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"And charged us to be sure that you return safely to the hall," adds the Alban youth, who is eyeing hiue? Notyour nation do so"

"It’s in my blood," says Alain "What are you called, you two?"

"I’m called Aestan, son of no woman who claimed me," says the Alban youth "Once slave to the earl of the hts according to hand" He cocks a thumb at his coh I just call hior, which is e call the flood tide in ue that floods," says the Eika with a grin that displays four sparking jewels drilled into his sharp teeth

Aestan punches hi where they are and what their mission is

"Have you lamps?" Alain asks them

"We do, a pair of them," said Aestan, and adds, "They’re not lit yet"

"As if he couldn’t see so hi you for a coin to think all men are blind!"

Alain whistles The hounds stand with heads high and ears pricked up, s the air "Thereout here who can be saved if they’re found quickly"

They nod obediently

Hea flank wheresurvivors The wings of dusk settle over the Lady of Battles until he can no longer see her, but he knows she still stalks the field Always and ever she will ride "We are not done yet, you and I," he says to her, knowing she can hear hie you"

He turns to the soldiers "Light a lamp, I pray you," he says

Flint snaps A flaht He leads the," said Stronghand

Duchess Liutgard and Duke Conrad had long since ard’s daughter, and returned to their separate quarters in this portion of the new palace The holyfor a conclave

Theophanu and Stronghand sat in chairs on either side of an open , in the nant Her servants and stewards and his guardsether with a half dozen of the ht he and she had sat thus, alone, just talking She had described the forthcoth--and with a subtle huested it would be nothing rappling He had told the story of the Alban conquest Of Aosta, there was ru, she spoke affectionately and yet with a kind of bitter reserve that betrayed as He told her of what he had seen at Gent in the days when his father, that belligerent warlord, still lived They touched last on the afternoon’s council, when the two of them had come to such an abrupt and instinctive accommodation

Daould co smoke and the waxy scent of herbs tucked in to sweeten their burning A fire burned in twin braziers, because the huh the chill made no difference to him

She wore a shawl draped over her shoulders; her hair was uncovered, twisted back in a single thick braid She was easy to look on, unusual a herLike stone, she had patience and a sly clever mind, nor did she reveal too ratiate herself where she feels inferior He h of each other now to gain a worthy e

"If he is not truly the son and heir of Count Lavastine," she said, "then who is he? Who is his mother? Who his father?"

"Does itfrom You named your birth tribe and cousin tribes, and those who allied with you early, and those who came late or not at all You remember their names Kinship always matters He is bound to the county of Lavas in some manner I would like to kno The count of Lavas controls a great deal of territory along the northeastern coast of Arconia and well inland The one who rules there would be a welcome ally"