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Martin brought back the arrow and loosed it The kishion saw thearound the saddle horn the other way, lurching away as the arrow sank into the horse’s neck There was a shriek, a spurt of blood, and then the horse went down Martin sloshed through the sater, drawing another arrow

The kishion eed and he sailed the arrow at the killer Kishion were hired for two purposes To protect or to kill So quick, the kishion spun aside and the arrow sank into the tree behind hier appeared in the kishion’s hand and it was Martin’s turn to throw hilared at each other, circling, drawn closer There was no taunting--no attempt to persuade or deny There was only the iladius and a dagger He poked the air in front of hi them He ed and lunged at hiht for Martin’s throat Their bodies locked for a mo the other way, eyes locked on each other Martin’s teeth were clenched tight, revealing a sickening half-grin Again the kishion charged hi towards Martin’s eyes Their arainst each other Then they were separated again There was blood bloo hard

"You…you trained…arin becamehis strength Maybe he realized he was already a dead man He struck at Martin one last time and then he was subdued, ar froony of the hold Martin then encircled his arm around the kishion’s neck and dropped him like a stone into the ed Martin clenched and squeezed, burying his weight into thehiled for breath A fewviolent and desperate, but Martin shrugged harder, squeezing and holding hile ended He waited longer to be sure, not trusting his instincts Then he released the dead ladius He cleaned it and sheathed it and only then noticed the Prince watching hiruffly "It was foolish to ride back, my Prince What if I had lost? A kishion can kill even a maston"

The Prince stared at the corpse, his face in anguish Martin scowled He had killed many men in war and hired killers were no one to feel sympathy for "Ride on, my Prince I will search the body for clues as to the one who hired him"

The Prince stared in silence and shook his head "I am not squeamish, Martin It is just what I saw as you drowned hi drowned by a kishion"

Martin looked around in confusion "He was certainly a ht," he said, his voice thick with emotion "If I asked it of you If the woirl in a dressing gown The kishion tried to drown her" He trehted on the collar of the kishion to hoist him out of the mucky waters The corpse was limp and soaked

"Leave him," the Prince said "We both knoho sent hi you are visiting Comoros to treat with?" Martin said waspishly "By Cheshu, even with a safe conduct granted, he would try anddid not send the kishion It was his wife"

"The wife? You say it is her? Sheif you suspect her and not her lord"

"There are things I know through thesuspected this There are stories that the kings of Dahootiate treaties They are notable for their subtlety There are reasons I cannot explain to you further"

Martin sighed and let the corpse fall with a splash Hein its scabbard and fished his blade out of the murk and sheathed it in his belt "We ride to Muirwood then?"

A curious look and a subtle shake of his head came as the reply "The orb bids ht in this accursed swamp"