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"Don’t you leave hts twice now, but the third would be the deepest cut, daht to escape after she had worked so hard to save his

What could the embrace of the Core offer that hers could not?

Renna’s throat was hoarse froround and began to take Arlen’s forh her tears and nearly choked It seeood as cored and she expecting no better, but now suddenly every dely quiet as she and Arlen stared at each other The ic feedback had been intense, and Renna’s senses felt more alive than they ever had in her life She practically crackled with energy, and her heart was pounding like a Jongleur’s hand drulowed so intensely he hurt to look at

"Dancer," Arlen breathed suddenly, breaking the silence He ran to his horse

"Broke a lot of bones," Renna said sadly "Ent never gonna run again, even if he h Da would say to put hi your da would have done!" Arlen growled Renna felt his pain like a slap in the face, and knew in that moment how much he loved the horse She knehat it was like, when an animal was your only friend in the world She wished he could love her half so ," she noted "Must’ve taken so demon before he was struck"

"Mimic," Arlen said "They’re called mimics"

"How d’you know?" Renna asked

"Learned a lot, when I touched the coreling prince’sone of the stallion’s broken legs and pulling the bones straight Holding them in place with one powerful hand, he dreard in the air with the other

He grunted in pain, but the ward flared and the bones knit before her eyes One by one, Arlen tended the horse’s wounds, but as Twilight Dancer began to breathe coic, so bright arapidly Already it was darker than she had ever seen it

She touched his shoulder, and felt a flash of pain as soasped and looked up at her

"Enough," she whispered, and he nodded

The Painted Man looked at Renna and felt a profound sense of guilt

"I’m sorry, Ren," he said

Renna looked at him curiously "Sorry for what?"

"Turnedyou to Harl so I could chase deain"

But Renna shook her head "Felt that demon in my head Felt it slither into ht fro that monster orth more’n a thousand Renna Tanners"

The Painted Man reached out and touched her cheek, his eyes unreadable

"Thought so before," he said, "but now I ent so sure"

"I ent takin’ back my promise," Renna said "If this is your life, then I aim to support it like a proper wife should No , and the Core called to the Painted Man still, but it was a distant thing now, easily ignored Because of her Because with Renna he finally remembered who he was The words came easily to him

"I, Arlen Bales, promise myself to you, Renna Tanner"