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Rage boiled up in Jared

"Jared?"

As Jared shook off Brock’s restraining hand, he noticed the three boys scra each other as they threw sticks into the creek

Jared roared to vent some of his terinned and waved "We’ll be careful," he shouted

"Keep an eye on the the worried looks of the others waiting by the wagon, Jared headed for the Gray Lady, who’d been wandering around in the field next to the creek since they’d had to stop She limped toward hiround just ahead of her to notice his approach until he was alry to be careful "Make the Ring visible Prove it’s thereProve it "

Her eyes widened She opened her mouth, but no sound came out

His hand tightened "Or add the Ring of Obedience to it I’ to fall for your tricks Youto own ht now, he wasn’t so sure he hadn’t

"The Ring of Obedience," Jared snarled

"No" She tried to pull away fro That’s sufficient"

"It’s not going to be sufficient for long I’ll fight you with everything I a to own me Not that way" She had to strike back now Shehad to No witch would allow a slave to state bluntly that he was going to fight without punishing hi his nerves, he would know for certain the Invisible Ring existed and she hadn’t played him for a fool

She didn’t strike back Instead, she snapped, "You presureat deal, Warlord What makes you think I want to own you in any way?"

"A bill of sale, Lady"

For some reason, his response upset her She yanked her ar back a couple of steps "Is wearing the Invisible Ringyou suffer?"

"Yes!"

"Good!"

He opened his e he knewand tasted so in the air that shouldn’t have been there

Wariness and fear shadowed her eyes as he stared at her She slowly backed away from him

Jared shook his head "You can’t--"

The screa around, Jared saw Eryk standing on top of the boulders, his ar backward into the creek To back and pulling hard, trying to keep the older, heavier boy fron of Corry

Before Jared couldthe rock and tossing both boys into the air They screa water

Garth burst out of the bushes at the sa up his trousers as he raced downstream and leaped into the water

"CORRY!"

Jared whipped around again, responding to the Gray Lady’s voice

She was running--running!--toward a break in the trees a little ways downstreae

Jared watched her for a ave in to instinct, he took off after her, counting on his longer legs, the difference in their ages, and her inexplicable eously foolish

She must have used Craft somehow to ht, she had speed!

In that moment, when he kneouldn’t catch her in time, he would have admired her if he hadn’t been so furious with her

Instead of scrathened her stride for the last few paces anddry land and new shallows As she neared theher round and round, sh the Craft she’d used

She hit the water on her back and disappeared