s; a cold trickle of moisture slid doil it passed.

        From t suddenly seemed as if a dagger erialized, more s have fashioned.

        Senzio.    tless nigo break out, tain trol of a situation t increasingly seemed to be operating upon ead of , as master of iny.

        And t er, even before tains.

        tly after, even as t floibar, t t someone ried to kill Brandin of Ygrath.

        ried, and failed. For one blissful nig glorious sarios of triump t    ly    , a sire Peninsula of ter ely, erms of trade Alberico to offer him.

        And ter all of t, at t.

        it o    for to finally die.    sh of Quileia.

        It o tate and found all tains ing, grim-faced. A ne again, a single day after t,    smasy years of balang into tiny, ss t hey had been.

        Brandin ed in Ygratern Palm.

        Orembling at ing .

        "And t; Karalius of t asked s to speak.

        "Most ;If tay t bee citizens, only equal citizens, of the new kingdom.”

        "You say t; AJberico said,    and ions. "Do you knoold t to be so?”

        turned grey, stammering some reply about logid obvious sequences and    . . .

        "o out t; Alberico said. "I dont care o t clusions are to be drawn.”

        ted dead aoppling sideo t could be seen t o carry .

        Alberico didnt boto cuously as o kill just then.

        ured    tains. Not t any of to li t particular moment. hich

        s trust any of them very much.

        erust ai o keep t odds and on edge    . Or it il now.

        But notered, and Brandin    to c t tually mattered, not in itself. It eepping-stone.    of Barbadior as a young man, in order to rise in turn as a leader in , no point at all to ty years of exile if    sail riumpriumpery.

        urned ains and    to titiously massagio see o , none of ion and discretion seemed to    it should.

        Karalius said, very softly from be;My lord, tunity    opportunity.”

        ly rue and because it meant moving again, and quickly, itting o dangerous, decisive a. But a    in t back o return. ar far ae peninsula riving for a quest .

        "e    go carefully," Grancial said quickly. More to oppose Karalius t ed t we.

        urned and fixed tain ry glance. "I    t,"    wrancial flicked his eyes away.

        Siferval smiled beaches.

        Karalius did not. ful.    of t dangerous, for t    do pany leader and ed.

        Karalius said again, "tunity nourmoil in t, disruption, Ygratell you ; ement. Alberiderstood t: th for himself.

        It ake to let Karalius unfold too muc;I knoly o t. I kno    o yet kno most o tery over all t e o bee insequential figures in the Palm.”

        "; said Siferval pointedly, "did we.”

        Alberico suppressed    again. It seemed o do t so muce    t plans, and    t of to be for all ambitious men in toward w else sious man aspire?

        "I am a," he said, as calmly as he could.

        "t do ; Grancial asked. A real question, not a d t loyal—because of t hree.

        Alberico looked up. At Karalius, not at Grancial.

        "You gat; ely, t. t be final, every instinct old . But    time and ttering gem doo would fall away.

        "You gatake t together as soon as possible.”

        "; Karaliuss eyes    sicipation.

        "Ferraut, of course. On t; Senzio, tleground.

        " take you?" hem.

        "Five ; Grancial said quickly.

        "Four," said Siferval, smiling.

        "t pany," said Karalius, " on it.”

        "I ; said Alberico. And dismissed them.

        alo ime after, toying , t. But    all to slide into place.

        to be grasped riump see t ser, over land, into his reag hand.

        ing. Ss    being impacted upon. il ttled in t. Quileias c all. to see, on t ruly, falling from ting to be clasped.

        to be set upon his brow.

        ill uneasy t unily so, sitting alone as terying to vi seemed strao    painful.    in darkness at t ers of s. o turn t to make a torality, to look    out ty.

        And t, and uood, in t same moment, t it could not be rooted out, not ever be aoo a living soul.

        For trutrut    interly.

        trutly as it    ty years.

        A s    doairs and underground to see he messenger.

        Alais knely ed gift of a journey in tting married at the end of summer.

        i bar Edinio, e of olive trees and vineyards nortibar, and a modest but successful banking y, ers ly foreed, among oto forestall Selvenas oft-proclaimed iion to do aill be living at umn. i    and pleasant if a little dull, and Rovigo    and liked the man.

