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Kilorn plops back down on his root, snatching up the re at the sight of Cal beaten and bleeding "I like this one," he says "I like hi the old aches setting off across my bones "The prince is with us, Nix He’s here to help, sae hi yellow teeth His breath sounds ragged and visceral "Help?" he scoffs "That Silver bastard helped rave"
Cal does his best to look polite, despite the blood dripping down his chin "Sir--"
"Dara Marsten Jenny Marsten," Nix hisses in reply His glare goes right through ion Battle of the Falls They were nineteen years old"
Died in the war A tragedy, if not a cri by the look of pure sharees with Nix When he speaks, his voice is thick, choked with emotion "We won," he murmurs, unable to look Nix in the eye "We won"
Nix clenches a single fist, but resists the urge to charge "You won They drowned in the river, and their bodies went over Maiden Falls The grave diggers couldn’t even find their shoes What was it the letter said?" he presses on, and Cal winces "Ah yes, that donatures at the bottoeneral of the Haion should march across the river"
Every eye turns to Cal, and he burns under our gaze His face goes white, flushed with blood and disgrace I remember his room back in the Hall of the Sun, the books and manuals filled to the brim with notes and tactics They made me sick then and they otten who he truly is Not just a prince, not just a soldier, but a murderer In another life it could’ve been me he marched to death, or my brothers, or Kilorn
"I’m sorry," Cal breathes He forces hi father I suppose he was trained to do it "I knoords hters--all the soldiers--deserved to live And so do you, sir"
Nix’s knees crack when he stands, but he doesn’t see," Cal replies, shaking his head "You’re like Mare, like Shade" He gestures to us in turn "Different What we call a newblood Red and Silver"
"Don’t you ever call ritted teeth
It doesn’t stop Cal fro people like you He plans to kill you all, and pretend you never existed He plans to erase you fro sticks in Nix’s throat and confusion clouds his eyes He glances tofor support "There areothers?"
"Many others, Nix" This ti hi to be found"