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Bree raised her head, looking as far as she could into the distance toward the creek Her face had drawn in upon itself, a pale knot of apprehension

"Will a flag of truce help hi starts?"

The answer to that--which she obviously kneas "Probably not" So did Ja that perhaps it wouldn’t co; the air was thick with anticipation, acrid with the scent of spilled black powder and nervous sweat

"He’ll be back," Jaentler tone He touched her face, s back a randoht"

The look of apprehension faded a bit as she searched his face She seemed to find some reassurance there, for a little of the tension left her, and she nodded, in mute acceptance Jamie leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, then turned away to speak to Rob Byrnes

Bree stood looking after his of her bonnet and ca slightly; she took a deep breath, and clasped her knees to still the I can do to help now?" she asked, with a nod toward ?"

I shookI need There isn’t anything to do but wait" I grihtly "That’s the hardest part"

She reement, and relaxed, with a visible effort She assessed the waiting equip water, the folding table, the large instruency kit

"What’s in there?" she asked, poking a boot-shod toe at the canvas sack

"Alcohol and bandages, a scalpel, forceps, a the wounded here, if they can, or to one of the other surgeons But if I have to go to a man wounded on the field--someone too bad to walk or be carried--I can snatch that up and go at once"

I heard her s, and when I glanced up at her, the freckles stood out on the bridge of her nose She nodded, and drew a deep breath to speak Her face changed suddenly, though, switching conance She sniffed once, suspiciously, her long nose wrinkling like an ant-eater’s

I could srove directly behind us

"That’s rather coh at her expression "They’re caught short, poor things"

She cleared her throat and didn’t say anything, but I saw her gaze roa now on oneHoas it possible? How could one look at such an orderly, compact bundle as a man, head bent to catch a friend’s words, ar frohted and muscles taut--and envision rupture, abrasion, fractureand death?

It couldn’t be done It was an act of the iination that lay beyond the capability of one who hadn’t ever seen that particular obscene transforhed, and leaned forward, hoping to distract us both

"Whatever did you say to your father?" I asked, out of the side ofGaelic"

"Oh, that" A slight flush of a atat--did Ier’s?" She wiped a strand of red hair away froy serous, where did he get off, risking hed, though keeping that, too, under erous for you, is it?" she asked, surveying the militia encampment "Back here, Icoht away But I don’t think--"

I was interrupted by the sound of a horse, co with the rest of the caer appeared; one of Tryon’s baby-faced aides, pale with bottled-up excite out of his saddle, half-breathless

"And what d’ye think we’ve been doing since dawn?" Ja, man?"

Very little, apparently, but that little was iulators’ side had come to parley with the Governor

"A minister?" Jamie interrupted "A Quaker, do youinterrupted "Quakers have no clergy, anyone knows as much No, it was a ardless of religious affiliation, Tryon had been unmoved by the ambassador’s appeal He could not, would not, deal with a ulators disperse, and he would promise to consider any just complaints laid before him in a proper manner But disperse they must, within an hour