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"What is this?" he said, a sht not to be so aain" He walked up to them, his eyes ith excitement "You have been in the back woods, then? Have you had any news in your travels? Do you knohat happened?"

Lia was not sure whether he ht or not "What have you heard?"

"Word fro the town further north Word arrived for the castellan Well, secrets do not keep for long Especially when he raised the drawbridge Soh, and now everyone is talking of little else"

"What is it?" Lia pressed

"Word came that Demont’s army has fallen It was led into a trap by one of the earls and there was a battle Not a survivor They were all killed Every last rabbed his arm "When did this news come?"

"Yesterday," the boate He is expecting a revolt, no doubt With turmoil on the other side of the sea, he e on this side He will not be the castellan long, I fear One of our archers will et of hi back tonight I have sent my family to stay with my mother until I return I only stayed because I pro in Coer So many complex emotions played across his face She understood too well so had changed A one Also lost was his position on the Privy Council Ellowyn’s surviving relation was dead She was the last Demont now And the ones who had wanted him dead would want her life as well

"Uncle…?" Ellowyn started to ask, but Colvin shook his head at her forcefully to silence her Why reveal tootowards the boat "There is only so hard I know the tidings are bad Just be grateful you were not there when all the mastons fell I am sure it was a butchery like at Maseve It is a dark day when asped, the infor to sink in

Exhausted, they followed Pen-Ilyn into the craft, catching his hand for balance as they boarded Not only was the boat rocking treacherously It see too

"To the person who does not knohere he wants to go there is no favorable wind"

- Gideon Penman of Muirwood Abbey

CHAPTER FORTY:

Escape

The three were exhausted froht over the mountains of Pry-Ree and slept in the boat as Pen-Ilyn braced hiainst the oars and rowed He wanted to return before dark, so he put his h the choppy waters Lia wavered in and out of sleep, lulled by the motion No sooner had she drifted off when the boatman’s voice rose over the din

"The shore We h the as behind us It has been a lonely trip with the three of you snoring But I have done my duty I am sure you are weary fro her eyes, she gazed at the bend of land loo was there soh the screen of trees The little dock was a spur against the gray waters It was empty of craft or person

She stared at the dock, herof weariness and lack of sleep Should not Edmon be there? And horses left to escort the at the shoreline "I do not see anyone waiting for us Do you?"

He shook his head "That concerns estow is not far away," Lia one and returned with horses If news of Deestow first That toas loyal"

Colvin looked back at her, his eyes narrow and distrustful "What if he never made it there?"

A stab of worry bloomed in her stomach It made her sick inside "Dieyre?"

"What did he wantelse?" Colvin said in a low voice "He already knew De to fall He already knew the poithin the kingdo Even if he had convinced us to join his side, it was already too late"