        Selvena empestuously ecstatic, about plans for t t of running her

        o telling t ticipated pleasures of the marriage bed.

        o tion of ts of sad rove to mask, tributed it to tural feelings of a man ed Rovigo more t it er to Alais,    and quiet and co sadness ouc amid ticipatory bustle of the house.

        Alix seemed to uand, perter taken to patting    sporadiexpected moments, as if gentling a restive creature.

        ive. table and of seemingly enormous sequence. Barbadian troops o clog to nort, on tern Palm    to tion. Or    ibar. Rovigo     old a long time ago t t mark thing new.

        And somet fit itself to t beyond it, into danger aial for violence. o    a everyaverns, looking up too quickly whe door.

        One m    of Quileia. And in ure, as    ice breaking up and ters beginning to run again, carrying to the sea.

        Over k same m, standing in tc o too see about equipping t run of tea, o trade for a sregean goats cheese.

        It    not an inappropriate ole later in tly for trade, partly to learn    Alessan and Baerd, spending a long nigavern    migime in the unfolding.

        So t of ine.    , ruly impulsive, o take Alais h him.

        ,    iful beyond    grieving at all for    stop    sorro of Selvenas ions.

        So tle too casually, if sed to e c;Oriad, yes! I o e!”

        It o be her dream.

        One of    dreams, never requested, never even spoken aloud. Alais could feel ell-tale color chere were

        times    seem to need urned in time to catco t, and so sea in t time in her life.

        Sed to do so for so long s even to a time    enougo be lifted up by o tibar to see t o tune in the world.

        And s so mucs—tall to o t-blue coat of fres along timber. And tself: tcs laden o some far part of tant places    o her.

        A sailor in red and green ing to o be at ic places from    of t of t. t t t hem.

        Selvena o cry at all tion, Alais remembered, and to t sly after and ridden a tcibar. Soo young to uand , but    silend expressionless face, riding by told er, s deal mroo ty of her world.

        o ter. It er, o even in spring and summer and early fall so apany o too he waves.

        Dreams. S go to sea. And dutiful, intelligent daugroubled to be allo seemed t, sometimes, on some ms pletely unforeseen, Eanna could look do be freely offered t would never .

        It seemed sing easily to tline of Astibar scrolled by on t. to t seemed to ed, sity t made tease .

        ts t of her life.

        tip of torms, one of told    t spring day it    turned back soutco te sand of tted along t.

        A feorm, off tregea. Rovigo    ing at su, or smelled it in t tline    in for ser. tful distance off so keep clear of t , Alais    of the way.

        Even teful to discover, didnt bothing

        pleasant about it, feeling ted in darkness by    sold    ely y years at sea, and s going to let ened or disfited by a minor spring squall from t.

        S of going back up on deck as soon as s t ill raining, and so stay clear of    one rail and looked up. East of tly scudding clouds revealed rifts of clear sky and briefly Vidomnis liger topped and t, far stars e out above t. S ook a deep breat of perfect happiness.

        S c    return t as    ender and grave.    at tlier glistened in    beard    far aouc—tregea moved slowly by.

        "It is in you," ly, over t;In your    and in your blood. You    more t;    a moment, t;But Alais, my darling, a    live a life at sea. Not in t is.”

        as tter of hen undone in such simple words.

        S;You . ill you surreo aco pursue this life?”

        ";    gently, but sometful took s.

        Sigo o lean her head on his shoulder.

        t,    t, but s made. S fe song.

        Sill on ;Could I be taugo help you in your business, I mean.

        Even if not to actually sail on the journeys.”

        ime. Leaning against eady breatogethe rail.

        ;t    be done, Alais. If you    it, it    be done. omen run businesses all over t often, but not only t; ated. "Your moted to, if s; urned o look do    s lift ;It is a s a    t love to carry you outward and home.”

        S t. t    to t of t ty years old and it ime, it    time. And s orange dream many niger just past:    tars, o o gather him.

        Sed    t;I like i. Im ed to    fat s kno is, but I need more.”

        irred tc it out. "I kno; she

        ;I kno would be yours.

        tars of Eanna would all be yours.”

        S s noe moon oorm o know again.

        Catriana could from tant sounds and tanding, rigidly c trees, sell t sometly    uations suchis.

        ill    after bate plae t bad fort aando—so see w was happening.

        t o to graze. Baerds borees, close to    troops passing by, marc all around them.

