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’It’s said that Kaie to the east, has refused the Embrace,’ another officer said ’Perhaps, Glorious First-’

’No,’ Anaster grated ’Beyond Capustan await the Barghast In their hundreds of thousands, it is said Divided ast themselves Weak of faith We shall find all we need, my children’

We’ll not make it Toc knew this for a certainty, as did the others There was silence

Anaster’s eyes were on the approaching soldiers ’The Seer,’ he said, ’has prepared for us a gift in the nizes our need for sustenance It seems,’ he continued relentlessly, ’that the citizens of Coral have been found … wanting This is the truth behind the speculation We need only cross the calm waters of Ortnal Cut to fill our bellies, and the Urdo who now comes will deliver to us the news that launches await us -- sufficient to carry us all’

’Then,’ a lieutenant growled, ’we shall feast’

Anaster smiled

Feast Hood takewithin him, a palpable demand that he realized would defeat hier!

’I am not done with news,’ the First said after a moment ’The Urdo has a second mission’ The youth’s sickly eyes fell on Toc the Younger ’The Seer requests the presence of the Defter, he of the lone eye -- an eye that, night by night, has slowly changed on our journey froine that he knows it not The Defter shall be the Seer’s guest The Defter, with his wolf’s eye that so gleams in the dark He will have no need for those extraordinary stone weapons -- I shall personally keep them safe’

Toc’s obsidian-tipped arrows and the dagger were quickly removed, handed up to Anaster

The soldiers arrived

Toc strode to them, fell to his knees before the Urdo’s horse

’He is honoured,’ Anaster said ’Take hiratitude was real, a flood of relief rushing through his thinned veins He would not see Coral’s walls, would not see the citizens in their tens of thousands torn to pieces, would not see the rapes, would not see hi to the flesh that was their righteous reward …