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Mistress Otlinde’s hired guards bolted forith their staffs and began beating the bound prisoners into subht The Qu hard bloithout a whimper In its own horrible way, it was an ihness

But it was a waste

"For the sake of God," said Sanglant harshly, uards, hacking away like a crazed man at the Quman now driven to his knees below hi to strike the prince, but Sanglant caught his ar hiuard shrank away, called off his fellows, and retreated to a safe distance, glowering His victiering slightly, he stood, lifting his chin to look up at Sanglant,battle, it was the Qulant grabbed Zacharias’ shoulder and spun hih he’d been running, and sweat streamed down his face "I would have been better amused if I knehat purpose it serves to beat theive me, my lord prince" Zacharias could hardly speak because he was panting so hard, flushing and al "I only wish it were Bulkezu trussed up in their place My ue than many a man who carries spear and shield"

"If they hadn’t been tied up, they’d have torn you to bits," observed Heribert, who had retreated a few steps, letting Lord Druthmar’s broad shoulders shield hiain, hoarsely, still catching his breath "Griffin wings, riffin wings" With a shuddering sigh, he strode off into the crowd

"Nay, Heribert," said Sanglant quietly before the cleric could hasten after hiht Let hiladly knohat he said to them"

The Qu bruised shoulders, licking away blood that trickled down from their nostrils, all of it done aardly because their hands were tied up tightly behind their backs Bayan and Sapientia hurried up, having heard the commotion

"Do they trouble you?" demanded Bayan "I can have my men kill every one, but first I must wait on my mother She sometimes likes to take one of these--" He spat at the feet of the nearest one, shoulders taut and one hand on his sword hilt as if he meant to cut their throats hiots as this are unworthy even to be slaves"

"I think they’re not really born of human blood," said Druthmar in a low voice "You’d think it hadn’t hurt the what hurts when a wound is honorably won, or dishonorably given" He, too, glanced toward the hired guards, acrew ofon innocent travelers two lant He beckoned to Brother Breschius "Do you knohat my frater said to them? I know you have experience with the tribes"

"Nay, Prince Sanglant," said Breschius "I was a slave a the Kerayit, not the Quman clans I know a feords of Quman, it’s true, and indeed I believe he made some comment about their mothers, but beyond that I could not understand what he said"

"What do you care what the frater said to them?" asked Sapientia scornfully "They’re only Quman More beasts than people"

"They’re soldiers We have need of soldiers, I believe If they aren’t Pechanek Quman, then there’s no reason we can’t take theht Bulkezu"

Bayan stiffened as though he’d been spat on, turned abruptly, and walked away into the lant "You kno he hates the Quest that we use Quman troops?"

"I’ll use what I must to defeat Bulkezu There is far more at stake here and now, Sapientia, even than this As I will tell you e have ht for me, I will take into my army If Bulkezu is not defeated soon, if the Seven Sleepers are allowed to act as they ithout opposition because we quarrel about whichfor us, then ill be no better off than that poor lad, led away in chains" He gestured toward Lord Thie a discreet distance away fro "Nay We’d be lucky to be slaves More likely we’d be dead and our father’s kingdom shattered and overrun"