        "More of t; Sandre said, a cold anger in his voice.

        "It looks like t it?" Baerd murmured grimly.

        ly ed. t inctive male respoo tria like sh.

        It o o Alienor of Borso on t Marius of Quileia in tains and rode    h Devin and Erlein.

        And listening t day, f o be posed in Alien-ors presence, Catriana ood ime,    until spring.

        ting for Marius to say yes or no. to say if able croold ttle, a very little, about why.

        ten days later scside Fort Ortiz side ted he Barbadians.

        m t o ture tes of t    ireme e. One of t —hird pany.

        "It is done," Baerd ;I ot believe it, but I t!”

        A little more ter t troops o move, and t. It    until some days after t, in an artisans village in nortando, trading for carvings and finis tedly, ern Palm.

        "Are you a gambling man?" Sandre o Baerd. "trol til top." Baerd    sometunned, o sriana go over and take    really like    all.

        But everyt tay at Castle Borso. Someto oo, but t    explain. Ales-

        sao admit it, s as muche Prince.

        Even t ely altered now.

        ted in t no t speed from too too speak to men and to some riana , telling to be ready, t t be a summer rising.

        And    many, only a select few, o Senzio before Midsummer. h you if you .

        And it     brougo Catriana most s potently, t t time for a ruly e. It ions or s. Events er noo    yet knoelling.

        ell oo, he names of people.

        Scores of trusted. o be told,    t of Albericos troops o be ready at last. to d be prepared to respond.

        t toget nigars or in a secluded er of an inn in some    or village, and Baerd e for to know.

        It , falling asleep after Catriaedly realized t to be told to die, .

        "Ricaso bar Dellano," Baerd ;A cooper in Marsilian, t village sout Ciorone.    go to . Speak to    be able to e nort kno district if the need for a rising es.”

        "Ricaso bar Dellano," s. "In Marsilian.”

        "Porrena bren Cullion. In Delong iregean border on t.

        Stle older triana.    to speak to.”

        "Porrena," Saing, oget;In Delong; And Catriana marveled at o be, oucravels turning from Quileia, readying time, a season, a moment in ture—which was now.

        o see. And    o alismans of power.

        t    an almost reckless pace, barely simulating ts. Making bad, y transas o liain for better ones. Pausing only long enougo find t village or ter of farms, the word.

        t tins to spare from Alie-nor. Catriana, being     sill relut to aan ibar.

        Once, Baerd let a a toriana    triana tle youain tructed, had shown her

        dolphe message.

        tell to be armed if they .

        tanding up abruptly as Catriana began to speak. Sall, even more so triana ionless a moment and tepped foro kiss Catriana on th.

        "triad bless you and keep you and t; s;I did not to see t; Sriana tasted salt on her lips.

        S into to Baerd and Sa finisandan ale. A sa.

        &quoing nort; sed, rade instincts taking over.

        "t like ale in Ferraut! You kno.”

        "to drink it ourselves," Sandre said, sing beside    as t of too t seemed, t.

        It    same day, early in ternoon, t to t off to let o tche Barbadians go by.

        It anding t caused trouble, s. But by time s oo late. It ention. Sandre in ter of almost plete indiffereo the Barbadians.

        But a merc, a minor trader    and a sed scra an army passing in t tly    eveely submissive or ed let alone so sucuation . . .

        triana t, could be oo clearly sometimes. S Baerd beside ony appraisal of t    arrogance, s just a male pride. It ive respoo tyrants po .

        "Stop it!" s even as serse and and acorianas mout dry. So er. Sandre did the same.

        " are you doing?" s;Remember where we are!”

        Sime for no more. to t, grey-haired reli Khardhun.

        "I dont like t; taring at Baerd. t of t his eyes were pale and hard.

        Catriana s time in a year tation so direct o be calm, to say t things.

        s kno Baerd    moment.

        Not six Barbadians on ando, but as many Ygratill sharp as a wound from only

        yesterday. All time seemed to fall apart and blos suchis.

        Baerd forced o avert ake, kneake    careful. oo eupoo fast on a floodtide of emotion, seeing to tu , far too early, so mucrollable in ture. And to live to see t future or everyted. Years and lives, tient juring of dream into reality.

        do;I am sorry if I    you. e    seen so many soldiers on the road in years.”

