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"What is this?" Varg said

"It is what it is," Tavi replied "Two Canim just atte as your ers One wore the armor of a Narashan warrior The other wore the equip's ears swiveled forward and locked into position For a Cane, it was an expression of polite interest, but the stillness of the rest of Varg's body amounted to the equivalent of an expressionless hts away

"Where are they?" Varg asked

Tavi felt himself tense at the question but forced his body to re's throat ru pass unchallenged," Tavi replied

"No," Varg said "You cannot"

"I would face the Cane responsible"

Varg's eyes narrowed Several seconds of silence passed before he spoke "Then you would face me I lead my people I aht you'd say that"

Nasaug let out a low, ru over his shoulder

Nasaug subsided

Varg turned back to Tavi "Where and when"

"Our forces h to prepare such a thing?"

"In addition to what is already under way?" Varg asked "No"

"Then ill le blade, open field, until one falls"

"Agreed," Varg said

The two exchanged another barely detectable bow Tavi took several slow steps back, never turning his eyes froesture with one hand to his companions, and started back the way he had co the Canim Hundreds, if not thousands, of theh theCanish was never a friendly, soothing sound, Tavi ilier than any he had heard before He walked through the crowd of towering wolf-folk, his eyes focused ahead of him, his expression set in a clenched-jaw snarl He was peripherally aware of Kitai at his side, of Max, Crassus, and Schultz at his back They were all walking in tiround at the same time - even Kitai, for once

The Canie e of the camp, led by half a dozen ritualists in their mantles of pale human leather He tracked it from the corner of his eye but did not alter their pace If the Aleran party appeared to the Canier an attack - and no ht be, they were only a handful of people, and there were hundreds of Canim around theh the broken gates and past the two guards there, both of ere on their feet again and looking surly Neither h, and the ritualist-led h and started back up the hill It wasn't until they were out of range of a Caniin to relax

"Bloody crows," breathed Schultz, froreed Max "Did you see that group with the ritualists? They'd have jumped on us in a heartbeat"

"Aye," Crassus said "That would have gotten ugly"

"Which is why the captain broke the gates on the way in," Kitai said "Obviously"

"I've never regrettedsure I had a quick way out," Tavi said "Centurion"

"Sir," Schultz said

Tavi nodded to the legionares on duty at the gate to the First Aleran's cah "I want you to speak to your Tribune Let him know that I want the Battlecrows for detached duty That's all he needs to know"