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"I don’t want cake," he gru belly

"Well, tell me what you do want, Dad A neatch or--"

"Mare, I do not consider so you stole off someone’s wrist to be new"

Before another war can brew in the Barrow house, Mos it to the table and the fureat, Mori to be shown up, I force down some stew It’s not as bad as usual, to ht you?"

Instead of nodding and s, she flushes and doesn’t answer She knows I stole it, just like allwhere this is going

You’d think by now I’d be used to it, but their disapproval wears on , Mom lowers her face into her hands "Mare, you know I appreciate--I just wish--"

I finish for her "That I was like Gisa?"

Mom shakes her head Another lie "No, of course not That’s not what I ht" I’m sure they can sense e I try"It’s the only way I can help out before--before I go away"

Mentioning the war is a quick way to silencestops Moer Under the table, Gisa’s hand closes around ht reasons," Mom whispers It takes a lot for her to say this, but it comforts me all the same

I keep my mouth shut and force a nod

Then Gisa juot I stopped at the post on the way back from Su off a bo for the dirty envelope Gisa pulls out of her jacket I let the the paper Neither can read so they glean whatever they can fro to place the scent "Pine Not sood He’s away froh of relief at that The Choke is the bo Norta to the Lakelands, where ht Soldiers spend thein trenches doo pushes that end in a h in the far north it becoht over Dad was injured at the Choke years ago, when a bomb dropped on his unit Now the Choke is so destroyed by decades of battle, the srow there It’s dead and gray, like the future of the war

He finally passes the letter over for er and afraid to see what Shade has to say

Dear faets a chuckle out of Dad and me, and even a sh Shade starts every letter like this

We’ve been called away frouessed It’s nice, getting back to the main camps It’s Red as the dawn up here, you barely even see the Silver officers And without the Choke ser every day But I won’t be in for long Command plans to repurpose the unit for lake coned to one of the nearships I met a medic detached from her unit who said she knew Tra from the Choke, but he recovered nicely No infection, no per her head "No per about Bree but I’ up on his five-year leave He’ll be ho else to report, at least that I can write in a letter Gisa, don’t be too h you deserve to be Mare, don’t be such a brat all the ti up that Warren boy Dad, I’m proud of you Always Love all of you