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If I hadn’t disht here in Mara’s place, saying the exact sa queen has been learning when to disagree with the people I lovethis for love," I say "I mean, yes, I love him But I’ve loved and lost before It’s awful, but it’s a survivable thing" I scuff the toe ofpine needles and half-rotted leaves shed by the cottonwood loo over me My dirt, I think My land

"I desperately need that e alliance with him," I tell her "It will serve as a bond between our northern and southern regions But ht is still so nebulous in my mind, but I know it’s important I know it the way I know the sun rises in the east each"I need to see Invierne foris wrong there"

Stor the horses, and as one they freeze in their ministrations and turn to stare atIt hurts, but it feels good too, as ifThey sent an army of tens of thousands after me and my Godstone When that didn’t work, they resorted to stealth and i martyred themselves to shake my country apart So much loss of life So much risk And for what? Why?"

"It’s simple," Storm says "They believe it is God’s will that they have you They believe he’ll restore their power, the kind they had before your people cai could do soGodstones than with those cold, dead things they carry"

Mara gasps It’s alate with ‘those cold, dead things’! They killed King Alejandro They" She flattens her pal they could domy head "That’s not it," I say, and they all stare at me "I mean, I’m sure that’s part of it But there’s us burned himself alive at my birthday parade, but you heard about it, yes? Read the reports?"

They nod

"He said the Inviernos were more numerous than the stars in the sky Is that true, Storhtfully "There are le declaration filled our whole country with panic and rage, because what if Invierne sends another arer than before? We would not survive another such onslaught But what did he not say?"

"Ah," Belén says "I see"

"What?" Mara says "What do you see?"

"The aniain"

I nod "Inviernos only speak literal truth But" I look pointedly at Storh oht? Does Invierne have no intention of invading again?"

Stors his head I made him dye his hair black so he wouldn’t stand out so e skunk stripe along his part "I don’t know," he says wearily "If us had been successful, I would have been inducted into the ruling council and thus privy to so h to work out the kinks, sohs and lower back "So my next question is: Why not? If they are as nu is preventing them And I want to find out what it is"

"Maybe they’ll invade after they have you and your Godstone," Mara says "Maybe that’s why they’re using Hector to lure you to them"

"Maybe"

"If they’re vulnerable in any way," Belén says, "we should attack Press our advantage"

Storm turns back to his horse, but not before I catch the flicker of sadness on his face He is wholly mine now, subject to me in both fealty and friendship But it can’t be easy to hear us discuss the conquest of his hoht of that," I say softly But if it’s true that they’re vulnerable, it means that Invierne is like a desperate erous than ever

We are still too near the village to risk a cooking fire, so we eat a cold ed to meditate, and Mara practices a quick draw and pull with her bow and a quiver full of arrows

Belén and I find an open space to practice, and I learn to block an overhanded strike with a dagger Belén shows me how to position myself so that my entire body absorbs the blow We practice until s are as weak as coconut pudding Exhausted but feeling accoet soh, and we need to pack up and ht

Belén takes the first watch I don’t bother to re down I’s me from sleep I ith a sword pointed at my throat

I start to roll away, but the sword presses deeper, pricking h ed for thieves after all

But no The h as tanned leather His hair and beard are wild and ed and torn, and he reeks of old sweat

Highwayure a way out of this

I move my eyes to place my companions Mara and Storm are in equally tenuous positions, each trapped beneath a sword held by a ragged man I can’t find Belén Either he has already fallen, or he is hiding nearby Please, God, let Belén be hiding

Theover me opens his mouth to speak, but I preempt him "What did you do with the others?" I demand

He blinks "Others? What others?"

"Our companions Five of the by now If you have killed theht boot I’ obvious, but I have to try I bendthe bedroll disguises ," says the one who has trapped Mara "They have supplies for four people, no ruff, as if speech coeance on our tail," the third says

My fingertips have reached the top of my boot "If you let us live, I promise no one will come after you" Just a little farther

"An Invierno!" one yells "Look at those eyes Greener than an alpineoff the bedroll and leap tothe Malficio war cry

My would-be captor swings his sword at er’s breadth We circle each other warily So to turn and ht, but I don’t dare

"You’re a traitor, aren’t you, girl?" he says with a wicked grin that displays blackening teeth "An enemy spy"

If Hector were here, he would tell ht But uard Or ja?