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Twelve hours later, with dark circles under her eyes, Vi found a cheerful Elenebreakfast

"What is it?" Elene asked "Are you well?"

"I know it’s a h Vi’s fatigue "I have a wedding present for you"

71

They were calling hi in white because of the snow-laden seas through which his longboats had plunged Or they said it had turned white after the winter sea had chewed on hih and spat hiic had barely saved hih stor in white since he’d used Curoch--long before this mad winter--and he’d explained that to the soldiers and sailors who’d begun to follow hi, and Solon was heading back to Queen Wariya destroyed her ene her life, and she had told hi her voice, that the price for her hand was cleansing the isles of the rebellion he had started by killing Oshobi Takeda Kaede didn’t like being weak, didn’t like needing anyone, but her temper always cooled in time At least, it used to

Everyone had expected Solon to wait for spring and take an arun at once, alone In a canoe, he’d paddled the eighteen ive a dozen tih the winter Surrender, swear fealty to the queen, and give hts and take those who surrender as slaves

Gulon Takeda had laughed at hihteen of his soldiers Solon had returned with twenty-four awed soldiers in a longboat He had delivered them to the new Mikaidon and slept in a dockside tavern, not seeking so one out to his canoe, a score of the craziest sailors he’d ever ainst the Takedas volunteered to join him

Soon, storms battered them every tirew by necessity But Sethi winter storht every day Several times, the Takedas who had faced them were so stunned that anyone should be able tothey had surrendered on the spot And when Solon returned to Hokkai yet again, victorious yet again, he found the Takeda soldiers he’d conscripted were a fully trusted part of the Sethi army, oddly proud to have been defeated by the Stormrider

Noas done The Takedas’ home island, Horai, hadn’t expected an army for at least another six weeks The leaders were totally unprepared, and having alood Before the Takeda aric-enhanced voice had offered generous ter The rebellion was crushed and nearly all the dead were Takedas

With the first day of spring, the first day clear enough that thefor the first spring runs, checking for da orders at men rusty from months spent ashore, Solon’s little fleet sailed into Hokkai harbor

They were greeted as heroes, and the crazy sailors who had joined Solon first were now soldiers in truth Sailors dropped their gear to greet the, and the shorebound traders and vintners streareet them The flood carried them to the castle, and Solon’s heart thudded with fear and expectation Kaede, please, lory as an insult Without you, it all ht hi sun Kaede stood on the dais where months before she had alika and a platinum tiara with sapphires She raised her hands and the men and women quieted "How fare the isles, Stormrider?"