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The stallion lunged toward the opening

"Hush, Brother, hush," Daemon said softly "We must talk, you and I" Daemon opened the bottom half of the door The horse tre having washed Jaenelle’s scent fro for reassurance Daemon kept his movements slow When Dancer was saddled, Daemon led him into the square and mounted

They went to the tree

Dae in the direction of the house The stallion jiggled the bit, re hiood-bye," Daemon said quietly For the first tience--and loneliness--in the horse’s eyes After that, he couldn’t keep his voice fro to coain, why there would be no more rides, norippled in histalked to, explained to, and his words, echoing back, lacerated his heart To be alone again To never again see those arms held out in welcome To never hear that voice say his naasped as Dark Dancer jerked the reins free and raced down the path toward the field Tears of grief pricked Daeht have a si

Daehis way to the wide ditch at the far end

Would it have been better not to have told hih the lonely days and weeks and months that would have followed? Or worse, to have promised to come back for him and not have been able to keep that proht as he reached the ditch Jaenelle was Dancer’s Queen He deserved the truth He deserved the right to make a choice

Daemon slid down the side of the deep, wide ditch Dancer lay at the botto the horse’s head in his lap He stroked Dancer’s neck, ue

Finish the kill Dancer’s strength was ebbing One narrow, searing probe into the horse’s mind would finish it Daemon took a deep breathand couldn’t do it

If Hell here the Blood’s dead walked when the body died but the Self was still too powerful to fade into the ever-night, did the kindred Jaenelle spoke of go there too? Was there a herd of de over a desolate landscape?

"Ah, Dancer," Daemon murmured as he continued to stroke the horse’s neck A mind link noouldn’t help, but

Daeends, the de That’s why blood offerings were made when someone petitioned the Dark Real up his right sleeve, he positioned his wrist over Dancer’shiive, he nicked a vein with a long nail and watched his blood flow into Dancer’shis thu it with Craft

All he could do noait with his four-footed Brother

For a long ti happened Then so pricked at Daeer saw the ditch, no longer felt the cold and wet of the snow-covered ground In front of hi-filledsilence A faint sound caate Daeh,out behind him A ate swung shut

Dae the head on the ground, he climbed out of the ditch and wearily made his way back to the stable

They all ca when he walked in alone Daeot his voice under control enough to say, "He’s in the ditch" Not trusting hi more, Daemon turned abruptly and went back to the house

5--Terreille