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I spot Lugh He’s sit in on the ground a lit le ways o , lookin exhausted When he sees me, he raises a hand Jack an Ash is helpin out with a few injured Hawks Luckily, it don’t look like nuthin too bad But we lost tks an one of the raiders They’re bein tied onto the backs of their own horses to go back to Darktrees where they’l be set on a funeral pyre

Eoes runnin over to Lugh an throws herself into his aratherin weapons an anythin else that ht come in useful Ike’s bendin over a dead Tonton, checkin to see what he’s got on him Tommo’s standin beside, watchin hiround not far from Ike an Tommo He’s raised hisself up on one elbow He lifts his bolt shooter Aihtens He turns

I yank my crossbow around Snatch a arrow Load Fire

It al happens at once It al happens too fast The Tonton shoots, jest as Too down

My arrow hits the Tonton

Ike! I screaal op over an leap ofI’m there the same time as Jack

Tommo’s lyin on top of Ike I haul him into my arms He lays there, limp His eyes is closed

No! I sob, shakin him No, Tommo!

With a shudder, he co hiht to my chest

Jack’s rol ed Ike over He kneels beside him, feelin his neck Dammit, Ike, he says softly He looks at me an I know

Ike? says Tohter as he tries to struggle free of me I don’t want him to see I don’t want him to know

I feel it the o He stands He walks over to Ike, sits on the ground beside him an takes his hand No, he says Don’t leave me, Ike Not you too Great tears start to rol down his face He rocks back an forth, pressin Ike’s hand to his heart Sayin it over an over an over agin

Don’t leave me, don’t leave me, don’t leave me

We build a pyre in the middle of the bat lefield A fine one, fit fer a warrior We lay Ike on it

Jack says a feords Good words About friendship Other things too, but ht

We stand in silence Al of us an al of the Free Hawks an al of the raiders from the western road We watch while the ames lick up the wood, catch on his clothes an start to burn

Tommo’s by hisself, a lit le ways ofHe won’t let nobody touch hih puts his arm around Eh an big heart I think of Mol y Prat , the lorious creature that ever drew breath She’l stil be waitin fer hiht turn out to be a good family man

An I cry too

As we send Ike back to the stars

I shake his hand Creed Skinny, wild-haired, tat ooed Barefoot leader of the raiders from the western road Maev’s new friends an al ies

Thanks, I says We couldn’t of done it without you

He sweeps me a deep bow an kisses my hand It was fun, he says He jurin Les his heels in an, with a yip-yip-yip, hio tearin of across the plain

Sure you won’t coot rooood of you to take the kid, she says She looks over to where Too

Jack says Ike would of wanted it that way An he’l be good company fer Emmi Listen Maev, I says, I dunno how to thank you None of us

’ud stil be here if it warn’t fer you

I should of listened to Jack, she says Come with you in the rst place But, like I said, bet er late than never She swings herself onto her horse an nods at Nero He’s perched on Eood beak rub

You should thank that bird of yours, she says He’s quite soit tired of him, I’d be happy to take him of a yer hands

I don’t think I wil , I says I turn to Ash She smiles I feel tears prick at my eyes Ash, I says I pul her into ht Thank you, I says

She don’t say nuthin We stand there fer a moment Then she steps away Stay out a trouble, she says