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"Rojer, what is theyou away before…"

Rojer waved his hand dislass Leesha could tell he was already very drunk "Don’t care how you and Arlen said goodbye in the stable"

Leesha glared "I didn’t stick hied "Your business if you did"

"Then what is it?" Leesha asked softly, co over to hi ofa sliold ave this to ave it to Arrick for saving e fell I never knew"

"You miss him," Leesha said "It’s only natural He saved your life"

"The Core he did!" Rojer cried, grabbing the chain and hurling the medal across the room It struck the ith a heavy thunk and dropped to the floor with a clatter

Leesha put her hands on Rojer’s shoulders, but his lips curled and for a ht strike her "Rojer, what happened?" she asked softly

Rojer pulled away froht he would rean to speak

"I used to think it was just a nightht break at any , my mother and I, while Arrick played the fiddle My father and a Messenger, Geral, were clapping along It was off-season, and there was no one else in the inn that night"

He drew a deep breath, sing hard "There was a crash, as so thatwith Master Piter, the Warder, but he and Geral said not to worry" He chuckled uess we should have, because as we all turned to the sound, a rock deh the door"

"Oh, Rojer!" Leesha said, covering her mouth, but Rojer did not turn

"The rock was followed by a blaze of flas as it sh My mother snatchedat once, but I don’t remeht the urge to go to him

Rojer composed himself quickly "Geral threw his warded shield to Arrick and told hiet my mother and me to safety Geral took his spear and my father an iron poker fros"

Rojer was silent a long ti any emotion at all "My mother ran to hi of asped, and Rojer nodded "Honest word Arrick only helped me because my mother shoved me into the bolt-hole with him, just before the demons took her Even then, he tried to leavehis fingers across the worn velvet and cracked leather patches "It wasn’t threadbare and faded then Arrick was the duke’s ht and new, as befit a royal herald

"That’s the truth of Arrick’s valor," he said through clenched teeth "Saving a bag of toys!" He snatched up the bag in his good hand, clenching it so tightly his knuckles shohite "A bag I carry around with me everywhere, like it’s just as i in Leesha’s face, then his eyes flicked to the fire roaring in the hearth, and he moved around the desk toward the fireplace

"Rojer, no!" Leesha shouted,Rojer held on tightly so she could not pull it away, but he did not try to push past her They locked stares, Rojer’s eyes wide like a cornered animal Leesha put her ar for soo, but Rojer held her tight His eyes were closed, but hisRojer as he stuht," she said, guiding him back to the desk chair where he sat heavily and held a breath, as if to suppress a roiling stomach His face was pale and sweaty