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Pinch edges his white stal ion forwards The horse tosses his head an dances a lit le

Looks like he don’t trust his rider

Eht? Did they hurt you?

No! Her voice sounds thin an shaky I’ your enemy to at ack uphilBut there is no ene of mine! yel s Ike

Ike! Jack hisses Not helpful

Wel , he ain’t

You left so has condescended to return her to you

Let her go! I yel

He slides a bolt shooter from his robes He presses it to Emmi’s temple

He dislikes children, he says So noisy So dirty

Let her go! says Lugh, standin up It’shi severely, says Pinch He chose you with great care but you’re too stupid to realize the great honor done to you Al his years of planning … gone to waste His uest in his royal Palace--and you repay hi huh Whatever you want Jest let ratitude, he says But you are no longer of interest to hi my spine

Then take me, says Ike I’iant, says Pinch No You won’t do either

Git to the point, says Lugh What do you want?

Not what, he says Who

He points at el of Death

What fer? yel s Ike

He wishes to speak with her, says Pinch To have a friendly lit le chat

Right away, I lower rabs ot Eonna talk to him

He don’t wanna talk to you Look at hierous, Saba, says Ash

What does he ith you anyways? says Lugh

She kil ed his parents back at Hopetown, says Jack She nearly kil ed hih swears Why didn’t you say nuthin?

I didn’t think it mat ered, I says

I say we take him out, says Ike There’s six of us an only three of them

Ike, he’s holdin a shooter to Eot no choice I’h We’l think of soo I ferbid it

She’s my sister, I says

She’s my sister, I says

Jack catches my hand I look down at him I knohat he’s thinkin

If it’d bin Eone after her?

When he asked me that question, back at Darktrees, the ansas no If he asked in, if he asked me now, I’d answer yes Without stoppin to think Yes

He squeezes my hand Says, Whatever he says, don’t trust hih says Come back here!

I make my way down the hil , my feet slidin on the scree I stop when I’ht, Eirl

How touching, says Pinch Throw your weapons down

I pul my quiver over my head an lay it down beside my crossbow

Is that it?

I nod

Check her, he says to his men

They dismount

DeMalo walks towards me That closed face Those shadowed eyes that ick over my face, jest once, as he starts to pat ht Cool I hold my breath He finds the knife inwith my bow an quiver

She’s clean, he says to Pinch