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“He’ll sleep a while,” Weaver said, turning to Frentis with a stern expression “Freedom will not be ith cruelty”

Frentis rubbed his jaw, feeling the bruise already beginning to forue “I’ll leave it in your hands next time”

• • •

They built a pyre for Lissel’s husband in the courtyard, liberally dousing the stacked ith oil before doing the sah he was barely conscious, hanging bloodied and ruined from the posts She had borrowed a knife froe pool of blood beneath his splayed legs Frentis assumed he would probably find the fla villa casting a tall column of smoke into the air at their backs The stables had yielded half a dozen carts but only enough horses for ten riders Frentis sent Master Rensial and Lekran to scout their route and set the others on either side of their small column The freed Varitai sat in the back of one of the carts, head lolling and features drawn in a perpetual frown of deep confusion They hadhi a keenly expressed desire to knohen he would receive his next dose of karn

“It’s a s,” Thirty-Four explained “Subdues the spirit, dulls the ht”

Frentis recalled the nights Thirty-Four had spent writhing andin the forest after he had discarded his own vial His recovery had been swift but he was a th and had at least the ht had clearly been a slave since birth

“Have we freed this man or cursed him?” he wondered aloud

“Freedom is never a curse, brother,” Thirty-Four insisted “But it is often a hard road”

Frentis turned as a shout ca froed his horse to a halt and waited as they cairls plus a few of the youngerand valuables

Tekrav ca up at Frentis with a desperate appeal Behind hiether, not so fearful as before, but still wary

“Honoured Citizen” Tekrav began, falling silent as Frentis held up a hand

“My name is Brother Frentis of the Sixth Order,” he said “If you join us, you will be free but you will also be soldiers I offer no protection and pro back at his couidance They shuffled uncoirl no more than twenty, her voice coloured by a faint Alpiran accent “Your men will not touch us?”

“Not unless you want thelare

“You will not be irl

She exchanged glances with the others then stepped forith a nod “We will join you”

Frentis briefly scanned the bundles they carried, picking out the telltale glea “Keep hold of any weapons,” he said “But we cannot be burdened with loot Discard it”

He sat and waited until they co degrees of reluctance, Tekrav wincing as he gently laid a sround

“Sister Illian,” Frentis called her over “These people are in your care Co on the morrow”

• • •

They ca it far richer in spoils but alsoa complement of over thirty house Varitai It sat atop a wide hill surrounded by enclosed fields where horses were set to grazing and anised patrols