Page 1 (2/2)

"Why did it at ack us at al ?"

Varis glanced over his shoulder at her, long enough for her to see that the contempt was back "Because il control their country, one way or another For al the talk of al iances and e, some of theht, and cal ed up a memory of her sister: Cal ie with her ar grass with her s uncontrol ably The memory was an old one--Cal ie had been perhaps five years old, Darri eight--but it was the one Darri had fal en asleep to for hts than she could count

Except she aloke up to another oldinto her tent to tel her the news She had been eager to see hiale her in whispers with the tale of a daring raid or a successful hunt Instead he had told her, in calm concise tones, that Cal ie would be sent to marry the prince of Ghostland That their lit le sister was a reasonable price to pay for the one territory on the east coast they couldn’t easily conquer

He had seemed surprised when she erupted frorab her by the wrist before she made it to the door flap "Darri I know it’s hard But no sacrifice is too great"

"This one is," Darri had raged at hi inef ectual y to free herself "This is Cal ie you’re talking about, Varis, not a herd of horses or a tactical bat le advantage Father can’t do this to her He can’t I’l stop it"

Her brother had looked at her with his blue eyes narrowed, disbelief slowly turning to disgust, and said, "I won’t let you"

That was the last time he had ever snuck into her tent

Now Varis shifted in the saddle, and his voice sharpened "I think it would be best not to et to the castle"

"Because in order to explain what happened, ould have to ader?"

His response was another look of cool conteh of those She wasn’t stupid, no e over Cal ie’s betrayal Maybe it was time Varis noticed that She spurred her horse forward to ride beside hi his stal ion sideways so they could both fit on the forest path, ignoring both his raised eyebrows and the branches that brushed along her left ar here, Varis"

"I should hope so It’s been explained to you in so it twice daily since they left: the al iance with Ghostland was crucial, especial y now that their forces were ready to turn west They didn’t have tie Instead it would be Darri who married the prince of Ghostland, and she had bet er remember her responsibility to her people

The fact that Darri never argued didn’t seem to reassure hiue now, she knew; there was nothing to gain But the words ca to the explanations after your first at e sense because you keep repeating them Nobody bothered to ride here with Cal ie when you traded her away

Why do I get treated bet er than she did?"

"Someone has to watch you," Varis snapped, "to make sure you do your duty You’ve ed her hair, and she reached up with one hand to wrench it away The pain in her scalp elcome; it felt deserved "Because I love ivable"

Varis’s fingers tightened on the reins "There is nothingour security Don’t you remember what it was like ere the weakest of the tribes, when anyone could hurt us at wil ?"

He knew she did Neither of theht their ht their two older brothers had died trying to protect her Cal ie had been just a baby, wailing for her one forever It had been Varis who had ith Darri, and held her, for night after night as their father prepared for war And then left her behind to go to ith him

She didn’t want to reed when he caes in him, fol owed his lead, wanted exactly what he wanteduntil the night she final y realized how far he would go

Varis drew in a breath, let it out, and--in the --beca but Cal ie So you should be happy that the two of you wil be together again"

Darri lost control of the reins for aand stuained her balance and turned in the saddle, this tiained her balance and turned in the saddle, this tiht at her hair "Cal ie wil go back with you! Once I marry Prince Kestin--"

"She can help you set le in" Varis spurred his horse forward, leaving her with a view of his rigid back and his horse’s swishing tail "Her experience wil be valuable to you as you learn the ways of the court"

Darri watched openainst her stal ion’s face,her mount snort and shake his head That was so like Varis--to assume that Cal ie would stil be loyal, would stil devote herself to the Rael ian conquest, even after her life had been traded away

Let hiht as she let her horse fal back Let him assume whatever he wanted It would ardless of her father’s true reasons for sending theet Cal ie out And not Varis or her father or al the deadto stop her

Prince Kestin, Cal ie noted, was brooding He had been gloohts now, and it , intense face that seeruous when he laughed For ht that was the reason for the brooding But now he had taken to drinking, which was a bad sign