Page 34 (1/2)

Within another hour, more Carthyans arrived from the same direction as Mott and I had come Certainly, these were the extra soldiers froer to prove the support, a retreat was soon called by Mendenwal, and shouts of victory were raised through my armies Mendenwal eined possible, with Bymar and Carthya still in pursuit

Roden found me shortly after He was on horseback and looked exhausted, but as far as I could tell, he was uninjured He had another horse with him, a sive , but Roden insisted he was quite comfortable already and if I didn’t want the shed, Mott said he would stay behind and help with the wounded, then ain behind the lines

I climbed onto the horse and Roden said, "You don’t need to stay here tonight Harlowe told h in Avenia You’ll rest better if I take you back to the castle"

"And miss all the fun?" I asked "No, I’ve been away froh They will see me here" We rode farther, and then I asked, "Are they your arht he had decided never to answer me, he said, "It is always your ared?"

He shrugged "I did I realized that I couldn’t expect theht ofor stupid or inexperienced to be a captain, then that’s all I would ever be"

"So what do you believe now?"

Refusing that question, he only chuckled instead "I believe you need a solid meal I’d think with the way Mott watches over you, that he’d be more concerned for your health, and stuff a hed along with him "He’d probably like to try that, just to keepmyself into trouble all the time"

"That’s not a bad idea, you know We have no ood food to celebrate this victory"

"How are the people in Drylliad? Do they have enough food?"

Roden shrugged "That’s a constant concern Far es came with them Lord Harlowe needed more supplies, but the men couldn’t keep the walls open and defend them too"

"Then how --"

"You met the women at the river, didn’t you?" When I said I had, he continued, "The women in Drylliad told us that if we could push the battle this far from the city walls, then they would keep the supply lines open The ht for this city, but it will be the women who save it"

They reminded me of Amarinda, who had risked her life to return to the throne in iven her life to save mine It would take entire lifetimes for the ht, the soldiers toasted one another and celebrated Roden’s naave us the win I raised my own cup to them, but seeds of worry had sprouted in my mind and eventually I had to walk away I couldn’t quite explain rong, but that only bothered me more