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All her life she had been raised at Muirwood She had never realized how much safety there was in its smells, its habits, even itsSheup fro his supper Shea spare dress so she could clean a soiled one All that day she had slowly realized that she lived in the most beautiful and perfect place in all the world The Bearden Muir was desolate, frightening, and overwhelitive, she had to leave the abbey behind Meh

Colvin ue He looked grim in the blood-stained tunic, his face a mess of dirt, bruises and whiskers The shirt she had cleaned for him days before was fit to be burned as was the blood-stained tunic from Maderos

He sat by the saddle, a little away frory?"

She shook her head slowly

"What is thesince you came into my life, she wanted to say, but re

"I have been too harsh," he said with a stern look "To you I aize to someone like lad of it"

Her thrust riled hi person," he said "I speak the truth, no y that your questions were bothering me They were I spoke what I felt, just as you do I had no intention of bringing a girl like you with me I would not consider it now but for Maderos’ counsel Where I go, there will be war And I did not cohts have…preoccupied my mind today You are the only one that can take me to my destination, no matter hoish I could have left you behind in a safer place"

"I have no doubt that you have been distracted today," she said, tearing another bite fro you?" he asked

"Can you not iine?"

"My rudeness? Or what you perceive as rudeness?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head "From the moment you awoke in my kitchen, I have had little else but rudeness from you But I still helped you" She did not want to cry in front of hi filled her with fury, and she clung to it desperately, choking the desire

"Though I aifted with reading thoughts If you would tell ?"

She lowered the apple, still savoring its flavor, yet suffering as well "I left my home today," she whispered "I will not be welcoreat enough to afflictto see it again All my life, I wanted to be away fro to go back Each footstep brings me farther from the place I love the best" Her voice choked up and she could only whisper, "And nearer to the thing I fear the most"

"And what is that?" he said seriously, his eyes finally showing a spark of sy I may do, you will still die at Winterrowd, and I will have nothing left in the world You proht teach ’s fury Even your steward! Then I have ga her head "But ininstead"

His eyes were as dark as shadows "It is you who do not understand You are a silly girl You bound et what I promised you, even if I do not live to fulfill it in person Did you not feel the Mediuo! What a day What a haunting day" He closed the saddle bag snugly and then turned back to face her again, leaning forward "The truth of the er safe at Muirwood You were not safe thefor me It is not a haven for you Not while the sheriff seeks you What I do not understand is what he wants from you There are sordid reasons, for certain, but would he risk the Alder marsh like this, without sufficient provocation or motivation? What I cannot understand is hat reason he could have?"