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In that ain, Hanna sees Wolfhere, brow furrowed, staring at her through the flah a hand wiped hiht within the leaping fire

A fa She had heard it so often that it takes her several breaths to get over her surprise that, after all theseto Prince Bayan "If it is true Bulkezu rides north along the Veser, then what prevents hi on his lant says? Bulkezu can leave a force of small size camped outside the walls, and with this force he can trick Duchess Rotrudis so she will believe he sets a siege at her gates Then, if she so believes, she will not harry him until for her and for Saony it is too late"

Hazy figures too indistinct to see clearly shift within the fire She can make out none of their faces, but the lant "And he can do as e as he likes Or he could strike west before he even reaches Osterburg and go for Kassel or the Rhowne heartlands near Autun The best we could hope for in that case would be that he drives all the way to the western sea and spends his fury laying waste to Salia"

"What do you think we should do, Prince Sanglant?" How have they all coathered? For surely that voice belongs to Captain Thiadbold, of the Lions Seated figures obscure hiht shoots blinding lances across her vision, so that all she can do is hear

"I say webefore he does"

His words fade as a hand catches her shoulder and draws her backward Briefly, so briefly, she sees a black-haired child asleep on a bed of furs, and it seeh a fla thing, twisting and hissing

"Liath," she whispered, starting out of her trance as the hissing rose in pitch She fell back and caught herself on her hands

Cherbu sat on the other side of the fire, whistling death onto the fire Fla into red coals Ash settled A cool wind stirred the forest Far away, a wolf howled despairingly

"So" Bulkezu crouched behind her, his hand gripping her shoulder This tiot what he wanted "Where is she?"

The prisoners had all slunk away or pretended to sleep She could scarcely bla her to those whom they had no power to resist No doubt they were happy to have escaped punishuards stood farther back, half hidden by darkness That she could see theh over the treetops

A scarecrow danced under the nearest tree, dangling fronized hied by the neck