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She approached the Alderretted it instantly The Alderard at his desk, his eyes red with veins and swollen with lack of sleep His left hand tree and the strain he had endured He was talking to Garen Demont, her uncle

"I am sorry," she offered as their heads turned towards her

"Is so the matter, Lia?" the Alder you," she said, nodding respectfully at Demont Her eyes blazed as she stared at the Aldermaston "I must speak with you"

"Co the flush on her cheeks and the brooding anger in her eyes "Shut the door Have you er than the Aldermaston, but he was much older than Lia He was not excessively tall, but he was fit and trim for a man nearly fifty He had survived the battle of Maseve as a young s in turn But he had returned at last to challenge the king for his faht and defeated him at the battle of Winterrowd Lia had been there and recalled seeing hi of the battle, all blood-spattered and filthy as he announced their victory in a humble manner She had not seen him since then until he had arrived at Muirwood to defeat their eneh the Apse Veil, the barrier within each Abbey that allowed someone to pass from one location to another

His hair was dark and unruly Afrom a scuffed leather belt at his hip He did not have a beard, though the bristles had reforain He looked at her curiously and bowed his head towards her

"We have, Alderave her a sy from your injuries?"

Her heart burned inside of her He was the only family she had left He was her uncle, in blood, and he did not know it She started to tremble

"What is it you wanted to tell lanced at hi his eyebrows fold with intensity He sat back in his chair, wincing with pain as hetowards Deave her a shrewd smile "Please do"

Her heart throbbed in her chest What would Dean to speak, her mouth would not open The force of the Mediu Even breathing was difficult Her mind whirled

"Lia?" the Aldere in his eyes He knew exactly as happening to her Was he doing it to her? Or was the Mediu?

She shook her head violently, feeling tears prick her eyes The thought of soue "Do you have…any word fro her "Not directly But we do have word of him and of my niece" He looked at the Alder of Dahois, into his custody He has informed us that he will keep es at Dochte Abbey until we relent" His face hardened with anger "Our attempts to…contact…the earl have all been thwarted If the news you brought fro and it will strike soon, then we ree that we ," the Alderh exploded froain his composure He sla his breath roughly "But releasing the Queen Dowager will do ood It is a ploy If what your allies in Hautland have said is true, there is an invasion arotiations are an attempt to distract us froe in the kingdom We must forsake these shores before it is too late"

De then that can halt the Blight?"

The reply cam "Certainly there is We must abandon all pride Share our food with the poor We must act, in a word, with one heart and one mind But as you well know that has not happened since the days of King Zedakah Too many mastons have been killed Too many Abbeys have fallen How does one stop a rockslide, ulfs us Lia can guide us to the safe haven in Pry-Ree There is an Abbey there They know the way"