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Evvy frowned "Why not?"

"No matter what Parahan and Captain Rana told her about e did back in Snow Serpent Pass, she doesn’t see how plant oes a hundred tie" Briar reached out to tweak her nose, but Evvy was having none of that

"I don’t knohat good I’ll be with a whole arood with a whole army," Briar said "But if you make the horses of a line of archers skid and skitter because the stones under their feet areplenty of us"

"Oh," Evvy said, realizing he was teasing her "Oh, right"

"Armor," Briar said, and pushed her toward her tent

She was struggling with the ties of her cuirass when Briar came in with a plate of momos and a pot of butter tea Luvo followed him Evvy happily ate while Briar checked the ties on her armor and did the cuirass up

"What about you, Luvo?" he asked "Are you going with us, or are you riding in a wagon?"

"I will stay with Evumeimei," the stone creature replied "Between us ill not be heavier than an adult of your kind A horse should carry us both easily What else will you bring today, Evumeimei?"

"Only my alphabet," she replied She looked at the packs that had been found for her a and odds and ends supplied by Sayrugo’s people and the clothes Luvo had given to her "I don’t knohat to do with those They’ll just get in the way if I’o with mine and Rosethorn’s, please," Briar told the soldiers who had co with her stone alphabet and the rocks she had collected recently and slung it over one ars from an open pack and held theave you doubled silk One of the village weavers I talked to on the road says this kind of cloth is a way to send ement of these slubs -- these bumps -- in the weave, that’s code They aren’t oing to war and you want to talk about weaving?" If the scarves were teot sent, she realized "I’ll take those now," she said, holding out her hand Briar passed the them around her neck

Then he pulled her over and kissed the top of her head "Lakik and Heibei turn their faces against Weishu and all his es," he murmured Evvy rested her face on his shoulder and nodded "I e could call on that ancient sea that used to be here to s his whole ar Evvy wanted to comfort him, but she didn’t kno

"I will help you," Luvo said froether Evu or two about the stones of Gyongxe"

Briar looked over as Evvy picked up Luvo "Good Weishu in particular needs the lesson" He slid his hands around Evvy’s and attempted to lift Luvo from her hold, only to find the rock creature was far heavier than he looked "I don’t understand! How does Evvy carry you?"

Evvy resettled Luvo, balancing her friend on her hip "We worked out a thing in ranite, and it’s easy He’s really not that heavy, now He’s at his lightest"