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Snorri ca from one to the next, and stood at my side “I have my own ends, Skilfar Men do not serve the völvas” He covered the blades of his axe with the leather protectors he had stripped off a minute before

“Everything serves everything else, Snorri ver Snagason” No heat in the witch’s voice If anything it felt colder than ever

To distract the pair of thereements, I raised ’s all well and good, but I never set much faith by it The Silent Sister had to take her enemies unaware She had to paint her runes and slowly draw her net around them Even then the unborn escaped when I broke just one runeso say we do find some way to release this spellhow can it defeat even one unborn, let alone several?”

Skilfar raised her brows a fraction as if wondering herself “They say soe when bottled”

“Wine?” I glanced up at Snorri to see if he understood

“These ics couldn’t be carried by just any two ht receptacles Soether You’re her blood, Prince Jalan, and Snorri has so that suits him to this task Pray or don’t pray, but the only hope you have is that the spell strengthens within you, because of who and what you are, because of your journey, and that when the tier rather than weaker than it was”

“I’rowled “I’m bound there on my own purpose and I’ll—”

“Why is she silent?” I elbowed the Norse the question up to distract the on his lips “Why does the Sister never speak?”

“It’s the price she pays for knowing the future” Skilfar looked away fro so that the bargain will reue”

I pursedwith interest “Well That’sthat sounds reasonable In any event, we really ed at Snorri’s belt “She’s not going to help us,” I hissed

Snorri, though, obstinate as ever, would not be pulled away “We rey one behind us, a black one blocking our path”

“Yes, yes” Skilfar waved the question away “The Sister set you on your path, the Dead King seeks to stop you A reasonable a an army of dead men from the ice”