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"Alain!" She looked surprised to see hiarb and wrapped the certain charical power
Slinging the bundle over her back, she began walking back to the village He fell in beside her, finding roo behind His staff round as they walked The ht
They passed through a narrow belt of forest and eht e rose the tumulus Nearer, the sentry’s watch fire burned red by the village gates Closer still lay the birthing house, and frohtingale sang, and ceased The thin glow heralding dawn rimmed the eastern sky as the , and a flock of ducks settled in a rush in the shallows of the river In the distance, a wolf howled
Adica took his hand She leaned into him, and kissed hiainst his, his own body woke hungrily His hand tangled in the strings of her skirt, and beneath the wool cording he touched her skin
A small voice woke in the back of his head Hadn’t he made vows? Hadn’t he prohtn’t he to remember his foster father’s promise that he would cleave to the church and its strictures?
He let the oak staff fall to the ground as he tightened his arerness enveloped hiiven all that ahen he had come into this country Now he could do as he pleased, and what he pleased right noas to embrace this wo ago days when he had been joined to Stronghand in his drea first Now, because he was lost in the urgency of her embrace, the blat of a horn startled hi Adica pulled away and threw back her head to listen
The sun hadn’t yet risen, but light glinted at the height of the tu to the east Distant thunder rolled and faded
She exclairab her leather bundle off the ground, an arrow passed over her back, right where she had just been standing up straight He dove and knocked her down A flight of arrohistled harround beyond
Figures sprang out of the forest The horn sounded again, and a third tient
The masked attackers who rushed out of the forest swar house, where Weiwara sheltered with her infant twins Adica was already up, staff in hand, leaving her bundle behind Sorrow and Rage bolted forward in her wake, and Alain, fuot hold of his staff and raced after her
But nohouse first even as he heard Adica scream out Weiwara’s name Too late
Weiwara shouted froer, followed by the solid thunk of a heavy weight hitting wood Two figures darted froot near enough to strike at one with her staff, hitting hih at the knees so he stumbled The other raced on, back to the forest, as the first turned and, with the child tucked under one arm, thrust out his sword Dawn made fire of the ht played over the man’s face, since he, unlike the other tasn’t masked Nor was he hu features that relant
Another Aoi warrior e woman clad, like the others, in a bronze breastplate fitted over a short tunic The feathers woven into her hair gave her a startling crest, and her rine’s hooked beak She carried a small round shield and a short spear
Alain struck with his staff She barely had time to parry Her companion, haain, but Adica’s reflexes were too good She sprang back and swung her staff hard around, aiht the Aoi warrior a glancing blow to the jaw Blood dribbled out fro warrior’s neck as she bit back a yelp of pain Alain circled right to close the two against the wall of the birthing house He heard shouts from behind, Kel’s voice, and suddenly Kel and his brother ca with their spears ready
The Aoihis companion; Alain clipped the woman as she tried to follow, and she fell heavily Adica stepped back Kel and Tosti shrieked with glee as the Aoi wo her shield to protect herself