        "e moved aside to make ; Sandre added in his deep voice.

        "You be silent," t;If I s I will inform you.”

        One of toep backriana, be    and gripped t; h fear.

        Saring at o er he pond.

        "Five us," Baerd repeated, in a muffled tone. "e meant no    all.”

        "Really? ing our numbers?”

        "ting? Your numbers? hing?”

        "You tell me, merc.”

        "It is not so," Baerd protested, iuation    of trol, and t    ing t;e are only traders," ;Only minor traders.”

        "it so minor, I would say.”

        Baerd blinked, and clutcogetially. errible mistake. this man was dangerously sharp.

        "I ; ;tla u.”

        rue. t, more ty-five Barbadians ered in a pass. ain Alessan here.

        "Your ; one of t;e knoo ood, and t    to see t was in    kind of laug.    could lead.

        igana eig, eyes do, murder in , bound close h memory.

        " are you carrying?" t Barbadian rapped out,    as a trowel.

        "Ale," Baerd said, squeezing oget;Only barrels of ale for th.”

        "Ale for Ferraut? You are a liar. Or a fool.”

        "No, no," Baerd said ily. "Not Ferraut. e got a very good price. Eleven astins to be aking all tibar    for times t.”

        rue,    paid ty-tins for eachese.

        At a gesture from ted. t, eartandan beer surrouhem all.

        turned back to Baerd. there was a malicious smile on his face.

        "Eleven astins a barrel? truly a good price. So good, t even a grasping merc    ate to doo t defends you and your kind.”

        Baerd ing to stay in cer, ;If . . . if it is your desire, to buy it, at only the price I paid?”

        till marc    passed t estimate of    of riana make a small sound beended, and delicately touc of his blade.

        "e do not bargain," ly. "Nor do eal. e accept gifts. Offer us a gift, merc." tle. Baerd could feel it nig and fretting against his face.

        "Please accept . . . please accept t to t; he said.

        it    ed from the mans face.

        "," t along Baerds d since you    begrudge us t t carry them?”

        "take t as ; Baerd    suddenly as if    ing above this se, looking down.

        And it    acage point t o see to claim ttac-o traces again. One of t onto t Catriana, a little abased quickly up on t and clucked at t rolled sloo er er of men among ea arting ervene.

        move. None of til t of t of sig rumbling after it. Baerd tur Catriana. Srembling, but o kno was as much fear.

        "Im sorry," o touch her arm.

        "I could kill you Baerd fiving me suc.”

        "I kno; ;And I o be dead. I uimated them.”

        "Could ; Sandre said prosaically.

        "O," Catriana said tartly. "e could all be lying dead here now.”

        "t    took    to realize easing tle wildly.

        Sandre, e ued t;You ; ;er, granddaugo take pride in w you are?”

        So say. A moment later, deeply moved, s for, carefully, as if s remember t time someone    way.

        epped back, clearing    aedly soft, looking at them.

        "tremely lovely," sely dry. "Selling each

        ot splendid people hink we are?”

        Baerd grinned. "Not a bad idea, but not t. I to double back to    and horse.”

        "Good. I could use a flask of ale," Sandre said. Catriana glanced quickly back at    t    sed to be able to lauger seeing a s Baerds face.

        Baerd collected . Sed tue but couldnt. And sly grateful for to ride; ill weak.

        It y along t to t. artled a rabbit and before ser t, Baerd d traded it a s    a farm.

        Late in time to triana bad vi unate, but not really important after all.

        Eiger tregea toervening aken t t and goods at to tral market. It e in ternoon, a oriana could see ts of t so e up ter ter. Sandre opped at a leatall to o t t , moving umbled out of a tavern, sa s aween her legs.

        Sartled thing else.

        And a moment later    s done so. Baerd, just a , flatteo the side of his head.

        And Catriana kne moment ter and absolute certainty—t riking out not just against a drunken reserve guard, but against touc grove iando a week before.

        tened silence around te babble of sound. t eacher for a blurred, flashing sed.

        "Run!" Baerd ordered ;Meet tonig er. If I am not t. Eanna guard you all!”

        ting ter of meraries began fanning out quickly to moved.

        Catriana didnt    to see if    off t as s of t tall cely careful, not to look at    to run t    one of triad please be    make it from till carried toward Midsummerss fires.

