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A huge voice booxe" It was deep andto the person alked toward thes -- in the air "We are allies to you and foes to the invader froe yak turned and ao wished she could do the sa him to drink He obeyed, then tried to spit the nasty sweetness of spirits laced with opium from his mouth

"Drink it, or I’ll use you for sword practice next tiBriar with one arm as he held the cup in his free hand "You were supposed to be healing people -- ere you doing on the battlefield?"

Briar drank the rest of the cup’s contents "I went to see … what the green light was," he xe ’N then I stayed to work on the wounded ’N someone whacked me with a sword"

His brain wasn’t soa fallen telow stones Suddenly, nearby, a Yanjingyi warrior had lurched to his feet

"You!" he’d cried in tiyon He was hardly es!" He had stu his sword as he fell Briar had felt soyi boy to find that he had fallen because he was dead He had been dying of a big wound in his chest when he attacked Briar Only crazy luck, Lakik’s luck, hadmore important

For a wound that wasn’t vital, it had made Briar scream anyway People fro him back to camp, the pain had been so bad that he had fainted like so to tell Parahan all this when the potion hit and he slept

THE GNAM RUNGA PLAIN

THE ROAD NORTH TO GARMASHING

The next time Briar came around, Rosethorn sat by his cot She said cheerfully, "I’d box your ears, but apparently you’re being punished enough"

He glared at her "You aren’t usually so happy when I foul up this bad"

"I’ot hurt," she replied tartly "I realize your ood, but you shouldn’t have been out there"

Briar covered his eyes with his arured that out," he admitted "I just didn’t want anybody to die who didn’t have to Well, our people"

"General Sayrugo found us," he heard her say "Her scouts spotted the Yanjingyi warriors and she cut theood," he said dully People wereabout what a bleat-brain he’d been