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‘I’ about s like that are supposed to concern hed and reached around froirl’s hand which touched his cheek He caught the faint scent of crushed grass, but the rest of the faered about both Danae and Flute had been subtly changed The person standing behind hiirl
‘Is this the way you appear to the rest of your family?’ he asked her
‘Not very often I prefer to have theet et a lotyour oay is very important to you, isn’t it, Aphrael?’
‘Of course It’s important to all of us, isn’t it? I’h ‘I’ my oay’
‘I’ve noticed that,’ he said dryly
‘Well,’ she said then, ‘I’d love to talk more with you about it, but I suppose we shouldn’t keep Ulath and Stragen waiting’ The reflection wavered and began to shrink, sliding back into childhood ‘All right, then,’ Flute’s fao have it out with the Troll-Gods’
It was blustery that ray clouds scudded in off the Tamul Sea There were few citizens abroad in fire-domed Matherion as Sparhawk and his friends rode out of the palace coate
They left the city and rode up the long hill to the place fro city ‘How do you plan to approach theen asked Ulath as they crested the hill
‘Carefully,’ Ulath grunted ‘I’d rather not get eaten I’ve talked with them before, so they probably re Bhellioht on the spot’
‘Any particular sort of place you’d like?’ Vanion asked him
‘An open field – but not too open I want trees nearby – so I can clily’ Ulath looked around at the rest of them ‘One word of caution,’ he added ‘Don’t any of you stand between et started’
‘Over there?’ Sparhawk suggested, pointing toward a pasture backed by a pine grove
Ulath squinted ‘It’s not perfect, but no place really would be Let’s get this over with My nerves are strung a little tight thisfor some reason’
They rode out into the pasture and dis anyone would like to tell me before we start?’ Sparhawk asked
‘You’re on your own, Sparhawk,’ Flute replied ‘It’s all up to you and Ulath We’re just here to observe’
‘Thanks,’ he said dryly
She curtsied ‘Don’t mention it’
Sparhawk took the box out fro to it ‘Open,’ he told it
The lid popped up
‘Blue Rose,’ Sparhawk said, speaking in Elenic
‘I hear thee, Anakha’ The voice caain
‘I feel the Troll-Gods within thee Can they understand ue?’
‘Nay, Anakha’
‘Good Cyrgon hath by deceit and subterfuge lured the Trolls here to Daresia and doth hurl theainst our allies, the Atans We would attempt to persuade the Troll-Gods to re-assert their authority over their creatures Thinkest thou that theyto our request?’
‘Any God listenshis worshipers, Anakha’
‘I had thought such ree with on hath stolen their Trolls will enrage them?’
‘They will be discomfited out of all ht best proceed with them?’
‘Advise them in simple words of what hath co, for they are slow of understanding’
‘I have perceived as s with them’
‘Wilt thou speak with them? I say this not in criticism, but thy Trollish is rude and uncouth’
‘Did you put that in, Vanion?’ Sparhawk accused
‘Not ood Trollish froive mine ineptitude, Blue Rose Mine instructor was in haste when she schooled e of the man-beasts’
‘Sparhawk!’ Sephrenia objected
‘Well, weren’t you?’ He addressed the stone again ‘My coreater familiarity with Trolls and their speech than do I It is he ill advise the Troll-Gods that Cyrgon hath stolen their creatures’
‘I will bring forth their spirits that thy comrade antic presences Sparhawk had sensed in the Temple of Azash were there, but this time they were in front of him where he could see them He fervently wished that he could not Because their reality was still locked inside the Bhelliolow They bulked enored and their fury held in check only by the power of Bhellioerous situation Try to be very, very convincing’
The big Genidian knight sed hard and stepped forward ‘I am Ulath-from-Thalesia,’ he said in Trollish ‘I speak for Anakha, Bhellio word of your children Will you hear ed froled in the enormous voice that it was Khwaj, the Troll-God of Fire, who spoke
Ulath’s face took on an expression of mild reproach ‘We are baffled by what you have done,’ he told theon?’