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Lia nodded, thinking about the predicament In her mind, the Dochte Mandar were the minions of the hetaera They painted themselves and others with tattoos to hide the kystrel’s curse Instead of it being a mark to separate themselves fro to e The notion repulsed her, but she realized that not having a tattoo wouldthe in mastons, she would need to be very cautious as to who she could trust She believed that with the Cruciger orb’s help, she could find her way to Colvin, Ellowyn, and Martin However, it was only afor histhere As they walked, she looked backwards constantly towards the forest, hoping to catch a sign of riders with enough ti towards the shore "The tide is gone now Thou wilt get wet as we pass to the Abbey"

They changed direction and followed into the wetlands which were spongy and soft and little bubbles appeared all along the sandy shore Tall boulders looe to the horizon The air slided overhead The as slow going because of the shifting sand and they left a trail of pockmarks that slowly filled in and vanished It would be difficult tracking someone in the sandy muck At times the water was up to the cuffs of their boots, but it was always low enough to keep trudging and would disappear entirely as they reached little cusps of land The as long and tedious, and Lia’s heart vexed her with anticipation Each step brought her closer to him Her stomach fluttered with nervousness

"There," Jouvent said, pointing "Dochte Abbey"

At first it looked like a boulder, but then she noticed the slender silver spike rising from the center of it As they walked, the boulder beca she had not when seeing it froht was an Abbey built on top of a hill in the midst of the ocean The ocean had receded all around it, exposing the land and sea grass The side facing the from the hilltop, but row after row of houses, walls, battlements, and turrets further down From the rear she had seen forested slopes and cliffs As they approached, she could see an entire village had grown up around the loalls of the Abbey and it was thick and crowded and tee with chi some small parks or woods, but the majority of the face was built up and defended The Abbey was taller than a castle, rand than any structure she had ever beheld How had soe and beautiful been crafted by men?

"She is a beauty," Jouvent said with a proud smile "That is our Abbey The finest o, she and Colvin had followed Maderos up the Tor which overlooked Muirwood far below The cliled for breath She re her, quite cryptically, that there would be other mountains she would climb To find Tintern Abbey, she and Colvin had climbed a mountain in Pry-Ree To reach Colvin, she would climb another one A wave of emotions smothered her suddenly and she choked afro the wetlands towards the great Abbey "It is still safe to cross now Best be there before supper, or the sea will trap thee inside The inns will cheat thee Iwalk, but thou walkest well"

Three dark dots appeared in the shi sand ahead and she realized it was three travelers leaving the Abbey for the nized the black cloaks and cassocks riding dark steeds

Jouvent hissed through his teeth "Dochte Mandar"

There was no place to hide The broad expanse of sand and seagrass left nothing for shelter or to not be seen Lia gritted her teeth as they approached at a caled her cloak tightly about her, trying to conceal her gladius the best she could

The Dochte Mandar wore black hite ruffs about their necks The cassocks were black velvet and designed with silver trier’s henche their belts and saddle harnesses Swords were fastened to their belts, each with a large ruby set into a silver hilt Their faces were uised their features and drew in her eyes