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This wasn’t the first talisman Rojer had carried For years, he had kept a puppet of wood and string topped with a lock of his olden hair in a secret pocket in the waistband of his motley pants Before that, it was a puppet of his mother, capped with a lock of her red

But with the medallion, Rojer could feel both Arrick and his parents looking over hih the fiddle He played his love and played his loneliness and regret He told thes he had never been able to in life

When he finally finished, Leesha and the others were staring at his It was only after a few moments of silence that they shook their heads and ca beautiful as that," Wonda said Gared grunted, and Leesha produced a kerchief, dabbing at her eyes

The rest of the journey to Deliverer’s Holloas filled withevery minute his hands weren’t otherwise occupied He knew they were returning to all the same problems they had left, but with the proleurs’ Guild, as well as the comfort of the medallion around his neck, he held new hope that all their problems could be solved

They were still a day froees, ht in the road Leesha knew them immediately as Laktonians, for as a whole they were stocky folk, short and round-faced, and they stood as thoseon a boat’s deck than dry land

"What’s happened?" Leesha de to cal infant The wo eyes as Leesha got down from the cart Then she took note of Leesha’s pocketed apron and a light ca out the screa child "I think he’s sick"

Leesha took the babe in her arers over it to check pulse and temperature After a moment, she simply sat it up in the crook of one arm and stuck a knuckle in its orously

"There’s nothing wrong with hi the stress of his h of relief

"What’s happened?" Leesha asked again

"The Krasians," the woman said

"Creator, have they marched on Lakton so soon?" Leesha asked

The woh Rizon’s ha the irls to take as wives like a rancher picking a chicken to slaughter, and ht to hate their own families"

Leesha scowled

"Hamlets ent safe anymore," the woman said "Those that could ht for their ho for the Deliverer He wan’t there, but folk said he had gone on to Angiers, so that’s where we’re headed He’ll put things right, you see if he doesn’t"

"So we all hope," Leesha sighed, though she had her doubts She handed back the baby and cliet to the Hollow immediately," she told the others She looked at Gared