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Aht to keep her labored breathing froh the ice and snow-covered trees several yards ahead of her, reached a small rise and vanished down the other side She followed hi at the last pace, and threw herself into the ditch behind the little rise with a crunching of snow and frozen leaves

Bernard put his hand on her back, steadying her, and lifted a hand to hold it in front of herwith each exhalation His eyes went distant, and then she felt him pull the veil over theed in subtle patterns over her skin, as the trees around theh in a wind The frozen brush did not seerown into a screen over them, and the sudden scent of earth and crushed plants flooded over the even that much evidence of their presence

Only a few seconds later, they heard hoof falls in the forest behind theh to peer over the rise at the direction in which they&039;d come

"Won&039;t they see our tracks?" she whispered in a rough gasp of breath

Bernard shook his head, his face draeary "No," he whispered "Trees lost soh to move the snow in others And it&039;s all ice, sleet Shadows are helping hide more"

A at hiht?"

"Tired," he said, and closed his eyes "They&039;re Knights Their furies are on unfa to have troublethem"

"Fidelias has pulled out all the stops if he&039;s started a general hunt for us That means he&039;ll accelerate the plans for attack as well How close are we to Garrison?"

"Few hundred yards to the edge of the trees," Bernard said "Then half aat this end of the Valley will be able to see us"

"Can you earthwave us across it?"

Bernard shook his head "Tired"

"Can we run it?"

"Not with your leg," Bernard said "And with them mounted They&039;d just ride us down and spit us"

Amara nodded and waited until the sound of the riders had drifted away from them, off in another direction "Half a ht be able to carry us Those riders are using earth furies, yes?"

Bernard nodded "Some wood"

"Either e&039;ll be away from them in the open and in the air"

"And if they have Knights Aeris with them?"

"I&039;ll just have to be faster," Amara said She squinted up "I still haven&039;t seen anyone It would be a strain to hold position overhead with so little wind, unless they were so high in the air that the clouds were giving them cover-and that would hide us as well"

Bernard shivered and touched the ground with one hand "Hold on" His voice had a strained note to it, and he let his breath out again a roan in it "They&039;re close We can&039;t stay here any longer The earth is too hard Difficult to hide us"

"I&039; his eyes, his face set in lines of grih the woods

It only took a few round that led up to Garrison

The place was a fortress There, two of the ether into an enorrey walls of Garrison, stretching across theentry into it frorim efficiency The wall stretched across the mouth of the Valley froh and nearly as thick, all of srey stone, its walls sur for the wall, draped in cloaks of scarlet and gold, the colors of the High Lord of Riva

Behind the wall stood the rest of Garrison, a blocky fortress laid out in a Legion square with ten-foot walls, acauards stood on the walls there, though they were not absent Outbuildings had grown up around the outside of Garrison, impermanent and slapdash structures that nonetheless had soed to acquire the air of solidity that accoates of Garrison stood open, and the causeound across the Valley and up to the to building and ates to the camp proper Children sca as they always did As, horses, a pen of sheep, and the sate," she said

"Right," said Bernard "We head for that I know the men stationed out

here, for theto Gram Just reht," Amara said, impatient

"I ot a quick te us into holding cells until he cools off Don&039;t test him"

"I won&039;t," A any closer to us?"

Bernard shook his head, grio across Keep your eyes open, and if you see anyone colanced across the plain and swept her eyes across the sky one last tiht on her injured ankle, and started off toward Garrison at a li several paces behind her, his footsteps heavy

The run seeain, more than once, as she turned her head this way and that, watching for pursuit

But for all their fear of being ridden down in the open ground, they reached the outbuildings and then the guarded gates to Garrison itself without incident

A pair of young legionares stood on guard at the gates, their expressions bored, heavy cloaks worn against the cold, spears held negligently in gloved hands One of theulations, Amara knew), and the other wore a cloak that did not seeion issue, either, its fabric finer, its colors unuard in a flat tone "State your name and purpose of your visit"

A back at the Steadholder

Bernard frowned at the two men "Where is Centurion Giraldi?"

