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Rosethorn watched hio "I hope Parahan and Souda appreciate that fellow," she said, thinking aloud "He’s clever, he thinks fast, and he doesn’t frighten easily And he’s loyal They should promote him" She turned it over in her mind as she settled seed after seed in the earth and called to the growth in theo to seed It ork she would set a novice to at horeet the plants -- their thorns were as long as her forearh they were sweet-natured to the gardener who appreciated them -- but she wanted to do more

She could do e; she was a e Rose Moon was nearly over; winter came early here How much of the fields had the imperial armies destroyed already? "Evvy, you are now a thorn seed harvester," she announced,plants to Briar’s side of the rooh not irritably She had been dozing on a heap of sacks

"Evus," Luvo said from his spot of observation near Briar

Briar started to explain how he could keep the plants growing as Evvy watched and harvested Rosethorn hurried down the hall, searching for Dokyi

"I did understand correctly?" she asked the First Dedicate when she found hixe?"

"It is the hardiest of the grains," he said "Others do not fare as well Why do you ask?"

"I knoay to replace sorain that’s been lost to Weishu’s ar to our people if you canfroan to explain The First Dedicate listened to her idea, thought it over, and led her to a storeroo boxes back to the workroo novices to haul inboxes and dug her hands into a bag of soil, feeling better than she had in days This hat she needed to do, not killing Not seeing visions Moreover, the strength she still held after her stewardship of the Four Treasures surged forward as she worked, pouring into the dark earth in the boxes and the barley seed that she scattered over it Of course the Treasures would lend therip that power to keep her new plants a siht As it was, a quarter of them was heavy with seed Swiftly she harvested and planted it all for a new crop She rerow under an open sky when their farood if the new crop grew only to be traic so the plants would grow to maturity in the field in four weeks With luck, even if the war ran another couple of ather at least one crop, perhaps two, froht their midday meal He remained to help Briar, Evvy, and Rosethorn as they packed the seed that was ready to plant and sprouted otten bored and wandered off Jimut and Riverdancer, who ca entire walls by hu at the debris in the street until it rose and packed itself in place where the walls had been

"He offered to teach so so low," Ji to recover from Luvo’s visit any tiri had not been kind to her skin

"I think it confuses him," Evvy says "Not all the temples, but why so many people would want to live in such a s had invited theht, they bathed in the tear’s table, as did Parahan, Souda, Sayrugo, and the First Dedicates of the Fire, Air, Water, and Earth temples of the First Circle Rosethorn had feared that with so o quiet or find an excuse to leave She had not reckoned on the girl’s friendship with the God-King He was even able to startle a laugh out of Evvy The other First Dedicates, who roup, relaxed considerably when Dokyi told them about the work they had been able to do toward proper barley harvests, war or no Rosethorn was delighted to see Briar grin at the better than combat to take away from his ti when a Gyongxin o’s soldiers caold-tri They left as soon as they had delivered their o frowned as the others continued to talk

Finally the God-King looked at his coh it was a smaller smile than usual "There’s no reason not to tell you General Norbu at the Lake of Birds reports that his scouts to the northwest are late to return, that’s all"

Sayrugo said, "As arefor a fresh attack," the God-King said "The eet a proper night’s sleep"