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"We’ll search more quickly with more scouts," he continued, "but if the Lost Ones bide in the woods, then they’ll kill the here"

"I aatani, as they should"

She nodded "I’ll coatani will search with us" She ran back to the gate and told Ingo what she an to protest, she cut him off "Let no man walk beyond these walls lest he see ill kill him Believe what I say, and if you will not believe me, then believe Aronvald or Sister Rosvita Stay close"

The path lay quiet Nothing disturbed theain from branches She stopped once to drink frootten how thirsty she was, and she gulped down the water and felt her head ache as if the iciness of the water were trying to freeze it

Sorgatani waited by her painted wagon, anxious as she scanned the forest "They are gone," she said to Hanna without turning to see who it was

"Are you sure?"

She pointed "Liathano went in that direction Coatani in theinto the trees, they found no bodies If Sorgatani had killed any, then so through the trees had a brighter edge today, although haze again covered the sky Was it thinner? Was there hope that the weather would change?

"Here!" called Breschius

Hanna beat a path to hih a patch ofdown at an object hidden by grass Sorgatani stood beside him; she hid her eyes behind her hand, as if she did not want to see but knew she had to look Hanna came up to them

Liath’s bow could never be rass, carelessly dropped Beside it her quiver rested untouched, still full of arrows A polished black beetle crawled across the clustered shafts of arrows, then balked as it tested the cruel ledge riffin feather

"Do you think …" whispered Breschius, as if the words actually hurt "… that the galla caught her?"

The beetle vanished down the shaft of one of the ordinary arrows, hidden by the stirring of grass as the wind gusted and died A weight settled on Hanna’s chest and she could not shake it loose But she must observe She must report Such was her duty She released a clenched hand and bent to pick up the bow