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The rock nodded to Briar "I did think you would be larger, from Evumeimei’s descriptions," it said Briar did not see a mouth move, but the voice definitely came from the rock "I am honored to ht about it for a ave me another dose of painkiller potion, didn’t you? I’ll taketea fro one The healers fed Briar and changed his bandage as she told it By the tio, and Ji heard every detail If he hadn’t been clutching her arht it another mad dream, from her capture to her travels deep in the earth until they had found Sayrugo’s arreed to transport Evvy and Luvo to Melonam, where they were supposed to join the troops led by Captain Lango and his companions They would have done so, too, but their force had co fifty warriors led by Soudaxin and Realo was in coon ride, we’re close to Melonam," Rosethorn told Briar when Evvy had finished "You’ll be more coon," Briar protested, swinging his legs to the side of the cot "I can sit on a horse" He put his feet down and stood, or tried to His thigh hurt so much that he bit the inside of his cheek until it bled He sat down

"Wagon," Rosethorn said Jimut nodded and left the tent

To save his self-respect, Briar looked at Luvo "If you’re a et so small?"

"Your manners are as dreadful as ever," Rosethornmedicine into a cup

"This part of me is the heart of thehis head knob so he appeared to look at Briar with the pits that served as his eyes "I do not think your manners are dreadful I have only Evumeimei to measure by Never before did I believe that meat -- that humans orth the trouble to converse with, so I have no standard for their manners"

"Evvy also thinks we humans aren’t worth the trouble to talk to" Briar looked at Rosethorn "Rosethorn, I thought we agreed, no on, my dear"

Oh, this was very bad The cuthi him to be silent and take his medicine He watched while she dropped another liquid into the cup

"Don’t worry," she said, and smiled "This will make it taste so bad you won’t care about the rest"

Evvy, sitting quietly by Luvo, actually giggled

Briar gulped the potion It was even viler than Rosethorn had hinted it would be He struggled until he was sure he wouldn’t bring it back up again As his head spun, he mumbled, "Rosethorn, take my seed bombs"

"I already have," she told him as she beckoned to Jiently, but he still screaa pecked his forehead like a bird, one head after another Briar tried to tell her that snakes don’t peck, but she ignored hi ached He wanted to throw up He wanted to dig a hole in Gyongxe all the way to the world’s es there, where they would never smell another rose

"Does it hurt so much?" asked a very deep voice by his elbow "Even when Evumeimei wept in her sleep her face did not make that shape"

Briar turned his head The day was too bright; he shaded his eyes so he could see the talking rock "I wasn’t thinking of pain," he e, too," Evvy said She was on Briar’s other side, leaning against his packs "I want to dus on Weishu, but Luvo says the mountains won’t let me"

"I don’t blame you," Briar said "If they hurt me like that, I’d want to drop mountains on them, too"

"Yes, but I’m over the hurt It could have been worse They wanted to do worse See, I’e slippers soiven her and the heavy sock she wore underneath it Gripping her ankle, she raised her foot until Briar could see its sole "Not too bad, right?"

Briar sed Evvy’s feet were nor on rock and dirt with no shoes at all Now her sole was puffed and pink, with horizontal scars across it

"It’s tender yet I can’t walk too far, but it’s not raw, and the wool doesn’t hurt it," Evvy said, turning her sole to give it a critical look "I can even pick up Luvo and carry him and it doesn’t hurt ranite so his weight doesn’t bother o of her ankle and put her sock back on

"Fine," Briar said, asha He was still somewhat muzzy, but the pain wasn’t what it had been He set than yours He justback to Dohan"

She looked away "That’s what hurts They took all I had I can’t ever get justice for that My feet would heal no one, even aveher face on her knees