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There is no answer to that, but no trace of huh and irls to do

We approach the huge gate with its sentries, laht sinks into the full darkness of night

"Kal, take that cursed scarf off your face The guards need to see an uncle and his nephew on their way to a joyous wedding feast, not a prince skulking about playing at banditry"

Kalliarkos tugs down the scarf so it wraps only his neck and leaves his face visible As we couards a piece of fired cera us permission to leave the city Inarsis pulls the curtain out of et a close look So havearound the, wait out the crossing, but quickly enough we are allowed to pass under the triple gates and over a wide plank causeway that spans the canal that rings the city

Beneath the wheels the grind of wood turns to the rumble of stone as we roll onto a paved road and head out of the city into the countryside Inarsis ties the curtains up out of the way

The Royal Road follows the coastline of Efea from Saryenia all the way to the easternmost fortress at Pellucidar Lake in the ht the road is lit with sturdy glass lanterns fastened to pillars Iron cages posted at intervals contain the reed off the battlefield and left to rot The bones of those the king has defeated are ground to dust and, so it is said,Kliatethen his blood

"What do you mean to do now, Uncle?" asks Kalliarkos His raised chin and brusque tone give hier, not the a man who first spoke to ? Can I not enjoy this lovely ride through the countryside on our way to your sister’s wedding feast?"

The view here just outside the city is not that lovely Regiside the Royal Road, each surrounded by a wall Every gate has a cole finned with two bars, a hatched circle By these ain in the disarray of battle, so Father taught i Fours, the Bronze Blades, the Old Spears

Beyond the last ca’s arer to take the king’s coin Their flags fly but I do not know their naes they speak All I know is that such people fight for money instead of honor and loyalty

Inarsis stirs beside randmother to protect you, Lord Kalliarkos, it would be prudent of you to infor so Ifor my secret to be exposed, but Kalliarkos does not hesitate "Is it so surprising that for once I wanted to choose my own company for the journey there and back? It took years to convincefor me to have an ill-wisher at my side at all times, like I was still a little child Now I have you two nurse me everywhere I have decided to act as a man instead of a boy Does that content you, General Inarsis?"

The name jolts me "General Inarsis? The victor of the battle of Marsh Shore during the Oyia can?"

"The same, Spider As for you, Lord Kalliarkos, your explanation does not content me"

"How did I not knoho you are?" I mutter, partly because I am stunned and partly to distract hi Efean men," he says with an auessed that a man of Commoner ancestry alks like an equal beside a Patron lord uished reputation "You are the only Co’s army"

"We call ourselves Efean," he says in a mild tone that rebukes me

"Yes, but--" His quiet confidence flusters h officials and lords in Efea are Patron-born For instance, no matter hoell a Commoner--I mean an Efean--learns Saroese, they cannot becoht it was the saan the day as a junior officer in the only Efean regiment, which itself was commanded by senior officers, all of ere Patron men The battle was a bloody, violent conflict with massive casualties on both sides I had to step forward after all the senior officers were dead or incapacitated"