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"Which way?" Colvin gasped, his face streaked with sweat, his expression showing his barely tae The woods were impenetrable The Sentinel oak was near, but what direction? Lia recognized the woods and pointed and then ran, listening to the sound of the knights dis into the woods after them A crossbow bolt thudded into a tree by her ear and she ducked Glancing at her quiver, she saw that there were only five or six arrows left The knights charged through the woods, shouting out loudly to draw others to them

"This way! Over here! Over here!"

Lia heard the crashing of lie, the crunch and crackle of dried leaves and snapping branches Another crossbow bolt hissed at her, glancing off a tree and spinning wildly aside She could not think of it Colvin and Ellowyn dodged ahead of her, reaching the towering oak tree with its sagging branches The ground was clear around it, without obstruction, lance and saw several knights had reached the clearing as well Shouts echoed throughout the grove, coully! Right there Get the Leering open!"

Lia struck her gladius into thethe bow off her shoulder The er and fear as she shot the first down She stood fir, drew another shaft back to her ear and sent the secondwith rage, raising his sword high to cut her down She did not have enough time to draw another arrow As he rushed her, she sidestepped his blow and jabbed the point of her bow into his throat She could hear hiainst his teladius, she sheathed it and started after the others as the fallen knights all twitched and groaned

Reaching the edge of the gully, she stared down as Colvin’s eyes met hers, his face an expression of shock

The cave had been filled in with earth She could sense the Leering still, but it would take too h Not with so many pursuers – not with soin the oaks The screaeance This was theof satisfaction for recognizing the Mediu towards the gully trail "Maderos’ lair is that way The ossuaries Go!"

The ossuaries The place of the dead The place where all the rings had been found She kneas the end Her finalaround her neck, she pulled off the string that held the gold wedding band It flashed in the sunlight, the ring that re to since she was a child She tossed it to hiht it

"I love you – always," she said and before her courage couldwas that would summon the Abbey defenses She heard hi her bow around as the knights saw her

"Run!" she screa Colvin and Elloere ahead of her still "I will hold thehts rushed at her froht down one Three arrows left One swore at her, cursing her weapon She dropped him next, his face a spasm of pain and frustration Two arrows left Lia ducked the blow aimed at her head, spun around and hooked her boot around his ankle Grabbing his empty scabbard, she yanked hard and tripped hiround She did not stop to kill hi she kneas ahead of her

From that very direction appeared fourthe trees to separate theainst her shoulder, splitting her skin and sending a searing line of blood against her flesh Her breath was so hard, she barely felt the sting A knight grabbed at her,She sain as she surged past the for her Behind hih and carved with the face of a fierce-looking man, a bearded er Another , head bowed, one arinning to burn, to fla her a final arrow Theback at her with familiarity