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Lia glanced at Colvin, saw the anger flaring in his eyes She did not kno much he had overheard

"If anyone deserves to be scolded, it is you," she said, rising to her feet "You slept through your watch In a war, you would be flogged, I believe Instead, I ithhold your rations Enjoy the shrewberries, my lord When you have a duty, you must fulfill it Or you will ride alone after this"

She said it pointedly, wanting him to question whether or not she was sincere, but inside she did worry how ht is not to be feared It is only ain the world Where weeds are soeeds grow We are ether than separately If you are forced to be in a crowd, then most of all you should withdraw into yourself"

- Gideon Peneance of Pry-Ree

There was no way around the bog, so they went through it The horses struggled against the h the fetid waters rising up to their flanks Swarnats and mosquitoes tor in low tones behind her The oak trees were sickly and stunted, the branches black instead of brown There was a new suely familiar The further they went, the ent – and then it revealed itself They were near the sea

Dieyre’s voice rose in tone "But you are a man as well as a maston Best if you realize that so through the ht up with Lia Her eyes were trained on the expanse ahead of the knot of oaks so thick that rose on some chain of hillocks that would hopefully lift them out of the deep wetlands

His voice was thick with suppressed anger "If I asked you, would you shoot hilanced over her shoulder, s "Are we that close to murder? Maybe I could shoot his horse instead What is he troubling you about now?"

Colvin’s eyes flashed darkly "It is of no concern He merely presumes every man is like himself and it is his sworn duty to help theain – if he has one"

She nodded and kept prodding her beast forward "Do you s us froestow?"

"I do not know," Lia replied "I was hoping the hills ahead of us would offer a view, but they see east, that is all I know, and Bridgestow is east"

"Damnable flies!" Dieyre roared behind thelanced at Colvin and shook her head "There is a certain beauty to this wilderness that I had not recognized until Martin trained round is firmer"

With solid earth beneath them, Lia dismounted to rest the weary animal and led by the bridle She withdrew the orb and su the spindles whir and point In a ulfed her, drawn to her thoughts or to the orb, and began snuffling andappeared on the sree letters that had always haunted her She stiffened with panic

"Do you feel it?" Colvin whispered, pulling his horse next to her His eyes met hers

She nodded "They are thick I am…not sure if the orb summoned them or we did"

"Put it away," Colvin instructed He calmed his horse which turned fractious the moment the Myriad Ones swar an arrow ready

"What is it?" Dieyre said, riding up behind them He scanned the woods, his eyes suddenly wary

"Iher reins to Colvin

"No, let me," he returned, but she shook her head

"I am better at this work than you," she said "You two are not very quiet"

Colvin frowned, hesitating a moment, but he took her reins and nodded mutely With her bow ready, she continued up the hill, a smoke shapes around her, the Unborn It felt unclean when they sniffed at her, hissing in the invisible real as she walked Until thatpresence of Muirwood all around her There was so the chaen that had captured its essence Every other time she had wandered the Bearden Muir with Martin or by herself, thea ardless of where she went, its peace ith her Until now – until the Myriad Ones had found her