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"I will crush them!" Jayan clenched a fist in the air "I will kill every man, woman, and child! I will burn--"

Inevera rolled the dice in her fingers, low becaht that cut Jayan’s words short as he and the others turned away, blinking spots fro, my son," Inevera said "We will need every able man that can lift a spear before it is done, and food for their bellies We cannot afford to punish all in their lands for the actions of Lakton’s foolish princelings You will keep to the Deliverer’s plan"

Jayan crossed his arms "And what plan is that? Father told us he meant to march just over a month from now, but no plan was ever discussed"

Inevera nodded to Abban "Tell them, khaffit"

Jayan and the others turned incredulous looks his way

"The khaffit?!" Jayan demanded "I am Sharum Ka! Why does this khaffit know of battle plans when I do not? I should have been advising Father, not souessed, "and did not need your ‘advice’ " He glanced to Abban "He only needed the tallies"

Sohtened Abban in ways Jayan’s aggression did not He used his crutch to stand, then left it leaning on his desk The ht to his words if he stood on his oo feet to deliver the the clay of his face into a look of nervous deference to put his "betters" at ease

"Honored Sharu the last Waning are greater than the Deliverer wished known Without a fresh supply, Everaot everyone’s attention Even Ashan leaned toward Abban now, rapt "Sixteen days from now is the date the Laktonians observe the chin holy day first snow The beginning of winter"

"What of it?" Jayan snapped

"It is also the day the chin deliver their harvest tithe to the dockmasters of Lakton," Abban said "A tithe that would keep our army fed until summer The Deliverer made a bold plan to capture the tithe and the chin lands in onean interruption at this point, but the closed circle renaled Qeran, who pulled out the carpet Abban’s wives had carefully woven tothe run on the floor and unrolling it with a kick Abban limped over as the others moved to stand around it

"It was Shar’Dama Ka’s intention to send the Sharu with two thousand dal’Sharum, overland in secret," he traced a path over the open territory with the tip of his crutch, avoiding the Messenger road and chin villages, "to take the village of Docktown, here, the e town at the lake’s edge with his crutch

Jayan’s brow furrowed "Hoill capturing a single village give us the city on the lake?"

"This is no sie," Abban said "Closest to the city proper, seventy percent of Lakton’s docks are in Docktown, and all will be bri to be loaded with the tithe once the talliers have counted it Take the city on first snow, and you can take the tithe, the fleet, and the closest landfall to the city Without the stores, or ships to go in search of more, the fish men will be ready to offer you the head of their duke, and his docke for a loaf of bread"

Jayan clenched a fist at the thought, but he was not satisfied "Two thousand dal’Sharuh to hold and guard any length of shoreline through the cold reatly"