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Cherbu slipped out through the tent flap and leaped down She caught sight of h leaves before the tent flap slapped back into place The wagon jolted on; despite the jerkyahenever she was flung to one side or the other because of a hole or buive her a fresh infusion of broth Strangely, despite the uncoly better as the day wore on and could even eventually crack open her right eye

She felt, in truth, on lumbered to a halt and she heard the fa up caerly clion She needed to pee, and wanted to get a look around

Her legs and arms worked Her face still hurt, but she could actually open and shut her eye and squinch up her cheek without h privacy around at the front of the wagon to do her business, then surveyed the situation, the place surrounded by forest

Maybe there was a chance they had forgotten about her

Maybe not

There caratefully Hunger stirred; her belly growled softly Cherbu beckoned, and she followed him to the round tent surmounted by the Pechanek banner Bulkezu strolled out to aze, and, aly, Boso at his side

The interpreter looked much i up during the parley, but perhaps it was only glee over her i punishh of your disobedience and disrespectful words"

Was it actually possible that Boso hadn’t realized what had happened at the parlay? Didn’t he know that Bulkezu could understand hi that Boso hadn’t known? She staggered, head swinity

"His patience is at an end because you’ve ry"

A cold fear crept into her gut as the silence dragged out A few slaves stopped to stare, but Bulkezu’s guards chased theesture, not like the Wendish nobles, who raised up and thren their favorites in the middle of court so that everyone could see He was a es personal

Boso actually sniggered; so aroused was he by the expectation of her iot to be sarcastic "You can keep your clothes and your Eagle’s cloak, so no one forgets who you are But all other protections Prince Bulkezu withdraws"

She found her voice, hoarse as it was "Youto hand iggling helplessly Bulkezu’s expression didn’t change Four guards cahtened she was Hadn’t Sorgatani’s luck protected her? Wouldn’t the Kerayit shaman watch over her? She looked toward Cherbu, but he had already wandered away into the trees

Had she really believed in any savior but Bulkezu’s whiht yourself better than the rest," said Boso

"No et the words out It hurt to talk The iuards moved in around her, lances raised She took a step back, flushed and perspiring as the sun slid out from behind the clouds and beat down upon her

They advanced, and she retreated, step by step, until she realized that they were driving her, as they would drive a cow or a ewe, back to theflowers through the clearing No longer was she Bulkezu’s honored hostage, his model prisoner She was just onein the wake of the aruard

Most of the captives had collapsed in the grass, trying to cover their heads against the glare of the sun Few had survived the night of the slaughter, and perhaps because of that, the plague had not surfaced again in the train of Bulkezu’s arue behind, but he still took prisoners and he still dragged the for his amusement, for his assaults, for whatever sick reason he had, if he had reasons at all beyond laying waste

A few, those not yet so weakened by their ordeal that they noticed nothing beyond the next sip of gruel, raised themselves up to watch as Hanna was pressed back into their , she noticed the stink of so many unwashed bodies, open sores, pools of diarrhea and urine and vo from those too sick to craay from their own sickness, all of it a sink of despair Flies buzzed everywhere, feasting on infected eyes and filth-encrusted hands Surely plague was hiding here, waiting to burst out again as it had that awful night