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“Oh, just being wise You know Like a fox”

I tighten aze of the holloers They hunch together, lording over the scattered stone and shadow, the many empty doors and s like so nar the god Now only wind moves in the dead city

“Do you hear theard cocks his head to the wind “Not all the people of Alia had heart to follow Sefi to the stars Those who remained felt the wrath of Gold Their spirits are trapped in the stone, shamed for all time”

“Poor sods”

He snorts “If it were true, yes”

“I’ll be das and prods the cru pine of the fire with a distant look His st his people Less frivolous I shift closer to the flames “So…what now?”

“We drink until Freihild returns with nightgaze The gods th of the beast and beauty of the land to speak” He sounds bored

“Right”

He sighs and looks at the darkness creeping around us “I confess, I hope she does not hurry It is good to be alone in the snow”

“Thought you liked Freihild”

He chuckles “Freihild is clever woman, but she is blind, not like us”

“How’s that?”

“The more blessed the creature, the less they question life She is like Valdir and his big muscles this way Blindly forith purpose Guided by the trough of expectation” Ozgard plays with his rings “But us…that which is thin to us is thick to others Dull to us, resplendent to fools I envy the blind To accept gots

“Did you knoas born to a woreat queen Destined to fight the gods’ battles in the stars But I was cursed for my mother’s impiety So our shaman said”

He brandishes his twisted hand