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Not that a woreat importance to a man with ambition But she was part of the spoils that would soon be his She old as her father’s keep or the fighting forces the earl coared sweet to follow a substantive meal

His life had not allowed hie in sweets very often and he planned to savor this one when he had her in his grasp

A sharp wind blew in off the river while he stared He was turning to leave when a sure took shape in the distance Dark and windblown, the outlinedown froe walls A bold path for anyone after the unholy rumors about the forest

Ah, but those ru unwanted visitors He could not have helped his cause ht and won a dozen battles to protect the privacy of the forest

Still, he would battle this newcoered the pouch of herbs dangling from his belt

But wait

The figure hurrying toward hi to poach the earl’s rabbits under cover of night Nay, this silhouette had a womanly outline One that became all the more notable when the dark hood blew off the feust of ind

Violet

Why would she visit the forest so late at night? She’d never done so before

And why did she not fear the forest the way the villagers did? Even Caladan’s own knights avoided this stretch of woods whenever possible Perhaps she thought she knew the dangers

Her friendships with the forest dwellers had made her deliciously careless

Excite like bloodlust Then again, perhaps it was genuine lust He had been watching her these many moons He only hoped she did not visit the forest for purposes that wouldwith another man…

He clenched his fists, digging his nails into the heels of his hands until he could feel the release of blood So helped He’d seen the way it soothed his victims before death, so he kneas not the only one to find it thus Calm reason took over where passionate fury had been He would follow Violet silently as he had so many other tiic warriors kne to i to him