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"I have aTorgen’s iven your unusual relationship with your guards, I i you out"

"Maybe," Gereed When she turned to study Stil she noticed that his cloak--normally a stark black--seereen, and even reds that crawled across his cloak as if it were rolling like an ocean "I think I finally see the ic in your cloak"

Stil looked up "What?" he said before glancing at his cape He breathed an oath and dropped a tent pole "It’s leaking ed the cloak soout," Stil said, redoubling his efforts to get the tent up

"Would you picket Pricker Patch? I’ve got to see if I can repair the dae and stop the leak," Stil said when the tent was almost set up

"Yes," Geh the tent flap

Pricker Patch gave one loud bray, as if sensing his triumph

Ges She entered the tent and h the parlor to the hallway of doors She found the se roorain, carrots, apples, and hay was stored for Pricker Patch She struggled to carry the hay through the parlor (wincing whenever flecks of alfalfa and strands of grass dropped) and threw the hay in front of the donkey She gave the stubborn creature a carrot, and when she returned to the parlor, all traces of hay were gone

Geed off her new cloak--one reen--and made her way to her uncomfortably beautiful bedroom

She pulled out the black wool cape and studied it with narrowed eyes The cloak, to Geht-blue silk lining was perfectly joined to the black cloak with stitching so tiny and straight, it was perfect The embroidery--vine-ith the occasional leaf, all lowed on the dark backdrop, circling the shoulders in liquid lines

The only work left on it was to finish one eh Gemma had used every bit of skill she had on the item and could detect no imperfection, she doubted it would meet Stil’s standards

"Perhaps it could hold hi her needle to finish the final leaf Her stoer when she finally put her needle down and trimmed away the last bit of unnecessary thread She studied the cloak and sighed "I feel like a fool Like a peasant offering a king a chicken," she said before folding up the cloak and draping it over her arm

On a hunch, she made her way to the parlor and peered inside Stil was there, stretched out on a settee His mouth and chin were visible, but his eyes and forehead were tucked under a pillow

"I would say we should slay the donkey and eat him for dinner, but I suspect leather would be e is that bad?" Gemma asked

"It’s worse than I would like when I a upright He gave Ge his head in interest when he noticed she carried so