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"Why’s that?"

"What punishet if you fail to arrive with me? They’ll beat you harder than you could ever beat me here"

"You are ain "Now, get on your feet"

"You can knockme to my death, but I will not walk any farther Get me a horse"

"That’s ridiculous You’re a prisoner"

"I’ And I deer licked his lips, and then turned to Terrowic "He’ll use your horse Help him up, then see that it’s tethered to iven and the coround and all but threw lected to remove his pack froain, I took advantage of that He had a container of water, some dried meat and biscuits, and a few apples When I finished the first apple, I made sure to toss the core over my shoulder and hoped it hit him on the head too

Other than as necessary for the care of the horses, we took very few breaks throughout the journey Still, it was dark when I first saw the lights of Farthenwood in the distance Once we got closer, I saw that a galloas being constructed at the front of the home Two nooses were already in place One was for me I didn’t knoho the other was for

At the far end of the property were several Carthyan wagons, under heavy guard Most of them were covered, but the corner of one had coold inside the wagon As Kippenger had said, the wealth of Carthya was here indeed

Kippenger personally verified the chains were still firht should’ve been obvious by the way the metal had worn sores into my flesh When he was satisfied, they pulled me off the horse andI had arrived

I was once again aed since rand estate was filling with people, but they couldn’t have been here long Other than the gallows and the gold-filled wagons, the home itself seemed no different

Eventually I was led inside On my first trip here, I had also been a prisoner Escorted in with more courtesy and fewer chains, but a prisoner nonetheless I hated the thought of having to face Vargan here Vargan would gloat over his victory, huned papers that preserved the lives of hest price And Vargan would be sure I knew every detail of ould happen tomorrow, the day of my execution That was intolerable, but it infuriated me to know that Conner would be here too He had wanted the throne froent He had rets that I hadn’t been a to turn Carthya into a feeding gallery for the Avenian vultures, just so he could wear a crown and pretend that made him any sort of a royal

I was taken to Conner’s office, or perhaps it was considered Vargan’s office now Conner’s wide desk was gone, as were his books and other decorations Over the past severalof value had been stripped froan rose from a simple wooden chair that must have been intended as a te behind him, arms folded and dressed in all his fored considerably in the prison, but noith his hair washed and couished, a weak facade for his rotting soul inside

Vargan iave yourself up, Jaron Why?"

"I needed ?"