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Tamar picked up the swords and handed them over to Tolya, who served as the ship’s Master of Arht"

"And he doesn’t ," said Tolya, unlocking the rack with the key he wore around his thick neck

"A sorry lapdog you’dorders frorumbled

"You follow Sturmhond’s orders," I pointed out

"Only when he feels like it"

I juht behindthat ox what to do and see what happens," the privateer said

Ta the rest of the weapons

Stur about me, lovely, all you need to do is ask"

"I was just wondering where you’re from," I said defensively "That’s all"

"Where are you from?"

"Keramzin You know that"

"But where are you froh my mind A shallow dish of cooked beets, the slippery feel of theers as they stainedon someone’s shoulders--maybeour parents had been considered a betrayal of the Duke’s kindness and a sign of ingratitude We’d been taught never to speak of our lives before we arrived at the estate, and eventually most of the e I was born in was too small to be worth a name Nohat about you, Sturain I was struck by the thought that there was so off about his features

"My mother was an oyster," he said with a wink "And I’ an off-key tune

TWO NIGHTS LATER, I woke to find Tao," she said

"Now?" I asked blearily "What ti?" I yawned and threw s over the side of my hammock "Where are we?"

"Fifteen miles off the coast of West Ravka Co" She was dressed and had her canvas ditty bag slung over her shoulder

I had no belongings to gather, so I pulled on my boots, patted the inner pocket of my coat to make sure I had the red book, and followed her out the door

On deck, Mal stood by the ship’s starboard rail with a sroup of crewmen I had aSturnized Stur orders He addled in a volureatcoat, the collar turned up, a wool hat pulled low over his ears

A cold as blowing The stars were bright in the sky, and a sickle moon sat low on the horizon I peered across the h of the sea If land was nearby, I couldn’t see it

Mal tried to rub so?" I asked

"We’re going ashore" I could hear the wariness in his voice

"In the ht?"

"The Volkvolny will raise my colors near the Fjerdan coast," said Stur doesn’t need to know that you’re back on Ravkan soil just yet"

As Sturmhond bent his head in conversation with Privyet, Mal drew me over to the portside rail "Are you sure about this?"

"Not at all," I admitted

He rested his hands on ood chance I’ll be arrested if we’re found, Alina You may be the Sun Summoner, but I’’s orders"

"That oing to be found We’re going to get into West Ravka, meet Sturmhond’s client, and decide ant to do"

Mal pulled me closer "Were you always this htfully coh the dark "Can we get to the cuddling later? I want us ashore before dawn"

Mal sighed "Eventually, I’ to punch him"

"I will support you in that endeavor"

He took ave Privyet an envelope sealed with a blob of pale blue wax, then clapped hiht, but the first ht cry Tolya and Tahted ladder secured to the schooner

I peered over the side I’d expected to see an ordinary longboat, so I was surprised at the little craft I saw bobbing alongside the Volkvolny It was like no boat I’d ever seen Its two hulls looked like a pair of hollowed-out shoes, and they were held together by a deck with a giant hole in its center

Mal and I followed, stepping gingerly onto one of the craft’s curved hulls We picked our way across it and descended to the central deck, where a sunken cockpit was nestled between twoup onto a raised platform behind the cockpit and took his place at the ship’s wheel

"What is this thing?" I asked