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The Blood couldn’t read landens’ thoughts without linking with them, which usually tore apart minds that had no inner barriers, but landen emotions were on the surface and easily read

The oldto keep his voice neutral

The old er brushed the briood and kind"

Blaed turned the ht as well have cursed us

Leash it, Jared snarled They’re frightened people

Blaed took a deep breath My apologies, Warlord I’ll brush offhi of the old man’s words He’d never heard that phrase until he became a pleasure slave Not a compliment and, in the Territories that stood in Hayll’s shadow, far froood dog" to a snarling, vicious aniht allow the the horses to a post outside the store, they stood in the doorway, giving their eyes time to adjust to the dim interior

An old woman stood behind a counter at the back of the store Her shaking hands were pressed flat on the wood so they could see she held no weapons, would pose no threat

Jared stepped inside, ood day to you, Lords," the woe "May the Darkness shine upon you"

Jared sestured toward the neat shelves, the setables and fruits "What I have is yours, Lords"

Wondering at the regret he heard in her voice, Jared nodded to Blaed, who began to explore one half of the store while Jared looked over the other half Since she was obviously a shopkeeper, ould she regret selling her wares?

The wootten as soon as Jared rounded a table and saw the fruit hidden behind the apples

"Honey pears!" he exclai, he cradled one aran a careful selection They’d always been his favorite fruit, all the more special because they ripened after the first harvest celebrations Small, sweet, and juicy, they didn’t keep well unless they were preserved--Reyna always put up jars of brandied honey pears for the Winsol feast--but he’d always thought the fresh fruit tasted better And had always thought Reyna’s grandhted to have planted two honey pear trees on the farandsons

Two apiece, he decided as he gathered the pears and wondered if Lia had ever tasted one They’d be expensive Alere sinceJared’s mind stuttered to a halt since the trees only thrived in the soil of southwestern Shaladorand the land that bordered it

Jared walked to the counter and carefully set down his ar of potatoes

"These are practical," Blaed said, sently at the pears When Jared didn’t respond, he shrugged and went back to gathering supplies

It was the hardest thing he’d done in a long, long time, but Jared kept his voice casual as he asked, "How far is it to Shalador?"

"Two full days’ ride north, Lord," the old wo, Jared turned away to select some apples

Two days to the border Three days to Ranon’s Wood

If he rode the Red Wind, he could be hoon with the supplies and stable the gelding here By the time they cooked and ate thecould catch up to theht

An hour All he needed was an hour to see his faether, four at the o

The pain alo Three hours, three days, it made no difference If it wasn’t for Lia’s coht now And she’d be ho theer still would have walked beside her, but surely the Gray Lady’s warriors would have been waiting for her at theQueen at any cost

But out here? Brock and Randolf still believed they were slaves, and both were bitter enough to step aside rather than risk theht Jewels, but they were too young and had too little training Whatever useful knowledge Garth had was locked inside him Little Cathryn had few defenses; Tohter Blaed would fight, if for no other reason than to protect Thera

And Thera would fight for reasons of her own

Jared straightened up A shiver ran down his spine

Unless she really served elsewhere

Unless her past was just a story shrouded in a Black Widow’s Craft

Unless there was another reason why she’d changed her na back She’d adht kind of owner

Or just a particular one?

She and Lia spent a lot of tiainst Green But if one of those Greens was soh Priestess?