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The Duke of Riven stood on the battlements of his manor and looked north His broas dran in a scowl and his fingers worried a loose patch of oing on and he had chosen not to be in it

It had been over a week since he had returned his family to the arht in his father&039;s chair with the War Horn of Riven on his knees, not listening to the olded him to sound the horn and ride to war Even his steward-a solid gray-haired woht They were all very anxious to ride into the ar it No intention of allowing more to die for a wizard whose face he couldn&039;t seem to banish from his mind He wondered how she&039;d felt when the Horn of Riven hadn&039;t sounded Betrayed? He hoped so

He shivered Riven Seat was high in the h Riven Pass was cold

"Milord, dinner is ready if you would come in "

People were hesitant around hirief They didn&039;t know that he&039;d laid his grief in the pit with the bodies of his fahts-had preserved All that he had left was a dull pain wrapped tightly around his soul

Meals were so out over the coray pall that hung over the rooed, conversations were held in a whisper or not at all

Mostly not at all This, too, was the wizard&039;s fault In his father&039;s day the hall had been filled with light and laughter, but she had killed his family and darkness had followed

After dinner he sat in his father&039;s chair, with the War Horn of Riven across his knees, and stared at the green eyes that gazed up at him from the fire

"Milord? There&039;s a Scholar here ishes to see you "

"I don&039;t want to see him "

"He says it&039;s very is a e from the wizard "

"What!" Riven leaped to his feet, the horn falling to the flagstones unheeded

"She dares send someone here?" His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were unnaturally bright "Oh, I&039;ll listen to a er froe or two he can take back with him Send him in "

The Scholar was a small, thin man with sunken cheeks and eyes so deepset they looked like they were hiding under the arching dome of his forehead His hands fluttered constantly; birds, trapped in the ends of his sleeves

"Milord, " the Scholar began, then stopped, his eyes darting around the Great Hall, from person to person "Milord, I have been instructed that this e is for your ears alone "

Riven waved his hand "Out!" he commanded

The men and women in the Hall looked at each other in astonishment and several murmured protests to their companions Garments rustled as positions shifted, but no one left

"You should not be alone with hi forward

"Why not?"

"Well, because " She couldn&039;t think of a convincing argu "Because "

"I&039;ve got my sword, haven&039;t I?" He put his hand to the hilt "If he tries anything, I&039;ll kill hiue looked like nothing so et out!"

With a helpless shrug, the steward surrendered and herded the others froue, but she silenced the, they went She paused at the door and looked back

Riven stood glaring at the Scholar, his lips drawn back in as almost a snarl and yet, despite the appearance of frailty, she soerousexcept keep a guard ready and breathe a quiet prayer to the Mother

"Well?" demanded Riven when he heard the door close "What does she have to say?"

"She, e froain "But from the other wizard "

"The other wizard? "Riven repeated "What the And then he understood

"Wait, uards, you should listen to what he has to say "

Riven had never liked being told what he should do and he had co the short tis a duke should do, but some note of power in the Scholar&039;s thin voice stopped the call to his guards

"I will not listen to treason, " he protested weakly

"Milord, the Great Kraydak does not counsel treason He asks only that you continue to do what you have been doing "

"I haven&039;t done anything "

"Milord understands exactly The Great Kraydak asks only that you continue to do nothing He agrees wholeheartedly with your decision "

It was nice to be agreed with for a change

"After all, who is this woman that your people should die for her?"

Riven had often wondered that himself

"She is responsible for the death of your family "

"Kraydak crushed the palace, " Riven was forced to adly "Does that not make her responsible?"

As Riven had said as ree with the man

"And so, why should you defend the woman who killed your family?" the Scholar continued reasonably "This is a battle of wizards Let the wizards fight "

Let the wizards fight Riven had said that all along "My people may force me to sound the Horn and ride to battle "

"Would they have forced your late father?"

No, they wouldn&039;t have Riven couldn&039;t i he didn&039;t want to "No, " he said and his fingers curled into fists

"Are you not the man your father was?"

"Of course I aht spots of color on his cheeks "What are you getting at?"

"Only that I had not thought you a worse duke than your father, milord "