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Jayan personally speared thedown anyone who dared cheer with the butt of a spear, but the daer captured vessels sailed away, the sailors hooting and baring their buttocks to the Sharu vessels, ensuring that no ht, shattering casks of oil and putting fire to the to s nearby The Sharum, none of whom could swiesture In the distance, the other Laktonian vessels ceased fire, taking up the cheer as they turned away Six stopped at the halfway point and dropped anchor as the rest sailed back to the city on the lake

Jayan looked around, taking in the lost ships, wounded Sharum, and destruction of the docks Abban did not wait to see who the Sharuht

"This is a disaster," Qeran said

"We still have the tithe," Abban said "That will have to do, until we can beat some wisdom into the Sharum Ka

"Have the men claim a warehouse we can fortify and use as a base," he added "We’re going to be here a long time"

CHAPTER 12

FILLING THE HOLLOW

333 AR AUTUMN

"Should be out huntin’," Wonda growled, "not answerin’ the saht and pushin’ scales like one of yur patients tryin’ to get their strength back"

"It’s the only way to get accurate results, dear," Leesha said, ht to the scale, please"

Leesha watched through warded spectacles, her young bodyguard ablaze with ic as she pressed five hundred pounds the way another wo blackstem wards on Wonda’s skin for al the results

Arlen made her swear not to paint wards on skin, then turned around and did it to Renna Tanner If the practice was as dangerous as he claimed, would he have risked it on his own bride?

She’dher oath, but Arlen was gone a month, and had hidden his true plans from her Even Renna lied to her face When neither of the, it was time to take matters into her own hands

You are all Deliverers, Arlen had told the Hollowers, but had heas one, but had been stingy with the secrets of his power

And so Leesha spent a week testing Wonda to establish baselines for her th, speed, precision, and staed per day How ather

And then the warding began Just a little, at first Pressure wards on the palms Impact wards on the knuckles The weather had turned chill, and the blackste the daylight hours

At night, they hunted alone, stalking and isolating lone corelings to gradually test the effects Wonda began by fighting with her long knife in her do warded slaps and punches with her off hand as she experi unarht Tonight had been herthe skull of a wood demon with her bare hands

Wonda eased the bar down until the basket touched the ground, then hts Each was exactly fifty pounds, but Wonda picked up two in each hand as easily as Leesha ht carry teacup saucers

"One at a time, dear," Leesha said