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And touched her flaht and dancing

Bronwen picked up a branch of her own, a long log burning in the fire "The Vanora will fly"

She withdrew the wood and stalked to the next clan’s hearth, where she plunged that kernel of the sacred fire into their pit Again the light flared, just as Bronwen declared, loud and clear as the breaking day around them, "Your queen summons you to war The Vanora fly with her Will you?"

The hearth leader only said, "The Redbriar will fly," and ignited her own torch before hurrying to the next clan’s fire

Hearth to hearth Until all seven in the canited the fire

Then, and only then, did the young scout frorab her broom, and leap into the skies To find the next clan, to tell theone out

Manon and the Thirteen, the Crochans around the speck against the sky, then nothing at all

Manon offered a silent prayer on the wind that the sacred fla, dangerousfields of Terrasen

Hearth to hearth, the Flast the trees of tangled forests, hiding fro, bitterly cold nights where the wind howled as it tried to wipe out any trace of that flaainst the flame of the queen

So hearth to hearth, it went

To re-faced woh

Not to signal them, but the feomen who did not run Who walked toward the flame, the rider, as she called out, "Your queen summons you to war Will you fly?"

Trunks hidden in attics were thrown open Folded swaths of red cloth pulled from within Brooms left in closets, beside doorways, tucked under beds, were brought out, bound in gold or silver or twine

And swords--ancient and beautiful--were drawn from beneath floorboards, or hauled down froht and fresh as the day they had been forged in a city now lying in ruin

Witches, the townsfolk whispered, husbands wide-eyed and disbelieving as the wost us all this tione fully dark blazed in answer Always one rider going out, to find the next hearth, the next bastion of their people

Witches, here a tide of witches, who took to the skies in their red cloaks, swords strapped to their backs, broo years of dust with each mile northward

Witches who bade their fa no explanation before they kissed their sleeping babes and vanished into the starry night

Mile afterworld, the call went out, ceaseless and unending as the eternal flame that passed from hearth to hearth

"Fly, fly, fly!" they shouted "To the queen! To war!"

Far and wide, through snow and storm and peril, the Crochans flew

CHAPTER 66

Aelin awoke to the scent of pine and snow, and knew she was home

Not in Terrasen, not yet, but in the sense she would always be hoht ear, the sound of the well and truly asleep, and the arht Silvery light glazed the ancient stones of the ceiling

Morning--or a cloudy day The halls beyond the rooh, piece by piece, as if she were asseht reveal the world beyond

Apparently, it had been three days since the battle And the rest of the khagan’s army, led by Prince Kashin, his third-eldest son, had arrived

It was that tidbit that had her rising fully to consciousness, a hand sliding to Rowan’s arm A caress of a touch, just to see how deeply the rejuvenating sleep held hierous, vulnerable tiic-wielder, when their bodies de so much power