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We rode in coet as far away froht, ere very close to the border and soon, just as the stallion’s coat was beginning to sweat, we caazed down a valley into the distance where the glass factories of Vasterya shaded the border It had grown er since I was a child; lots of dark, crooked buildings surrounding the factories, like a small city This was the rookery

"We need to be extra careful here," Wolfe said quietly behind ht with tension He dropped the reins, and I turned aardly to see what he was doing He was shrugging out of his eround behind us

"Won’t you be cold?" I asked, shivering a little ed "Doesn’t matter From now on I don’t want anyone to knoe are until we’re returned to the Guard"

Seeing wisdom in that, I nodded and let him ic For the first tiry at hiry at his own deception No one knew that like Syracen, Wolfe was one of the Glava An io by the destruction he had caused to get us out of the gypsies’ grasp I stiffened as I realised why I was angry

"You alright?" Wolfe asked softly behind nore the heat of him at my back and the way ry because soun to trust this ht hole in h to re off Wolfe’s tension as well He was probably waiting on tenterhooks for e Dear haven, what awful vengeance he ! And yet, that was so in contradiction to the man I had come to know

Stop it! I yelled at myself I didn’t know hiirlish thinking that was going to get me killed

One minute we had been in the country and the next ere inside the walls of the town, of the rookery The change in at to my skin in sickly chills There was ain the way people hurried past us, not even glancing at us, their heads down as they deteret home or inside out of the dark, dank streets The streets weren’t kept clean Urine and waste lassworks Houses and shops were shabbily constructed, soulless and frightened looking buildings jaht here, street lamps sparsely spaced between streets

I could feel Wolfe’s shock at the state of the place, his shock as great as my own This was unbelievable

"How could Markiz Solom Rada let this happen?" I whispered sole a boy as staring at us too avidly

"I don’t know," he bit back, "We should have been told We would have stopped this"

"What e do?"

"I have a few coins I kept hidden, the Iavii didn’t get the so we can eat, rest and send a e to the Guard in Ryl"

"Will they still be there?"

"Yes They’ll send some men out to search but they won’t move perchance we return to the the men and meet us in Caera at Vojvodkyna Winter Rada’s ho his plan sound, and wondering whether he’d go through with it or decide to take his vengeance whilst the Guard was gone He could kill me, and thus Haydyn would die, and then he could blaht Even toto trust hiet a move on We’ve already lost too much time"

"I know"

Wolfe eventually had to stop and ask someone where the nearest inn was We were pointed in the direction of a drinking tavern ere told had rooms above to rent There were stables behind the tavern and we secured the horse, handing over coin to the stable boy who kept guard over the clientele’s horses

Shivering now, the night growing later and later, we headed into the tavern Eyes i hushed I was surprised when Wolfe’s hand slid intoat the fissures of pleasure that shot upwith ht shake of his head, his blue eyes startling in the light of the barroo with him I responded with a subtle nod and he relaxed a little, leadingthe other patrons coain as we approached the bar, and the huge burly barkeeper cainger beard

"Well good evening What can I get you?" He was all friendly s contrast to the streets outside

Wolfe nodded congenially back at hi We would like a room if you have one available"

The barkeeper’s eyes lit up, I gathered at the thought of earning the extraback to Wolfe with a wink "Aye, I’d be wanting a roo used to overhearing such talk ast the Guard and servants back at the palace

Wolfe squeezed ed at the barkeep "My wife and I are tired, we’ve been travelling a while," he lied and I kneas for my sake and my sense of propriety, a sense of propriety that seeh "I’d like a room and some food sent up Also, we had a little mishap on the road You wouldn’t have sorin greider "Not a probleht up a key "Room 2 is available" He pointed to stairs hidden in the shadows of the back of the roo you a dinner plate and some clothes"