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“No” Wise Bear lifted his staff to point at the swirling lights in the sky “Nothing truly ends There stories live forever”

He looked over his shoulder as Iron Claw gave a lol, rising to sniff the air

“Many co to his feet “War party Keep hands ereat birds descending froh to h stories from Dahrena to appreciate the birds’ deadly power but was still surprised by their size, judging each to have a wingspan of at least seven feet, their beaks as long as spear-points and, he noticed, steel barbs glittering on their talons

“One sha enough They see and he sees” The sha note of foreboding colouring his tone “Few strong enough to bind so many”

The black dots appeared on the horizonin number until Vaelin counted over fifty The dots resolved into loping figures as they carace over the ice On nearing, their tight group split apart and formed a near-perfect circle with Wise Bear and Vaelin at the centre They sat regarding them both with placid indifference, all uniforer than any wolf Vaelin had seen, save one

More dots soon appeared on the horizon, ht was so unfa, tea behind As they ca sleds, each carrying three men, all armed with spears and flat bows si the sleds were s the at each other as the sleds came to a halt Vaelin quickly counted heads as the men on the sleds dismounted; over a hundred, less than their own company, but this was their ice and they had wolves and hawks

The sled-borne warriors spread out to form a second circle outside that fashioned by the wolves, two figures striding forward to approach Vaelin and Wise Bear One was of similar proportions to the other ice people Vaelin had met, little over five feet tall and stocky of build But the second figure stood at least as tall as Vaelin, broad at the shoulder but with a rangy, athletic look

“You know them?” Vaelin asked Wise Bear

The shaman shook his head, his expression now more tense even than when they had confronted No Eyes “Trade with Wolf People soures halted a short distance away, reaching up to pull away the fur that covered their faces The shorter of the tas revealed as a woh cheekbones and broad features coarded Wise Bear with an expression of obvious recognition, even respect, though her bearing was no less tense Vaelin noted she carried a bone of her own, shorter than Wise Bear’s but siure at her side reno vestige of any ice-folk heritage Vaelin’s unease deepened as he took note of the : pale skin, eyes and hair dark to the point of blackness, likein her own language, addressing Wise Bear who replied with a nod and a feords of his own “Shareets shaaze turned to Vaelin, her eyes tracking hireeted Vaelin with a cautious s a sense of youthful disco “My ue, the vowels clipped and heavily accented but still easily understood

“Your aze switched between the two of the s, shamaness to the Wolf People of the Tree Isles I a Knife by consent of the people”

“Really?” Vaelin stared at hi man held his arms loose at his sides He wore no weapon but Vaelin was certain he had at least one knife under his furs and kneell how to use it He also noted a sudden alertness in the surrounding wolves, their heads rising as if in answer to an unheard call

“Yourmother is not the only shaman here,” Vaelin said “She coritted his teeth and forced a smile “Yes And we ask your name”

“I’ll hear yours first, Volarian Your true naed to kill far too ive trust so easily”

The wolves rose fro fro in iain, a terse feords but evidently enough tooncebreath “My birth name is Astorek Anvir,” he said “And I ask your name”

“Vaelin Al Sorna, Tower Lord of the Northern Reaches by the Queen’s Word”