        Sed doreet and t at t crossing into ting la made up t quarter ea ories of    toered t ely blocked in places by t ected t ramsreet.

        She lane. One

        of ted a and to . If any of triana t, se likely to die in t feo side s to    do again at t crossing, doubling back the way she had e.

        t regea, and s be found, but to t he Barbadians so close behind.

        So lose t    to Sao make tact. Or Baerd, if he survived.

        Sreet, and knifed over to    toer. t in ty as s by. t, ser her.

        treets ain    fleeting intervals sopmost masts of terfront oo open and exposed. Se ss and curses.

        Sumbled going around anoto . Every moment, every turning, sed to lead raigo    ss cart blocked tte. Came to araigime, past ur the sed crossing.

        Ao scream, but a eeto bite, violently ting to escape. then suddenly she froze in disbelief.

        "Quietly, my . And e t; said Rovigo dAstibar removing h.

        "No running. treets over. Look as if youre ; o a tiny, almost deserted lane, looked bace over ;Now down beer, quickly.”

        "; she gasped.

        "Sahe square. Followed you here. Move, girl!”

        Sook , ted a er and Catriana ducked to t. A moment later t stopped as a shing long and sharp.

        "Five me,"    give you away w; She scissors she carried.

        Catriana    rigid for a moment, t a er s resses gatters scissors rasped ly t in the shadows.

        t of side, a clatter and ing. It approac loudly past. Catriana realized t soucly er t in to be seen. Catrianas breat side aething in her wild careen. She had no memory of doing so.

        t. Sain of     sime to realize w was being done.

        "Catriana, Im so sorry," Alais where was real grief in her voice.

        Catriana s;Not; s    to speak.

        "Only vanity.    does it matter?" So be erribly. S a oued sidetle, on ter, and leahen, holding her close while she cried.

        Ounelessly to ed clot textures,    of afternoon as it filtered doo treet in a quarter he sun.

        Baerd lay in t    time iriana ing doo them.

        t regea very urn from Quileia, rigainous province as a good place to seek out and nurture any sloion.

        tain from t, but to to times over ty itself and in tains of its distrada, finding i erribly sloingly i patheir lives.

        ys maze of streets infinitely better to oto avoid as dangerous dead-ends. It ant, in to know sugs.

        sout from t, and to tavern ing cover of t cer curfereet by craop of one of t linked her side.

        Be being balked by seemingly ient t t be: a milk-cart creet, a keg of    avern. regea,    of its people too.

        In a s time    square, airely from roof to roof, flitting liged and unseen.    e been so    Catriana. At tregea taller and treets o tinue ill o t and leaped to land on its roof.

        s, listening carefully for sounds of alarm i below.

        raffic of late afternoon t from its old    s trapdoor and slipped doo tremazzos attic.

        ed for o adjust to tself e clearly, and    takable rumble of tremazzos bass tones. It ime, but some to ge.

        Around ri or s, of various medications. tle in tattered armc tremazzo used to leave up o it. tiht back memories from years ago.

        Some t ge.

        Eventually t. Listening carefully    only tinctive, read in tely scratc migti. But only a rat t could scratcimes quickly, and then once again.

        triad as a igana s link to Adaon, and to mark it wheir signal.

        steps beloop, and t later, resume tread, as if noto .

        It didnt take long. It e in time to close up sremazzo ser and floor and t door being s and t driven    later to place, footsteps asded, tremazzo came into ttic, carrying a dle. ion, bulkier than ever.

        te and stood,    Baerd. ly trimmed to a point. And sted, Baerd realized a sed later.

        Grinning, o    aured at tremazzos finery, pretending to sniff t;ers," ed. "It is t t no caused all ternoon?”

        No more t; no greeting, no effusions. tremazzo    as a    of tains.

        "Im afraid so," Baerd replied. "Did the soldier die?”

        "; tremazzo said in ones. "You arent strong enoug.”

        "as t?”

        "Not t I heard. ho is she?”

        "One of us, tremazzo. o find a Khardu warrior and give him a message from me.”

        tremazzos eyes ration as tory unfolded. It didnt take long to explain. tremazzo    quick. t a man to venture norto Senzio    act ot to find Sa t dourned, puffing, , and a flask of good o go hem.

        tou searg among tems stored above an apote and drank, ing for darko fall.     onto tarted baortoer a orccreets to t ty    do led o .

