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Despite et up "Bushwhacked me Four of them My papers?"

I looked around A few feet away, I saw a dark shape on the ground It proved to be a satchel Near it I found a athered theht them back to him "I have your papers," I told him

He made no response

"Lieutenant Tiber?"

"He’s passed out," a voice said I nearly jueant Duril would have done more than hit me with a rock if he’d been there I’d been coures who had walked up on ar," said the man behind me and to my left I turned my head to see him but he took a couple of steps back I couldn’t ht a glimpse of his jacket under his coat He was a cadet "We saw hiered this far and passed out"

If I hadn’t been kneeling by Tiber, I don’t think I would have made the connection I was coldly certain of it now The cadet talking to me was the third-year, Jaris, the one who had orderedinitiation

I said a foolhardy thing I only realized it when the words were out of my mouth "He said he was ambushed by four men"

"He talked to you?" Disnize his voice at all It was shrill with alarm

"What did he say?" de in all around me, and I didn’t like the picture theycloser I realized he didn’t care if I recognized him or not

"Just that That fourwith cold, but icy fear was also creeping up my spine

"Well, but he’s drunk! Who could believe a thing he said? Why don’t you run along, Cadet? We’ll get help for hione for help," I pointed out I was almost certain they knew that "He’s the one who sent me here," I added more boldly, and then could not decide if that was a wise thing to say or not I doubted Caulder would give witness against theedrain and cold wind, with Tiber dead or unconscious before ht kill me I wanted so badly to stand up, brush theback to h to leave Tiber there, I was also not brave enough to voice what I suspected They’d seen hie, noticed he was drunk, and known that in that condition, he was no match for them

"Go hos under control here"

Coincidence saved ht I heard the rasp of hurrying feet on the ay Through the rain and dark Ia lantern and it ht around hi a stretcher between thehI waved my arm over my head and called out loudly, "Over here! Cadet Lieutenant Tiber is hurt"

"We think he got beat up in town and then cae and passed out He’s drunk" All of this was volunteered by Cadet Ordo I expected to hear the others confirone

"Out of the way, boy!" Dr Amicas commanded round beside Tiber "This is bad," he said at first sight of Tiber’s face The doctor was still puffing froht be sick A blow fro open over his ear "Did he speak to you?"

"He was unconscious e found him," Ordo volunteered quickly

The doctor was not a dull-witted e Surely the driver didn’t carry an unconscious cadet over here and dump him before he left?" Hard, cold skepticish to speak

"He talked toGord back to Carneston House, Caulder ran past us He said soht be able to help He was conscious when I got here He said he wasn’t drunk And that four men had attacked him And he asked me to be sure his papers were safe"