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"I haven’t the stomach to tell the tale one more time You’ll find that my faithful soldiers and clever scholastics know the story by heart"

"Father! Daddy!" Blessing had escaped froain and with nut-brown Anna in tow ca at tumbled walls with her wooden sword as she passed "I want a man, Daddy I saw a man I want him" She ran up, wiped soot fro her face dirtier than it already was, and placed herself directly in front of Bayan She set hands on hips and looked hiht about what that ly "Can you getchild?" exclaiold torque?"

"I aant as an empress, and he supposed he had only himself to blame He adored her, utterly, helplessly, and that she had any self-control at all was entirely due no doubt to Anna’s stern, no-nonsense attitude Nothing scared Anna, not even Blessing’s tantru e not to dissolve into laughter

"I saw a man in chains I want him I’m thirsty"

"We’ll share ale, I trust, child But first we see about the rian noble with a mixture of alant "Prince Sanglant? You accompany us? A party of Wendish and Polenie oods So They will have stories to tell about the Qu had recently developed an aversion to being carried, so Sanglant slowed his steps as she trotted alongside They crossed the fort’s yard Scorched roof tiles lay shattered on paving stones A dead horse had been picked down to the bone by vultures A pale blue tunic, ground into the rim destruction

"What are Bulkezu’s objectives?" Sanglant asked Bayan

"Many times I ask myself this question But how can I think like a filthy Quman?" Bayan spat "To , licking , but he rode west long before and leftreally angry now, a ’s ruins, the once-proud border fortress reduced to rubble and debris "What else do the Quold, andalant watched the Oder River strea, where he had left Waltharia with a sold torque Her husband Druth quietly with Captain Fulk "Heelse Or be driven by a e know nothing of" He grinned, suddenly, and lifted Blessing up onto a block of stone so she could see better He turned to Bayan "Where is rin had a wicked edge "Speaking as we do of a whip Come She is down at the slave lant’s ar on the eastern shore of the river To reach the slave ons, suspicious ht in an ancient ring fort, he and Bayan rode south along the western shore, through the ranks of the ar under the command of Bayan and Sapientia

The Wendishh, but the sight of Sanglant h, the path was crowded on either side by Lions andforward to cheer hiave the prince his due, shrill whistles thatto clap hands over her ears toBy the ti fro, stationing herself just where the old hill-fort gate, now fallen into ruin, pitched doard Sanglant, disreet her Froned to kiss hi of a kinswoh he didn’t seewarmth in her expression