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But Jardir gave no such command For better or worse, they were allies

"Just as well you took anything of value," Arlen said, "now that the deet inis what saves us Just this once, we knohere our enee Wewe need to do is find a spot near the tomb to stake the horses," Arlen said "We’ll paint wards of unsight around the place Might need to ride out of here in a hurry"

"And then what?" Jardir asked

"We go to Kaji’s to a secret exit," he said "Then we find places to hide, and ait"

"And then?" Jardir asked

Arlen blew out a breath Core if I know

"Bit to the left," Renna said, looking down the shaft of the arrow Shanvah pointed to the sky "Wind’s stronger that high Got to account for it"

She stood behind the younger woht in line with Shanvah’s Renna had never thought herself short, but even the average Krasian was tall by Tibbet’s Brook standards Her heel was only a little off the ground, but she resented that inch

Shanvah accepted the correction with a nod, and loosed Her arrow arced high over the dunes, then caet It wasn’t a perfect shot, but from such distance it was impressive nonetheless

"How did you learn this?" Shanvah asked, lowering her bow There was h to think them friends "By your oords, you were no warrior until recently, but you handle that weapon too comfortably for the Par’chin to have been your only teacher"

Renna shook her head "My da taught o around back hoo out and hunt so my people, women were not allowed to even touch weapons until recently You are fortunate to have had such a father What was his name?"

"Harl" Renna spat "But wern’t no fortune in him as a da"

"In Krasia, we carry the honor of our fathers, daughter of Harl," Shanvah said "The pride of their victories, and the shame of their failures"

"Got a lot to ht," Shanvah said, "you will have cleaned the slate and dipped it in gold, even if your father is Alagai Ka hiht as well have been" Renna felt a throb in her tehts of her father, of that corespawned farry Less the ht The reminder of the old Renna Weak Scared Useless Sometimes she wished that part of her was a limb she could cut away and cast off forever

Shanvah was staring at her Why were she and Shanvah sharing stories like square girls, anyway? They ht the same side, but neither trusted the other, and Renna saw no reason for that to change

"You said you faced one of theai prince"

As if talk of Harl’s farh Renna remembered the horror, the violation, as the de in like a to she wanted to talk about, but this, Shanvah had a right to know Soon she would be face-to-face with theht Paint ’eet inside yourthat makes you … you S it, and then spit out just the parts that cut the ones you love"

Shanvah nodded "But you killed it"

Renna bared her teeth,in her blood at the h its ripping back, and it kept fighting"