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"It is crucial that she has the orb when she is older," the Prince said, looking deep in his eyes "She must have the orb Only an Aldermaston can command it, or one of my blood She will need it to find her way to safety Without it, she will fail in her mission I trust you, Nuric I trust you to deliver her and the orb safely to Muirwood"

"I will, my lord," he promised "I will do as you have commanded me"

The Prince’s hand was still clenched around the basket "Be faithful to me, Nuric You must do all that I commanded you If you fail, then we have no hope"

"I will not fail you, my Prince," he promised soberly

"Go then Take the secret tunnel so that no one sees you The household is ’s ar There is little tiuide you past the arainst his chest The Prince reached down and hoisted the trapdoor, exposing the ladder below With a cautious step, Nuric ed his way down into the darkness He looked up once, his eyesthe Prince’s He nodded firmly The Prince closed it and kicked the rushes back into place

The ache in his heart deepened A wretched – his daughter, the princess of Pry-Ree, soon to be the only heir of the kingdom – she was only a wretched now

Prince Alluwyn reined in his stallion as they approached the turn that would lead to the river shallows The path was obscured by enor redwoods that reathed inand cackle of birds and insects filled the air with chatter Four Evnissyen flanked hi keenly into the mist

"Do you hear the river?" said Braide "We should hear it by now"

"Too far," lanced back into the woods the way they had co

The Prince noticed the tightness of his jaw The brooding expression He had the sullen look of a guilty man He would not meet the Prince’s eyes

"After they cross the river," the Prince asked, "How long can we hold them in these woods?"

Braide sniffed the air "Two days at ued Kent "We could hold theht if we had a ed, but did not change his answer

"A fortnight," Kent continued "This is unfa us to strike their flanks, which we shall If we harass the, we can twist and pull their ar hard and fast, can convince an eneet," said the Prince, "that our ene them They know our tricks They know our tactics In a matter of force, we cannot prevail We can only forstall the to concede the point "Where is Ca," Braide said, tightening his grip on the reins and nudging his stallion forward

The sound of galloping was heard aseveral keening into the wind as they fleay Around the bend came an Evnissyen, hunched low over the saddle His face was streaked with sweat, his eyes ith terror

"Ambush!" he shouted when he saw the from the meat of his massive arasped "They have already crossed the river They aiting for hts, if not ht h"

His hands were bloody Campion looked backwards at the road "They ride hard behind me We will be hard pressed to make it back to the castle Ride, my lord!"

"Crossed the river!" Kent seethed "No one knows of the shallows here No one save one of us How could they have found it?"

"Ride to the castle," the Prince ordered, his heart beginning to shudder with anticipation His breath caulps "Ride hard while you can They will be without the walls byThe women and children, make sure they are…"

The arrow struck hi, a hot fire that stole his breath and s were useless, seized up in a fit of agony They would not respond