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He dressed, fuarb, and arrived in the tavern's common roo settled down into his chair in the corner People took turns with guard duty, he had learned yesterday, so that his father atched even while he was asleep Last night had apparently been the turn of Raedan and his brother Merton They were just leaving, looking bleary-eyed froht at them Suffer

His late start probably worked out for the best anyway, he thought To talk to his father at Holt's blacks he would have had to evade the two brothers - eager to be finished and getting home - as well as Holt Not much chance, probably, to talk privately It would be easier here But he had to speak soon, Selwyn knew From what people said yesterday, today was the last day No one believed Selwyn could have survived in the cave this long At sunset his father would be released, and Selwyn needed to talk to hi foolhardy or irrevocable

"Good ," Selwyn said to each of Kendra's parents: Orik, checking the voluh in the kitchen "Shall I take some of your delicious bread in to the prisoner?"

Wilona had to stop to think "Rowe's not a prisoner," she said, though in Selwyn's estiuarded all day was a prisoner "And his ill be bringing him food shortly"

"At least a drink would be a kindness," Selwyn argued, and Wilona shrugged

Selwyn filled a cup, and brought it in to his father He intentionally stood between his father and Orik, and placed his back to Orik before he crouched down by the chair He couldn't tell his father the truth, not all of it, rushed and with the danger of so in on the to tell you Try not to react"

Until that ue and listless, his eyes alh he was hardly aware of the presence of anyone else in the roo but wary, as though by pure force of will he could learn all in a moment whatever it was Selwyn had to say

Selhispered, "Here, drink some of this" And after his father dutifully obeyed, Selwyn said, "Selwyn is alive and well - don't react" He did not think of his father as a demonstrative man, but he could see the hope and joy in that brief intake of breath, and it was crucial that he didn't attract Orik's attention away fro as you just continue as before and don't give them any reason to suspect that you've heard any news, all will be well" Not that he had any way to know that for sure

"Where is he?" Selwyn's father whispered back

He couldn't very well answer, Right here "Safe," he said instead "Truly Drink some more so Orik doesn't become suspicious"

His father's eyebroent up at that - Kendra calling her father by his given name - but he took a s of ale

Then, because he was asking his father to take so much on faith, Selwyn added, "There's a back way into the caves, on the far side of the Grandfather Hill A friend ca to call her a friend - "and showed Selwyn to a safe place" Penryth wasn't safe, but he was si

"You?" Selwyn's father asked

It took hile this, to realize his father hadn't seen he was an impostor, despite thewhether he - Kendra - was the friend who had shown Selwyn the way out of the cave

"No" He didn't dare admit the benefactor was a witch, for he didn't want his father to worry He did the best he could "Someone who can help him They have a plan to reveal the true ry eyes for a moht back to the day this had all started, when he and his father had been working to clear the field He said, "Selwyn told ht about Anora, and you were right about the big, sturdy girl" The joke had been between them that day, with no one else to overhear

His father closed his eyes again and breathed deeply

"I ether - increased the likelihood of hissome blunder that would either reveal the truth or make his father decide Kendra was crazy: each bad in its oay "Tell Nelda so she doesn't worry" He had been planning to go to Bowden's house hiht, he feared that ht not be safe

"Thank you," his father said with such heartfelt war, despite the danger There would be ti that was not quite bird-like, not quite hue

Without acknowledging hi quarters In a moment Farold appeared at that

"What have you learned?" Selwyn asked

"That it's difficult being a bat in a goldfinch's body I don't knohat goldfinches eat, but I still crave bugs, and I still want to eat all night and sleep all day, but goldfinches' eyes aren't that good for seeing at night, and I can't make that little sound that helped me find my way around when I was a bat, and - "

"Farold!" Selwyn said in exasperation "You're babbling Ii your supper in the dark, and tell me that isn't important"

Selwyn clenched his teeth "Have you found out anything about theto explain to you that it took er?"

It was Selwyn's turn to sigh "So, nothing," he said "What you're saying is that you learned nothing"

Farold opened his beak and cawed like a crow

"Oh, shut up," Selwyn told hiht Since it's all up to me, what I want to do is visit the room where you wereto tell me?"

"Farold," Selwyn cried in exasperation

Suddenly Farold began his best iuessed was purely to be an annoyance, but a moment later he felt Wilona's hand on his shoulder