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“How so,Count Marven stiffen Of all her captains, he seereatest en she assumed had been born of their time in the desert war

“The obvious line of march should always be avoided,” Al Hestian said “The road will be patrolled, policed Word of our position will be conveyed to Volar within days If we are to send forces north, they should only be diversionary”

“Whilst we continue toin mud,” Count Marven said

“No rain can last forever, Dark-born or no And if we can’t h it, neither can the enemy”

“Time is the true enemy,” Lyrna said “Every day of inactivity allows the Ehtened and nodded at Count Marven “Battle Lord, issue orders to change the ar My lords, to your duties”

• • •

Alornis was drawing again when she returned to her tent, the charcoal stubwith feverish industry across the parch the day she would tinker with the cart- a word, but at night she would draw It was only when she worked that her face took on some animation, tense with concentration and eyes lit with s, Lyrna divined they wereas they flailed in a store of expertly rendered horror produced in a nightly ritual of self-flagellation

“Did she eat so off her rain-soaked cloak

“A little porridge only, Highness Though Davoka had to practically force it on her”

She went and sat by Alornis for a ti her presence with a barely perceptible nod, her charcoal continuing to move without interruption Lyrna took some heart from the fact that this sketch differed froe, a portrait of some kind Alornis set out the basic shape of the face with a few expertly placed lines then began to detail the eyes, dark eyes, narrowed in judgement and reproach, eyes she kneell

“Your brother loves you,” she told Alornis, reaching out to still her hand, feeling it tremble

Alornis didn’t look at her, eyes still fixed on the picture “It’s my father,” she whispered “They had the saht, he still sees me It could be that he loves me more now, for we are the same are we not? He too once killed thousands by fire Soot older and the sickness caiveness”

Lyrna resisted the impulse to shake her, slap her, try to force a return of the bright, sweet girl she hadinto her confused eyes she knew that girl had gone, consu draught,the charcoal fro tomorrow, you need your sleep”

• • •

Theya little by the third day, though the going was scarcely any better to the north Brother Kehlan reported nu out on the uardsht on by constant ie Soon alrey-faced soldiers, their feet bound in bandages wrapped in canvas to keep the rain off So it ith considerable relief that they first set foot on the road, a truly remarkable example of human construction that shamed the dirt tracks typical in the Realentle curve to the road’s surface that allowed the rain to flow off to the sides You would have scraped the treasury clean to cover the Realm in such wonders

“Should do thirty miles or rin, sta a boot to the brick surface “More when the rain lifts”

“Be sure to scout all approaches,” Lyrna said She was reluctant to tell her Battle Lord his business but Al Hestian’s counsel had instilled a lingering caution They were certain tothis road; the only question was in what strength