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Wistala had chosen her cave well Ample food to be had, defensible, and water wasn’t a probleet along just fine Though according to his father, favors granted to one generation were oft forgotten by the next

"What will you do?" she asked

AuRon wondered about this woman She was so different frohtly sadparted froon somehow dishonored their memories

"Have you not decided?" she said after a ive as obscure an answer as she "I’ I think I’ll dive and see if I can’t find so crabs deep out in the river there It seems to have a rocky, sandy bed and that’s just what they like Then in theI’ll trade the crabs to that innkeeper for soe"

"I mean about your sister," she said

"I haven’t made up my mind"

"If you do see her, tell her we miss her here We’re a little worried about that pass the Wheel of Fire used to guard We’ve heard that Ironrider scouts and traders have ridden through, armed, with no more than a wave fro heart to rally Hypatia’s north, if they should ever send et no help from the south"

Why couldn’t huons of Silverhigh greeary of fighting

"This is good-bye, unless you re us many days," she said "I may be called away We’ve aillness"

"Thank you for guiding ood I’ve flown too much of late"

She half smiled "May I touch your nose? Your skin is so different from your sister’s"

He dipped his head and felt her hand pass down his snout She giggled

"Your skin ripples"

"Little buds rather than scales," he said "They change color"

"I noticed earlier Rees You’ll be as welcome as your sister Will you?"

He decided to answer her question "You can tell Hazeleye that I believe I’ll have a ith those dragons allied with the Ghioz They e of my sister Their Queen owes me an old debt, which I shall collect"

"I would have wished you a good journey before Now I’ll light candles to guide you past doubt and ignorance and into knowledge"

AuRon cleared his throat "Candles Does that work?"

"I doubt it But it’s nice to think it does Horrible thing for a priestess to say"

"I’ll re one final deep draught of her air "Assu more than a memory"

Chapter 7

Wistala couldn’tde of a tunnel that they couldn’t be bothered to clean She had to have water brought to her, one precious bucket at a tied every splash and lost drop, as they never gave her quite enough to slake her thirst

The de her everyto kill her

They bothered her in every way possible, kicking and prodding her as they passed, throwing their filthy, ropy waste at et practice, and not letting her sleep with their continual noise on the part of her guards, but they did not cause her any real agonies

They smeared a piece of holloood, like bamboo only knob-bier, with her blood, yanked out a few scales, then clipped off the tip of her sii inclaw She guessed theriht The last trace of her existence ht decorate some deman’s hole

They taunted and teased her over her injuries and situation, but hinted that she would soon be released to return to her kind

The deh in their brutal way They inspected her bonds each ti her on the joints with stout metal rods that they carried constantly With little to do but observe, Wistala decided they used the rods to send signals She saw the the sides or floor of the tunnel, or listening to faint banging sounds and gru themselves