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"Galvin? Galvin, is it? Oh, we've been flirting with Lord Pendaran's h she felt her face go war is that you don't trust Kirwyn I believe hebefore I caot to her feet, which probably would have been easier to do if she hadn't been clutching the basket to her chest with such obvious distrust, as though Nolamust have been heavy: Once she settled it on her arm, Nola sa she held her elbow "No doubt," Brinna said "I don't intend to give him the chance"

She had already passed Nola and was almost to the door before Nola called after her, "What do you mean?"

Brinna raised her arm with the basket "He has the house and the shop with everything in it After all I've been through, he can't very well begrudge ht in the sunlight, and she walked out of the barn

"Good luck," Nola told her, but she was already gone

She gave Mother and me a job when no one else would, Nola reh now she wondered if the plan had been to let one of theave us food e left There could have been no possible advantage to Brinna in that

Still, she had a long way to travel and she already felt weary She leaned heavily on her walking stick as she made her way out of the barn

Brinna was by thefrom thebeyond the mill to where the river continued on its way south Nola saw Brinna hand the , led her to where his sed the sacks chat were already in the boat, then helped Brinna in The boat rocked and she sat down hastily The , probably co reassure her People were always solicitous of the beautiful, Nola had co noisily against the stones at the water's edge, riding low in che water because of the extra weight

It would be nice, Nola thought, if she, too, had a ride to where she was going But since she didn't, she'd better start walking

She estimated that with her sore ankle, the journey would take her a day and a half

And what could her otten up to in all this time?

Before Nola had a chance to turn onto the path, a voice sounding no farther than a handspan from her ear shouted, "Brinna!"

Nola shrank back fronize her - nor even to notice her

"Brinna!" He had paused on the path itself, but now he cut through the grass, heading for the water's edge Brinna and theboth turned to face hiet back here!"

Theto hi

"Brinna!" Kirwyn bellowed "I know you have my money!"

When they still didn't head back for shore, Kirwyn picked up a stone fro it In his fury, he threw it so hard it ay over the heads of the boaters He picked up another stone, and that fell short, thudding against the side of the boat

"Hey!" called the boat's owner "Enough of that!"

Other people, seeing the commotion from the street, called out, too: soement

Kirwyn threw another stone, which hit Brinna on the arh to shore that Nola could see che pain and surprise on her face as she rubbed her arh of that, you!" the boat's owner shouted

At the same time another voice called, "Kirwyn!"

And there was Galvin, running down che path toward theain, ducked her head

But of course he didn't recognize her He couldn't have: He'd never seen her face before He ran to intercept Kiras picking up another scone

Kirwyn's airabbed hold of his arm "She killed my father," Kirwyn protested "She stole his ht, considering the previous story he had told

"Leave off," Galvin warned And, to the man in the boat he said, "You, co that made hiht hold of his wrist "Put it do, or I'll seriously consider cutting your hand off," he said, chough he hadn't yet unsheathed his sword

Kirwyn let the stone drop

The man in che boat still hadn't made up his mind whether to come back to shore "In the name of Lord Pendaran - ," Galvin called to hiht him onto that part of the bank that was both inclined and covered by stones One foot slid so that he had to catch his balance, and this brought hihtly lower

And Kirwyn had quite obviously had enough of being bested by Brinna and Galvin While Galvin was distracted by boat and footing, Kirwyn took advantage of being te Galvin on the side of his head

As Galvin staggered, Kirwyn hooked his leg around Galvin's and the next round with Kirwyn astride his back

"Stop!" Nola cried There were several onlookers close enough to help, but none of theh one of the the circumstances - "Hey, now" Nola hobbled painfully toward the two strugglingoff the slippery stones, jarring her aching ankle

Kirwyn snatched up another of the river stones and brought it down on Galvin's head Once Twice Just as he had done when bringing the hammer down on Innis

But Galvin was quicker than Innis had been, and he was fighting back: The bloere only glancing

Still, Kiras on top, and it was only a ood hit that would crack Galvin's skull open

Nola raised her walking stick and brought it down hard across the small of Kirwyn's back