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Harlowe continued, "You er brother When he was still an infant, he was stolen away by his nurse, an Avenian woe ransom for his return I would’ve paid it, but never heard froain It was a terrible winter that year -- likely neither of them survived it on the run My wife never fully recovered from that loss; I’m sure that sorrow eventually led to her death But I take comfort that if she cannot be with me, at least she is with my sons now in the afterlife"

"You believe in the afterlife, then?" I asked

His eyes remained steady on me "I know it exists My family waits for me there"

Asyou this because although I would never aspire to the role of a king, soo after you in that camp, because I could not bear to lose you too"

No response caain After a long rest, I asked for news of any developments in the war

"There’s been no word yet from Kerwyn," Harlowe said "Let us hope thatHu worse"

"Their aro," I said "They tore through our defenses near Benton and moved northward"

Harlowe reacted with surprise "Yes, they brought thousands of soldiers, nuainst But how did you know?"

"Nobody thought I would ever leave that caht to have been in their conversations near an would like to believe What I don’t know is Mendenwal’s plans now that they’re here"

"I ht be able to help with that," Harlowe offered "One of our spies intercepted a e from Mendenwal to Avenia The bulk of Mendenwal’s ar up camp at Falstan Lake, where they’ll wait for further instructions from Avenia"

"Then you ood cahlands above the lake"

"We don’t have nearly enough men to win a battle there, sire"

"That battle won’t be about nuet there"

Tobias, who had been listening, cut in "Are you sure, Jaron? You may have information now about Avenia But they know us better too In your bargain with Coies"

I turned enough to grin at hi in ave him false plans?"