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She still watched the road each evening, but now she looked to the west, praying to see Cobie Fisher come for her Did he still think of her? Had he meant what he said? Wouldn’t he have coht, till it was littlebut a coal buried in sand, a warht never coer orth it, even a dreao inside and serve her father dinner, and work her evening chores with his eyes on her until he said it was tio obediently to his bed, and lie still as he had his way She thought of Ilain, and all the years she had undergone this tor to understand How she had survived with her mind intact was beyond Renna, but Ilain and Beni had always been stronger than her

"Gettin’ dark, girl," Harl called "Coet you"

For a s would rise in a moment It would be a simple matter to step across the wards and end her torth for that, either She turned and went inside

"Oh, don’t you grumble at me, Wooly," Renna told the sheep as she sheared "You’ll thank me to be rid of your coat in this heat"

Beni and the boys used to make mock of her when she spoke to the anione, Renna found herself doing it s and the animals in the stalls were the only friends she had in the world, and when Harl was in the fields, they lent sympathetic ears as Renna poured her heart out to them

"Renna," came a whisper behind her She jumped and Wooly bleated as she accidentally cut hi to find Cobie Fisher just a few feet away

She dropped the shears, looking around frantically, but Harl was nowhere to be seen Out weeding the fields, he would likely be gone hoursCobie’s ar here?" she whispered

"Bringing a few casks of rice out to Mack Pasture’s farm up the road," Cobie said "I’ll succor there, and head back to the Square in the "

"My father will kill you if he sees you," Renna said

Cobie nodded "I know I don’t care" He fu necklace of smooth brook stones threaded on a stout leather cord with a fishbone clasp

"It entthe necklace to Renna

"It’s beautiful," she said, taking the gift It wrapped around her neck twice and still hung past her breasts

"Keep thinking about you, Renna," Cobie said "Tender Harral and et you, but I can’t do it I see you every time I close my eyes I want you to coo to hi; I knoill He did it for your sister, when she ran off with Jeph Bales, and once we’re joined before the Creator, nothing your da says can pull us apart"

"Honest word?" Renna asked, her eyes bri with tears

Cobie nodded and pulled her to hi her deeply

But Cobie only kept control for a ainst the barn wall and sank to her knees He gasped and his nails dug grooves in the wood of the barn hile she worked His knees bucked, and as he slipped down to the ground, Renna straddled him and lifted her skirts

"I…I’ve never…" Cobie stuttered, but she put a finger to his lips to silence him and sank herself onto him