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Astorek frowned, shaking his head in bafflement “Ally?”

• • •

“And it lives in thisbeyond place? A place beyond death?”

Vaelin struggled to for the concept of the Beyond to so difficult Also, unlike the people who had adopted hireen fire that continued to flicker in the night sky, though its light was now just a dilow on the northern horizon “One of nature’s un the ether in loose affiliation andsouth without particular order or ceremony save brief, intimate farewells to fa south nor staying on the tundra Vaelin watched as a group of people gathered on the shoreline, e each with his or her own canoe carrying only a s theer folk he took to be the elder’s children or grandchildren: a knife, a necklace, a spear They all accepted the gifts in silent respect, the youngest sniffling as the old man climbed alone into his canoe and pushed away fro off towards the north without a backward glance His will, Vaelin thought

Later he joined Astorek at the head of the ar Scar at a walk as the shaman sent his wolves ahead to scout their line of march

“I realise it may be hard to credit,” Vaelin said “But I have been there, and heard his voice Much as I would like to diser for our destruction is all too real”

“I thought you had to die to gain entry to the Beyond”

Vaelin turned his gaze to the horizon Talking of what had happened at Alltor was never easy, perhaps because so“You do”

“Then how do you co with Cara as their cats rolled together in a play fight a short way off “I have always been greatly fortunate in ht of theaway south for as far as they could see The valleys seeranite, painted a pale blue in the haze Off to the east a dilow could be seen beneath a low bank of dark cloud “Fire o there”

“Do your people trade with thee?”

“They speak Volarian, of a sort Difficult to make out for the less-attuned ear And no, there is no trade between us They keep to their hills fighting their endless feuds, or the Volarians when they co across the tundra” Astorek glanced up at the ever-present swirl of spear-hawks as a group separated from the main flock to fly towards the hills “Mother arn of any who co as they crested the foothills, the heights ahead free of any sign their way ht be barred “My people would do the same,” Alturk said, eyes narrowed as he scanned the silent hills “Allow us to enter, ine ourselves safe then attack in the night”