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Colorless Eyes laughed "Sooing to run away That’s not the point of this exercise"

Janco hesitated

I said, "You have my word, Janco I won’t run if you take off the rumbled some more but unlocked the cuffs I wiped the dirt from my face "Thanks"

He nodded, and then pointed to his partner "He’s Ardenus"

"Ari, for short" Ari extended his hand, giving ing ravely, and then the three of us headed southwest to find their Captain

The trip to the castle was almost comical Almost If my stiff and sore muscles hadn’t protested my every step, and if the bone-deep ache of pure exhaustion hadn’t pulled at my body like a stone cloak, I would have been amused

Janco and Ari’s Captain fuht up with him "Well, well, well Look at what our teethearts finally found," Captain Parffet said His bald head was beaded with sweat that rolled down the sides of his face, soaking his collar He was old for a Captain, and I wondered if his surly disposition was the reason for his lack of promotion

"I’uard," Parffet shouted at Ari and Janco "Maybe you can enlighten us as to which procedure you followed that took you over seventeen hours to find the bitch!" Parffet continued his verbal bashing Even in the darkness I could see his face turning purple

I tuned hireeing with their Captain, soned, as if used to his tantrums, and others wore bored and tired expressions One s, stared with an uncomfortable intensity at lance to the Captain

"Nix, put the bitch in s pulled metal cuffs off his belt "I see our two prima donnas can’t be bothered to follow this unit’s standard procedures"

As Nix approached, I searched for a chance to slip away My promise to Janco had only extended to a "hands free" trip back to the castle Ari, sensing e hand onme to his side