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Paran grimaced, wiped at his face ’I want to leave, Raest,’ he said gruffly ’I want to return-’

His eyes blinked open, and he found hi, with an interval of but a half-dozen paces, a bemused Son of Darkness Paran sensed that butof the tension he had first picked up had eased in the interval

A hand rested on his shoulder and he looked up to find Silverfox standing beside hi uncertainly a step behind The Daru, Kruppe, stood nearby, carefully adjusting his silk clothing and hu softly, while Quick Ben took a step closer to the captain -- though the wizard’s eyes held on the Knight of Darkness

The captain closed his eyes HisHe felt uprooted by all that he had discovered -- starting with myself Master of the Deck Latest recruit to a war I know nothing about And now … this ’What,’ Paran growled, ’in Hood’s na on here?’

’I drew on power,’ Silverfox replied, her eyes slightly wild

Paran drew a deep breath Power, oh yes, I a Jen’isand Rul We each have begun our own journey, yet you and I, Silverfox, are destined to arrive at the sa Who, I wonder, will ascend to those two ancient, long-forgotten thrones? Where, dear child, will you lead the T’lan Imass?

Anomander Rake spoke ’I had not anticipated such a … taut reunion, Caladan-’

Paran’s head snapped around, found the warlord And the hahtly in his massive arms I know you now, Warlord Not that I’ll reveal your dark secret -- ould be the point in that? The choice is yours and yours alone Kill us ail, or the goddess you serve Brood, I do not envy the curse of your privilege to choose Oh, I do not, you poor bastard Still, what is the price of a broken vow?

The Son of Darkness continued ’My apologies to one and all As this estured towards Quick Ben, ’has wisely noted, to act now -- knowing so little of the nature of the powers revealed here -- would indeed be precipitous’

’It may already be too late,’ Kallor said, his flat, ancient eyes fixed on Silverfox ’The child’s sorcery was Tellann, and it has been a long tihly awakened We are now all of us in peril A co down this creature -- we ain possess such an opportunity’

’And should we fail, Kallor?’ Anomander Rake asked ’What enemy e have made for ourselves? At themore Not an inih King’