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"My Lord Berto hastily "There are two thousand Taraboners hard onon their dresses!"

"Hard on his heels," Weiraly "We’ll see what ets back I certainly don’t see any --!"

Sudden whoops in the near distance ahead cut hi lancers appeared, a flowing tide spreading through the trees Straight toward Bertohed "Kill whoever you wish, wherever you wish, Gedwyn," he said, drawing sith a flourish "I use theback toward his aro! Saniago and glory!" It was no surprise he did not add a shout for his country to those for his House and his greatest love

Spurring in the sahan and Cairhien!" No need for saving yet "Saighan and Cairhien!" What had the man been after?

Thunder rumbled, and Bertome looked to the sky, perplexed There were few more clouds than earlier No; Doile -- Dalyn? -- had ot all about whatever the fool Tairen wanted as steelveiled Taraboners poured over the wooded hills toward hi ahead of thehan and Cairhien!" he shouted

The wind rose

Horsemen clashed a heavily The light see overhead, but it was hard to say with the dense forest canopy for a roof Boo of steel on steel, the shouts of round shook Sometimes the enemy raised shouts

"Den Lushenos! Den Lushenos and the Bees!"

"Annallin! Rally to Annallin!"

"Haellin! Haellin! For the High Lord Sunamon!"

The last was the only cry Varek understood in the least, though he suspected any of the locals who naht not be offered the chance to swear the Oath

He jerked his sword free from where he had jammed it into his opponent’s armpit, just above the breastplate, and let the pale little hter, until he h The rowth, and Varek spared a ret The animal looked better than the whitefooted dun he was forced to ride A h the closeset trees, where it seeray, feathery plant from nearly all

Sounds of battle rose fro that moved Then a dozen Altaran lancers appeared at fifty paces, walking their horses and peering about carefully, though the way they talked loudly a the their breastplates Varek gathered his reins,to take theht be the difference between the urgentBannerGeneral Chian the trees, e Altaran saddles Their horses dashed in every direction as the riders fell, and then there were only a dozen corpses sprawled on the da fro moved Varek shivered in spite of himself Those foot in blue coats had seemed easy at first, with no pikes to stand behind, but they never caround They were not the worst He had been sure after the frantic retreat to the ships at Falme that he had seen the worse he ever could see, the Ever Victorious Arh, he had seen a hundred Taraboners face one lone ainst one, and the Taraboners had been ripped to shreds Literally ripped to shreds,as fast he could count; the slaughter had continued after the Taraboners turned to flee, went on so long as one of theht Perhaps it was really no worse than having the ground erupt beneath your feet, but at least dah of you to be buried

He had been told by the last rizzled veteran fro a hundred Amadician pikes, that Chianmai was in this direction Ahead, he spotted riderless horses tied to trees, and ive hiive theed

When he rode in as He had found what he was looking for, but not at all what he wanted to find A dozen badly burned corpses lay in a row One, his honeybrown face untouched, was recognizably Chianmai The men on their feet were all Taraboners, Amadicians, Altarans Sohtfaced sul’da damane

"What happened here?" Varek demanded He did not think it was like these Asha’ht hied away theointment down his seared left arm The sleeve appeared to have been burned away clear to the fellow’s breastplate, yet despite his burns, he did not gri by a corner fro a hard face with thick gray mustaches that nearly hid his roup of Illianers, they fell on us without warning At first, all ell They had none of the blackcoats with them Lord Chianhtnings Then, just as the Illianers broke, the lightnings, they fell anificant look at the sul’da her free fist and striding as far toward the Taraboner as the leash attached to her other wrist would allow Her da’s words against ood daestures to the woes howl for misdeeds, and a feho crippled the recalcitrant, but most would bristle even at one of the Blood who cast aspersions on a favorite This Taraboner was not of the Blood, and by the look of the quivering sul’dam, she was ready to do e, Varek thought she ht ha