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“I’ll fight in a bog,” Er Darnel within reach of hts, htly and they’ll follow you to the Beyond and back if you command it”
“I don’t doubt their teh wars to learn the lesson that a charging wall of steel cannot win every battle And supposing we do th is still besieging Alltor And when they’re finished, where do you suppose they’ll ather,” Sollis said, “Fief Lord Mustor has held out far longer than expected Winter will be closing in by the ti enough for us to entrench, gather strength from Nilsael and the Reaches”
At mention of the Reaches Banders turned to one of his captains, a veteran knight in white-enamelled ar ride to Meanshall,” the knight replied “And a longer voyage to the Reaches Our o”
“I had hoped he’d be on the move by now,” Banders mused and Frentis had no need to hear the name in the forefront of his mind
“He is,” he said “I know it” He looked at Brother Sollis who replied with a nod “And having Varinshold in our hands by the time he arrives will make our task much easier”
“You ask me to risk much on the basis of faith alone, brother,” Banders replied
“Faith,” Frentis replied, “is my business, my lord”
• • •
The baron’s army ell supplied with horses, hts who had sided with Darnel They were all stallions, impressively tall at the shoulder with the restlessness of horses bred to the charge Master Rensial wandered the tely unaware of their snorts and whinnies as he played his hands over flanks and neck, his expression the concentrated stare of the expert
“Not so” Davoka fuo about his work “Ara-kah the surety hich Master Rensial moved “Not so mad when he’s with horses I know”
“He looks on you and sees a son,” Davoka said “You know this too?”
“He sees s Most of which are not there”
The rey to Frentis and a broad black charger to Davoka “Too big,” she said, reat horse sniffed her “No ponies here?”
“No,” Master Rensial told her siet used to hirey’s nose “Wonder what name you’ll earn”
“Merim Her,” Davoka muttered in derision “People are named Horses used and eaten”
They rode south atahead with his brothers, the knights and retainers following in a tight column At the baron’s order, every man was armoured and ready for battle The peasant rebels followed behind on foot,men with little arrim uniformity to their expression that Frentis kneell, the faces of the wronged and the angry From the stories Ivern had told him of the brother’s journey from the Pass it was clear that, shorn of the Crown’s authority, Darnel had lost little tirievances,on the common folk orked the lands of his enemies Frentis’s company, fehouard, strung out in a loose for