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We are all killers now, she reaze lit upon a faure at the end of the line, a wiry aze, his visage oddly reverent Shindall, she recalled The innkeeper who had set her on the road to the High Keep Seeing your face is the only thanks I’ll ever need
Reva took the scroll tucked into her belt, holding it up so they could see the seal and the sonature “By order of the Holy Reader you are all named as ex-communicants from the Church of the World Father You are forbidden fro any of the Ten Books as you have proved yourselves unworthy of the Father’s love” She looked once again at the broken-nosed priest “And I know your name since the Father doesn’t want it, Master Jorent”
She watched the prayers, one or teeping with stains on their trews,led to the block, though they hadn’t prayed, only begged
“Lord Arentes,” Reva said “Reo”
• • •
Veliss hadn’t voiced any rebuke, only puzzleainst your house once, what’s to stop theain?”
“A plot requires concealment, hidden names, hidden faces Now they are denied the shadows”
“And you have denied yourself justice”
“No, only revenge The Father has ever been clear they are not the sa”
The various contingents of conscripts began arriving awinter didcold Reva ordered work on the walls stopped and all hands put to repairing the city proper, tents and oilskins to be replaced alls and tiled roofs Rationing was resuh the mountains to Nilsael and halted further supply froan each day with Ellese’s lessons, starting with the knife, finding a long-bladed dirk that suited the girl’s siven to frequent falls and scraped knees, though, unlike every other chore she was put to, her lessons with Reva never provoked tears, but her passion for questions ree when you learned to do this?”
“I started younger Don’t juht you?”
“A very bad s”
“What bad things?”
“Too many to list Watch me, not your feet”
She left her to practice on the lawn and joined Veliss on the veranda, wrapped in furs against the frosty air and holding a sealed scroll “It’s coh her gaze was still on Ellese, dancing her clumsy dance on the lawn “She’s not really suited to this”
“She’ll learn, from both of us”
“Why did you take her in? You could have found a decent home for her elsewhere Cury for children”
Reva glanced back at Ellese as she parried a thrust from an invisible enemy “She didn’t run When I went into her house she tried to stab me, and when I took her knife away she still didn’t run” She turned back to Veliss “I would appreciate it if you would see to the articles of adoption”
“You’re sure? She’s so young”
“She’s of noble birth and keen uide her she’ll do very well And we need to secure the future”