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"No," Tobias hissed "You can’t trust these nored him

The man closest to me lifted his hands to his hips "I’oes to my commander in Drylliad" I eyed hiaze "On my word of honor as a thief"

Which, at best, was a contradiction in terh, I suppose Tell hi ies in this war, so everything e I need every spare man moved to Drylliad to protect the castle, and I want every trap ready in that city I also want the wealth of Carthya moved to a place called Farthenwood It’ll be safer there" I leaned in to hie will reach e" He nodded at a single garlin clasped inmore than that"

I stuffed the coin back into an would consider this e far more valuable than what I can afford to pay you here But arlins now, and you estured to Mott, who reached into his saddlebag and withdrew a handful of coins for the man He pocketed the et his horse ready

There was nothing more to keep us here noished the men well and told them we had to be on our way After we rode off, Mott said, "While in captivity, you lied to Avenia about our plans"

"Yes"

"And now you wish to change all our actual plans to fit those lies?"

"It seeood idea"

He stared at ed "I hope you knohat you’re doing"

"If I don’t, then you’ll always be there to point out my mistakes"

I shtly The joke eased the tension that had been between us since my rescue, and even Tobias relaxed soive the horses a rest and for us to share soht with us from the inn In the warmth of the day, we took shade beneath the canopy of a tall yew tree that overlooked the coast of the Eranbole Sea in the distance It was uncoed to one day board a ship and set sail across it

Before taking bites for theainst the trunk and allowed reedily as I needed to It helped to return h for the conversation I had been avoiding since er, I asked Mott, "Did I do the right thing, cohed heavily and looked sideways at ht you rescued en there, I kneould tell the they wanted I’d have failed you, Jaron"

"I’d have done no better I didn’t even last long when they put Tobias against h and said he wouldn’t even try to disagree with that

We rested awhile, and then Mott said, "About Iain of that last ht I could save her And you as well"

"You did save otten away too, but she wouldn’t leave you behind any more than you’d have left her"

"She took the arrow intended for ave her life for mine"

"And you risked yours for us Why didn’t you send someone else in? We have other warriors capable of that rescue"

"I knew Avenia was looking for infore my plans from them, as they would’ve done with you But if I becaive them the exact information I wanted Which I did"