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She had Al Hestian send the North Guard ahead to Urvesk with orders to make themselves as conspicuous as possible The Nilsaelin cavalry were divided into companies and dispatched north and south with the h Lyrna fully expected their talent for looting to be given free rein They had been cautioned to spare the free populace where possible and send them east with a full appreciation of their queen’s intent Accordingly, as they marched away from the temple and the dusty plain into the verdant hill country beyond, the horizon on either side wasfrom villas burned in the Nilsaelins’ wake Froion had been told not to flee since the invaders would soon be crushed by the Empress’s invincible forces

By the fifth day many companies had returned, so a collection of freed slaves, soon growing todays Lyrnaasand prone to addressing her as “Honoured Mistress” Their older brethren were apparently too steeped in lifelong fear to accept this new queen’s offer of freedom

“Sohness,” a baffled Nilsaelin captain told her “A few even tried to fight us”

She had Nortah take charge of their new recruits, with Wisdom’s assistance since the Lord Marshal spoke no Volarian “It’ll take months to turn this lot into soldiers,” he told her as she toured hiscamp They had paused in a broad valley tenup residence in a plush villa the Nilsaelins had been thoughtful enough to spare for her cohters before, my lord,” she pointed out

“They had only been in chains for a few days, weeks at h to overcoestured at the recruits labouring under the tutelage of sergeants fro for a lack of shared language with volue”

“I’ht too,” Lyrna said “When sufficiently roused Keep at it my lord We move on in three days”

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The city of Urvesk lay close to a fork in the river that ran alongside the road, birthing a s her vaguely of Alltor with its high walls; however, the siaps, and the sprawl of e of the river The price of stability is unpreparedness, she decided as Lord Adal galloped towards her

“The place grows less populous by the day, Highness,” the North Guard co north or east in a steady strean of any soldiery beyond some sentries on the walls, perhaps two hundred at hness, I” He hesitated, a keen entreaty in his eyes “I had hoped to lead the assault”

What is this reatly valued hi one of the few true professionals in the arrew ever more concerned over his desire to place himself in peril Accounts from the battle of the teh he contrived to ee from it all without a scratch “There will be no assault, e for Volar”

She turned Jet and cantered to where the prisoners had been arrayed, just over a thousand grey-facedshackled in four loosely ordered ranks “Are there any officers here native to this city?” she called in Volarian

They shuffled in fearful silence,to raise their heads, one boy near the front weeping openly

“Speak up, you filth!” Iltis barked in Real clear with a vicious crack of the overseer’s whip he had secured froed face in the third rank slowly raised a hand and was soon dragged fro by Iltis

“You are an officer?” Lyrna asked the prisoner as Iltis forced him to his knees before her

“A captain,” he said in a wheezy voice The bandage on his face covered his right eye, dark with dried blood, his co closer to death with every step “Called frolorious war of defence” He gave a bitter laugh and Lyrna divined he fully expected to die in the next few moments

“Get up,” she told hiuided Jet closer as the one-eyed captain stared up at her in baffle of the blood that seeped froo ho to Urvesk “And tell whoever holds charge of this city that your comrades here will be freed, for I do not cohter, but justice In return the city will release every slave in bondage and open its gates to me If they do not, I will kill ten prisoners every hour until they do If reason still does not prevail, they will find theh their ragged walls”