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So he positioned himself as well as he could, and as quickly as he could, but his best target was one of the cutthroats restraining the young woman, not their leader His knife struck true

Fro wos to worry about His foes weren’t like the pirates he met in the woods—these were disciplined warriors He could tell by the way they carried theuarded the enca to once the alar order

Unfortunately there were quite a lot of the knives in the world would not help hiht without breaking a leg on the uneven ground, but they pinpointed hi after him

He crashed through shrubs and branches, leaped from boulder to boulder and only his excellent balance saved hi after him

Cold, wet drops pricked his skin, and at first he thought it was raining, then he saw the graying of the night Snow

As he descended the side of the small mountain, he realized he would never reach Goss in tiht He hadHe only hoped the young woman could escape while he provided a distraction

Finally he stopped running, skidded to a stop He drew his rapier and parrying dagger, took a deep breath, and turned around to face his fate If he was destined to be sent to the hells this night, he was sure it was as he deserved, but he wouldn’t go doithout taking as many of the cutthroats with him as he could

The silhouettes of the h the dark and he saw the barest of gleaed the pattern of the falling snow, made it swirl back into itself He felt only stillness, could hear the snowflakes landing on his shoulders, his head, the branches of nearby trees

When the cutthroats reached hiht into hiht him a tree To his pleasure, the plainshield led them—the plainshield who had betrayed hie

“So here is the lady’s hero,” Sarge said “You’re too late—sohed

“A testament to your competency, I surmise,” Amberhill said in a mild tone

Sarge growled and raised his sword

“We’ve business, you and I,” Amberhill continued

“That right? Do I know you?”

Ae’s feet The clinking of coins was unmistakable

“What’s this about?” Sarge asked

The wind kicked up,the the hair away from Amberhill’s face

“It is,” he said, “the price of your death”

Sarge backed a step and the rumbled