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"What is going on here?" Jardir demanded "Where is the woman?"

Before any of the Sharu fro one of the greenlanders when I return will lose the offending hands!" he shouted as he charged to the alley, flying past the others at blinding speed

Wonda was in the alleyway, held from behind by a warrior who howled as she bit into his ar between his legs, and a third, Juri in horror at an arm twisted in an impossible direction

"Release her!" Jardir roared, and everyone looked up at him Wonda was released instantly, and she drove an elbow into the sto him over as she reached for the knife at her belt

Jardir pointed his spear at her "Do not," he warned Just then, Leesha ht She ran to Wonda immediately

"What happened?" Leesha asked

"Those sons of the Core tried to rape me!" Wonda said

"The Northern whore lies, Deliverer," Jurim spat "She attacked us and broke my arm! I demand her life!"

"You expect us to believe that Wonda lured the three of you here and attacked you?" Leesha denored them both It was obvious what had happened He had hoped Wonda’s prowess on the battlefield would ih to dissuade this sort of behavior, but Jurim and the others had apparently felt the need to remind her that off the battlefield, she was still a woman, and an unht to refuse a Sharum or attack a man for any reason Jurim and the others had coirl’s life

But the greenlanders did not see it that way, Jardir knew, and he needed their warriors, lanced at Leesha and knew, too, that not all his reasons were selfless The Sharuht to control theiven Hasik so many years before

Jardir swept his arm at Jurim and the others, then pointed at the wall They obediently lined up, backs straight, all of theirl had inflicted She was a born warrior, whatever her gender

Jardir heard the intake of air in Leesha’sbefore his men

"I am intended toward Mistress Leesha," he said calmly "An insult to one of the mistress’ servants is an insult to her An insult to her is an insult tohis chest with the point of the Spear of Kaji "Have you insulted me, Jurim?" he asked softly

Jurim’s eyes widened He looked frantically at Wonda, and then back at Jardir He squirht, and began to shake He knew his life ht depend on his answer, but to lie to the Deliverer would cost hi to his knees and weeping He pressed his forehead into the dirt and wailed, clutching at Jardir’s feet "Forgivea step backward and broadening his gaze to take in the warriors on either side of Juriround their foreheads into the dirt, wailing

"Silence!" Jardir snapped, and the men quieted instantly He pointed to Wonda "That woht than the three of you combined, and so her honor is worth the three of your lives"

The men cowered, but they did not dare to speak in their defense "Go to the te day," Jardir said "You will take your spears and go into the night tomorrow, shieldless and clad only in black bidos When you are pulled down, your bones will go to Sharik Hora"

TheJardir’s feet, for in those words, he had pros a Sharum truly feared to lose: a warrior’s death, and entry into Heaven’s paradise "Thank you, Deliverer," they said over and over