        . oo many years of living to remember to seize and act upon opportunity.

        None of    to t place.    t of untupidity, regardless of t t it    most of t square o do t oime or anotyrants today one suppressed sucched people one cared for die.

        o Catriana. In tarry spring darkness    from er er.    in ter a time, perably, of Elena. And tain as daurning of t to he world.

        tle, too small to be alarming, in tree be later a trialla began to sing. eo it, and to t ude and t play of memory.

        before he died.

        A s time later an o    of ed softly in reply, sileng triallas song. Sandre came up silently, scarcely disturbing t, grunting slig eacher.

        "Catriana?" Baerd murmured.

        "I dont kno caug.

        Sa is all rig er. I this will pass.”

        Baerd deliberately relaxed ensed muscles. ionally, "I am a very great fool sometimes, iced?”

        "Not really. Youll o tell me about it some time. remely large man wed me?”

        "tremazze room for meetings wer.”

        Sandre grunted. "o me outside to sell me a potion to e of any woman or boy I desired.”

        Baerd found ;Rumors of Ks precede you.”

        "Evidently." Saeete in t;Mind you, it uff.”

        Laugly, Baerd felt a curious sensation, as if    o t,     e to an end until to go into Albericos dungeons and kill his own son.

        tomasso. Any woman or boy I desired.

        Baerd felt rengt on raveling, tter cold and rutted tracks of er,    for a    or an easier paot once    a task, so rise in t once given any sign of t must ibar.    of all imes lety and leaders arrogand    reserve, nothing held back.

        It reds and t    tyrants e and take tary pride.

        And sitting t again, ainty, in t, t    triving for, t for s driven aoget s of a mans life,    oget and bitter tigana and her name.

        Certain t impossible in fact, and orn a    just past, in a place of deepest magid    in t green darkness as if tern bindings t

        oo, a quiet oake s he had feared would never happen while he lived.

        "My lord," ly to tting t;do you kno I o love you in time her?”

        "By triad!" Sandre said, a little too quickly. "And I    even given you tion!”

        Baerd smiled, said noto guess at t    later t voice: "And I you, my friend. All of you. You . Even a    a future    lie a you il I die.”

        Gravely,    a palm and toug tionless, er. Botly, rea the river.

        Baerd called softly back, and a moment later a small boat bumped    gently    against    triana,    stepping lightly, came ashore.

        At t of     t yet risen and Baerd couldnt see w was.

        Catriana said, "t e a bloered?”

        Sandre, be as t ter-of-faess of e    ;You s regea t you were being ravished.”

        "Yes, ; s;Dive me. I    sure myself.”

        " o your ; Sandre asked suddenly from be it had indeed been cropped away, in a ragged line above her shoulders.

        Sed indifference. "It o cut it off.”

        "; Baerd asked. Somet;? I assume a friend, given where we are.”

        "A fair assumption," t ans say I could ter place for our -traina to ing.”

        &quo!" Baerd murmured, onis and a s surge of delig;ell met! It oo long.”

        &quo dAstibar?" Sandre said suddenly, ing for;Is t whis is?”

        "I t I kne voice,&quo said, sanding up abruptly. Baerd moved quickly doo to steady t. Rovigo took trides and leaped past o t;I do kno, but I ot believe I am . In tals, he dead, my lord?”

        Even as    in tall grass before Sandre, Duke of Astibar. East of t along ter and over the bank.

        "In a manner of speaking I ; Sandre said. "it altered by Baerds craft." o . t eacher.

        "Alessan    tell me last fall, but ner ; Rovigo his possible, my lord?”

        "I never died," Sandre said simply. "It ion. Part of a poor, foolis returo t ." ; I o t state, neigs tside my ening to ts.”

        Uing blue moonligain glint in epped back a little, but    avert ;It    you no; ;A cause you    out my tongue before betraying you to Barbadior. I t kno.”

        "I do kno," Sandre said after a moment. " deal more than I    say for my own kin.”

        "Only one of t; Rovigo said quickly, "and he is dead.”

        "; Sandre repeated. "t of t s it, Rovigo?    sh Alberico of Barbadior?”

        Rovigo said not was Baerd wers edge.

        "Destroy ; ;Destroy th.”
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