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She welcomed Dakrias’ presence Not that she feared the dark of the corridor and steep stairs that led to the do a companion made it more palatable
Dakrias located and lit a pair of lanterns, and as he led the way out of the records room, he asked, "Any word from, er, Blackveil?"
"No," Laren replied She tried to tell herself it was much too soon to hope for any news, but there was never a waking moment that some part of her brain didn’t worry about her Riders and the success of the expedition
"You used to send Rider G’ladheon over here quite a lot," Dakrias said "I hosts
They entered the low-ceilinged chalass that rose frohts rippled on color andto life battle and victory, the defeat of the ene Riders on prancing steeds, brandishing their weapons at the cowering army She could al hooves, the cries of triu them was Lil Ambrioth, the First Rider, founder of the Green Riders She stood tall and co in her stirrups atop a fiery, red steed, the silk standard of the gold winged horse unfurled behind her The eneround in front of her, or lay slain all around her and her Riders
While the Riders and the background of the forest and rays, black, and crimson
Laren worked her way past another scene in which Lil knelt before aon There’d been so the Riders about what this scene actually depicted Was Lil receiving a blessing on behalf of the gods that she do well in battle, or did it occur after the battle, and she was being recognized for her heroism? Perhaps they’d never know
The third scene showed the Eletian king, Santanara, giving Lil the winged horse banner that was now a cherished artifact of the Riders The apex of the dood Aeryc looking down on the e point Laren could see very little of it Beside her, Dakrias produced a white cloth and wiped it across a glass panel When he withdrew the cloth, he inspected it in his light
"They are doing a good job," he pronounced
Laren wondered if it ise to have just any clerk clean the fragile glass, but she had to admit, there was no dust or cobwebs in evidence, unlike the first few times she’d colass looked even lassworking falass s for many chapels of the moon, as well as private commissions He trains and supervises the clerks who do the cleaning"
"I see," Laren replied, much relieved "So he kno to care for this properly" She gestured at the dome
"He does Very ain, not sure what called to her Just restless, perhaps, tired of talk of onco conflict, worried for her Riders, both in Blackveil and those carrying out their duties elsewhere
As she caain to the scene of a triuht her eye that she hadn’t seen before It was in the receding storm clouds, blended in so that it alray of the clouds She leaned closer
"Captain?" Dakrias asked
"Look here" She pointed it out to hi his specs "I say, you are correct Looks likelooks like the threefold leaf syot four leaves"
The threefold leaf had been taken by the League to represent the unity of its member nations: Sacoridia, Rhovanny, and Eletia She had never seen the fourfold leaf before What did it ot? Or a fourth ally that history purposely chose not to remember?
"Dakrias," she said, "do your clerks ever clean the underside of the dome?"
"Er, why no It had not occurred torequiring lots of scaffolding and such I think we’d need people accustoine with all the years of lamp smoke beneath the dome that it’s quite dirty, and that "
Dakrias stood there thoughtfully for a while "I will look through the castle’s et to see if there are any funds available for a proper cleaning by laziers" He smiled "If there isn’t, I’ll apportion the funds frolass doht help thean e the bonealking cane, pleased to have the professor’s in hand if not her own In her ti sidearretted the loss of her saber in Castle Argenthyne, and she would take what she could get The day would come, she vowed to herself, when she reclais, and took thele" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">