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"Crows," the boy muttered quietly

Varg's black lips peeled away from his white teeth, an imitation of an Aleran smile Granted, no Aleran would ever look quite so unabashedly carnivorous

Tavi shook his head, still running down possibilities on the ga ludus with you for alht I had your tactics down fairly well"

"Soreed "You learn quickly"

"I'm not so sure," Tavi said in a dry tone "What is it I'?"

"Mysaid

"Why?"

"Know your enemy Know yourself Only then may you seize victory"

Tavi tilted his head at Varg and arched an eyebroithout speaking

The Cane showed more teeth "Is it not obvious? We are at war, Aleran," he said, without any particular rancor beyond his own unsettling inflections He rolled a paw-hand at the ludus board "For now the war is polite But it is not siainst one another Study one another"

Tavi glanced up and frowned at the Cane "So that we'll kno to kill one another come the day," he said

Varg let his silence speak of his agreement

Tavi liked Varg, in his oay The former A with Tavi, and the Cane held to an obscure but rigid sense of honor Since their firsthad treated Tavi with an a, Tavi had assu to know one another would eventually lead to some kind of friendship

Varg disagreed

For Tavi, it was a sobering thought for perhaps five seconds Then it beca The Cane hat he was A killer If it served his honor and his purposes to rip Tavi's throat out, he wouldn't hesitate for an instant-but he was content to show polite tolerance until the time came for the open war to resume

"I've seen skilled players do worse in their first few years in the ga rumbled "You may one day be competent"

Assu and the Canim did not rip hie to deflect the conversation "How long have you been playing?"

Varg rose and paced across the rooed predator "Six hundred years, as your breed reckons it One hundred years as we count them"