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She was helpless, unable to reach her body again If the drea her back inside She willed herself to awaken She struggled against the chains of sleep Wake up! Wake up! Al down at her body The suer took his hand off the amulet Somehow, she could see beneath his shirt – at the black whorl of tattoos that crisscrossed his chest and even noere inching up his throat, across his shoulders, groith every use of the ers and hter than a gasp of breath A sick feeling bloo at her She tried to pull herself awake in vain

Then Aluer knelt by her His hand reached out and he touched her hair, running his fingers through its curly tangles Al into her hair, and a worh her whole soul She shuddered, she revolted, she cringed froree of tenderness His fingers stiffened around a thick clue of his sword as the tip suddenly plunged into her heart

"It is your turn"

Her eyes opened to the blackness of night The s were sore and cra her shoulder even harder "Come on Are you awake?"

"Yes," she whispered, her heart shriveling in her chest with the vividness of the dreahtened "It is pastas I could If I do not rest, I will be useless toroaned "I have never been this tired inIt helps to stay war"

Lia raised herself on her elbow Her heart shivered The feeling, the blackness, was still there "Al the drea

"I think not," he answered "I have watched their caht The fire has burned low, but you can still see it They make no effort to hide themselves They have horses and lanterns Not even they are fool enough to cross the river in the dark"

He was not listening to her She stood, grateful to be awake, but fear roiled in her heart "He is colanced around the hillock, looking for his glowing eyes Nothing She was terrified Her heart beat wildly in her chest

He snorted with disbelief "If you see hi to sleep Wake e – I er than a squirrel There have been deer in the ht And I heard a wolf howl once Have you ever slept out of doors before?"

"No," she said, choking back a sob that he did not hear

"I used to hunt with e animal comes up here, wake iving her a second look, Colvin lay down on the earth, his back to her, his head resting on the saddle as a pillow, his hand on the hilt of his maston sword He had no cloak or blanket

Around her, in the dark, she felt as if the sainst her clothes She did not sleep She could not sleep Dread torht

Before dawn, the lowlands of the Bearden Muir were covered ineven the hillock and its trees From Lia’s earliest days she had seen the , they terrified her Her heart was a throbbing pulp of misery Her eyes were swollen from all the tears Colvin aith the dawn and set about saddling the horse again, without saying a word of greeting He chafed his ar cold His disco back up the hill, he handed her another apple

"I ariht while I was saddling the stallion We are still another two days froht I doubt ill die of thirst by then, but if there is a safe spring to drink froer orb would know If not, ill suffer patiently But if there is one along our path, or close to it, that would be helpful You could ask the orb"

Lia had not thought of that herself, and she was angry that Colvin had first After untying the pouch, she emptied the orb into her hand It was cold and heavy In herthe journey, show us the way