The one in the cloak gave Bernard a blank look "Hey," he said "Clodhopper In case you didn&039;t notice, we&039;re the soldiers here-"

"And Citizens," put in the other in a surly tone

"And Citizens," the guard in the fine cloak said "So we&039;ll ask the questions, if that&039;s all right with you State your name and the purpose of your visit"

Bernard narrowed his eyes "I suppose you boys are new to the Valley I am Steadholder Bernard, and I am here to see Count Gram"

Both soldiers broke out in snickers

"Yes, well," the unshaven one said, "The Count is a busywith every scruffy clodhopper about every little problem that comes up"

Bernard took a deep breath "I understand that," he said "Nonetheless, I ahts to request to see his"

The unshaven guard shrugged "You aren&039;t a Citizen, clodhopper You don&039;t have any rights that I know of"

A "We do not have tiuard in the fine cloak and said, "Garrison could be in danger of attack We need to warn Gram about it, and let hilanced at each other and then at Airl And here I thought that was just a skinny boy"

His partner leered "I suppose we could always take off those breeches and find out"

Bernard narrowed his eyes The Steadholder&039;s fist lashed out, and the young legionare in the fine cloak landed in a senseless sprawl on the snow

His unshaven partner blinked down at the unconscious young man and then up at Bernard He reached for his spear, but Bernard spoke sharply, and the weapon&039;s haft bowed, then straightened again, writhing out of the guard&039;s reach and bounding away The guard let out a short shriek and reached for his dagger

Bernard stepped close to the younghis hand at his belt "Son Don&039;t be stupid You&039;d best go get your superior officer"

"You can&039;t do that," the guard sputtered "I&039;ll throw you in irons"

"I just did it," Bernard said "And if you don&039;t want et your centurion" Then he gave the younginto the snow at the base of the wall

The guard sed and then bolted, running inside

Auard in the snow to Bernard and asked, "Polite and respectful, eh?"

Bernard&039;s face flushed "They ion, by the furies They should treat women with more respect" He rubbed at his hair "And show more respect to a Steadholder, I suppose"

A Bernard flushed even brighter and coughed, looking away

The unshaven guard euardhouse with a half-dressed centurion, a young man little older than him The centurion blinked stupidly at Bernard for aback into the guardhouse to march off a moionares gathered around the gate, and to Bernard&039;s relief he recognized a few of the rizzled oldand ates, wisps of white hair drifting around his bald pate

"Steadholder Bernard," he said, critically, eyeing the Steadholder "You don&039;t look so good" He uard lying in the snow, leaning down to rest his fingertips lightly on the young er," Bernard responded "Did I hit him too hard?"

"Can&039;t hit a head that thick too hard," Harger muttered Then cackled "Oh, he&039;ll have a headache when he wakes up I&039;ve been waiting for this to happen"

"New recruits?"

Harger stood up and paid little further attention to the young guard in the snow "The better part of thole cohorts down from Riva herself Citizens&039; sons, alh sense to carry salt in a storrier"

Harger frowned, tilting his head to one side and studying Bernard "What&039;s happened?"

"Get er shook his head "Gram&039;s been indisposed"

Aer snorted "Sick of rich boys who expect to be treated like invalids instead of legionares, maybe" He shook his head "You&039;ll have to talk to his truthfinder, Bernard"

"Olivia? Get her on down here"

"No," Harger said, and griest came to term, and she went back to Riva to help with the birth Noe&039;ve got-"

"Centurion," bawled a high, nasal voice "What&039;s going on down here? Who is in charge of this gate? What foolishness is this?"

Harger rolled his eyes "We&039;ve got Pluvus Pentius instead Good luck, Bernard" Harger stooped down and scooped up the unconscious young legionare, tossing hirunt, and then headed back inside the fort

Pluvus Pentius turned out to be a slight young man atery blue eyes and a decided overbite He wore the crih his unifor around the shoulders and stretched a bit over the belly The officer slouched toward the in disapproval

"Now see here," Pluvus said "I don&039;t knoho you people are, but assaulting a soldier on duty is a Realm offense" He drew a sheaf of papers froes Then he turned and looked around him "Yes, here it is, a Realm offense Centurion? Arrest both of the cells-"