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If they did it, it would have to be the Red Wind A lighter Web would be easier on the others It would also increase the risk of having ene the Wind with them

But all it would take was one Red-Jeweled h power to break his shield and the others would have no time to drop from the Wind before their minds were torn apart by the power in the Red Web

"I know," Blaed said quietly "I did think of it I also considered letting everyone capable of it ride the Wind of their Jewels"

"You’d let Thera ride alone?"

"No Even if Iilling, she wouldn’t ride the Winds alone Between theather up the children and Garth"

"Taking all the sath to back them"

"So we stay and take the risks overland"

Jared rubbed his forehead, trying to quiet the headache that was starting to bloo in a First Circle’s not easy, is it?" Blaed said dryly He shifted in the saddle "A trained guard would kno to defend against an auard would kno to create one, too," Jared countered The headache was pounding in time with his heart "You’re sure about Thayne?"

"I’reed that, while a child could be h to drop the buttons for soh to handle a connection with the spells tangling up Garth"

"That narrows our choices, doesn’t it?" Jared sighed "Does taking an innocent life get balanced soht, so I kept asking et an answer?"

Jared snorted "No Not from hiain, she’s a Healer, and Healers feel quite strongly about life"

"So do so’s reins "Yes, may the Darkness help us, so do so the tuive him a little privacy After aboulders that rose a little higher than a man’s waist Anyone who noticed him would think he’d just climbed up to take a look around In fact--he unfastened his trousers and grinned at the wet rock in front of hirin faded As he took care of business, he studied the people gathered around the wagon

Hell’s fire, why had the back axle broken now? Was it an accident caused by the stress of traveling over rough ground or a deliberate act to delay them in the worst possible section of this track?

As Jared straightened his clothes and turned to cli the rocks

His heart slammed into his throat as he stared at the brass button

Then a prickle between his shoulder bladesdown the roadhorses and riders hadn’t been extended far enough to cover the sign of their passing

Looking in the other direction, he saw another dust cloud rapidly approaching the wagon

Blaed!Jared roared It’s a trap!

Blaed didn’t turn, didn’t answer For ato trust the Warlord Prince Then Blaed ran to the front of the wagon while the others scattered a one deep breath to steady his hard-pounding heart, Jared turned south again, raised his hand, and created a Red shield that spanned the road, extending it upward until a rider wouldn’t be able to unleash his poithout hitting the shield

The sound of boots scra, Jared saw the three marauders just before one of them unleashed a bolt of Purple Dusk power directly at hi hi his teeth as the boulder that had been behind hih to ain, he unleashed the Red in two short bursts The first blast shattered the h their bodies

Jared scra the road at the same time the marauders reached the Red shield It sizzled as they unleashed their Jewels against it

They’d coood move, Jared realized as he extended the shield so that it for the top of the boulders on either side of the road A few dead horses would haveaway, extending the Red shields as he ainst the side shield pulled his attention away frothen that side, he saw a dozen more marauders suddenly appear

Not only had they come down the road fro down fro-fast ion exploded when blasts of power struck it from two sides A ball of witchfire set as left on fire A horse screaathered a few feet behind the Red shields, unleashing their Jewels against it, forcing hi and extending the shields as he continued to creep back toward the wagon

Suddenly, the Green Jewels unleashed farther up the road, one on each side