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AS SOON AS Aaron disappeared, the rest of the Masters began herding the re apprentices into rows of lines, with the Iron Years at the center and the older students toward the outside Ta everyone else rush around Call wondered if she was feeling the sa the Makar everyone was looking for had see, and now Aaron, their friend Aaron, was the one Call looked back tohere the wolves had been before Aaron had sent then of thee paws in the snow The ht, as if each print had been made with fire and still kept so s shadow He scowled, trying to see better, but there were no one or never been there He shuddered, re he had felt brush by hi to Drew Recent events had ining things

Master Milagros detached herself fro approxi order, and walked over to Tamara and Call, her expression kind "We need to start back now It’s unlikely that there are more Chaos-ridden out there, but we can’t be sure It’s best if we hurry"

Ta an trudging through the snow Joining the other Iron Year apprentices at the group’s center, they began the trek back to the Magisterium The Masters had taken up posts around the very outside of the group, their glowing orbs casting shards of light through the dawn Celia, Gwenda, and Jasper alking along with Rafe and Kai Jasper had placed his fur-lined coat over Drehen he was lying on the ground, an uncharacteristically nice gesture on his part, and one that had left hi air

"Did Drew say why he left?" Celia asked Call "You were down there with hiot there What did he say to you?"

Call shook his head He wasn’t sure if it was a secret

"You can tell us," said Celia "We won’t laugh at hilanced at Jasper and raised her eyebrows "Most of us won’t, anyway"

Jasper cut his eyes toward Tah Jasper was alood friends Tamara and Jasper had been at the Iron Trial, Call felt bad for hiht of the ti to make a flame spark, and the way Jasper had snapped at hi away like Drew had

He reisteriu bad

"He told me that Master Lemuel was too hard on him," Call said "That he perfor to scare hi to all of us -- juto be ht," said Call, thinking of Drew’s bitten nails and haunted eyes "Drew ran away for no reason I h the snow by packs of Chaos-ridden wolves if they got the chance?"

"Maybe you didn’t kno bad it was, Rafe," said Ta troubled "Since Master Le," Rafe insisted

"He said that Master Lemuel wouldn’t let him eat," Call told them "And he does look skinnier"

"What?" Rafe demanded "That didn’t happen You saw him in the Refectory with the rest of us And anyway, Drew never told ed "Maybe he didn’t think you’d believe hiht"

"I wouldn’t -- I don’t --" Rafe glanced around at the others, but they looked away uncomfortably

"Master Lemuel isn’t nice," Gwenda said "Maybe Drew didn’t think he had any choice but running away"

"That’s not how Masters are supposed to act," Celia said "He should have told Master North Or someone"