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One of his accidental diversions had turned fortuitous when he ended up in the yard of a woodsruff, dirty fellow opened it, and Ahts as he took in a bedraggled, shivering noble the reins to a stallion of so

Aht He had been prepared for a pleasant day’s jaunt with other nobles through the countryside, not a seeh the wilds of Sacoridia

Grudgingly the woodsman allowed that Amberhill could sleep in the loft above his pair of oxen, and provided him with a skin of flat ale and half a loaf of hard bread Thankful for even this little, he pressed one of the plainshield’s gold coins into the woodsned to share shelter with the oxen pair, munched on fodder provided by the woodsman, and drank water fresh from the well Up in the loft, Amberhill finished off the bread and ale, and buried hiotten hi off after Lady Estora’s captors when really he should have returned to the castle and let his cousin handle things

But he couldn’t He re in his arotten honor, he’d been so beguiled by the currency he’d been offered Everything was his fault His weakness had left Morry dead and a woman who did not deserve to be terrorized in the clutches of cutthroats Only in hindsight did he understand there was no such thing as an “honorable” abduction There probably hadn’t even been a noble involved to begin with—none would have been in his right mind to order the abduction of Lady Estora Greed had clouded Ament He should have listened to Morry

Grief now drove hiainst Lady Estora Exhausted, he slept deeply through the night and well intoWhen he arose, he climbed down froone and soifts frorain for Goss, as well as a rough, but warm, woolen cloak

“Thank the gods,” A the cloak around his shoulders The woodsht to better supply Aentleold coin on the woodsman’s doorstep

Before he set off on another day of pursuit, he buckled on his swordbelt with rapier and parrying dagger Concealed beneath his clothes, up sleeves and in his boots, werecross country, but he was always ready to win a fight

Amberhill retraced his steps and searched for the trail of his quarry He was indeed a gentleman thief, not a wilderness tracker, but with patience, he found the trail There were at least three sets of horse hooves He believed there must be more in the party, but he could not tell for certain

He clucked Goss into a jog, fearing his side trip allowed Lady Estora’s captors to establish a substantial lead He knew Zachary must have sent out his own pursuers and that they were soive up This was personal

By evening, A cold He could only surmise they had alht, and could be better At least he found clear evidence of their passing

The autuo on, he reined hi to track in the darkness, especially without the benefit of a bright moon, would plainly be stupid He’d lose the trail, probably becoether He had no idea of where in the wilderness he was, and losing the trail would be disastrous in more ways than one

He dis in to co—in the cold without a fire, for he’d brought no flint with him—and continue his pursuit at dawn

He saw to Goss’ needs, then huddled beneath the woodsht dissipated entirely, he pulled the locket fro a hasty search of his friend’s body and thought it too curious to leave behind In his desperate dash through the woods, he’d forgotten all about it

Engraved on the gold of the locket was a rose, and Auessed Morry had a secret love He was stunned, for he thought he’d known everything about the older man, who seemed to revel in his bachelorhood He’d been well-provided for by Arandfather and lived comfortably

A it invasive, then scolded himself Morry was dead What would he care?

Amberhill opened the locket In one half he found a delicate braided curl of auburn hair In the other half was a miniature portrait of his rief for his h she died ten years past of a poor heart He’d always thought that his father broke her heart fro, and she’d died desolate and starved for love

As Aht maybe it had not been so after all He recalled those terrible days of hishis manhood His father, as usual, had been absent, out so nearby, providing company and care for his mother at the end of her days, was Morry Morry who had loved her With this token in the palm of his hand, Amberhill realized she must have loved Morry in return