SPRING CAME EARLY IN AStIBAR tON. It ALMOSt ALAYS did along t sered nortern side of trung-out islands of t and soutart of t ts close to she year.

    Senzio raders in Astibar ed, te blossoms of trees making t o come. Cill cold it  t imes in early spring on t  be long before tled the seas around her.

    Senzio and Chiara.

    Alberico of Barbadior lay do nig ter intense, agitated nigtle rest, s turbing dreams.

    If ter tling, rife s and rumors, ts of early spring irely. And tive about them.

    Everyto be  once. Coming doe, Alberico icipation of ed to him.

    to let t ime since it o do t and for mucumn and er tting on deats  conducive to opening . Necessary tive, after ion of tors lands. y and gain came toget didnt en but o Alberico of Barbadior to represent almost t pleasure to be found in power.

    trivial in scope, and troubles made ter seem like minor, epions—brief flurries of snow in a nig h now were rivers in flood, everywhere he looked.

    At tected using  tracker and ty-five men Siferval ely sent after ered in a pass by outlao t man. An act of arrogance and revolt almost impossible to believe.

    And  even properly exact retribution: ttered ted tla man abroad to see  a  Ortiz to  trace. Only long dead campfires in t y-five men s:   after all, and everyone knes. tribution.

    quot;o use nec; Sifervals ten report  tains to carry tidings nortreated quickly in  t er all, ty-five of its men to be killed, and  out anotents to do no more t laug in the hills.

    It orcandan  nearest to t ructive t  s of traint . t night his eyelid

    began to droop again, t umn.

    tly after, came the news from Quileia.

    er triarc rade, an absolute  for t importantly, t  ever vigilant guardian of tern borders of tern Palm. So muctle actual prospect of difficulty. Even if tess-killer on o trade   t y botime. Soon enoug so make ted advantages of focusing owards Barbadior.

    In tion of t many time- le, some rato see ticular ligs of  even nety monarco vieters usefully. ended to explore them, once he was home.

    , after all, , t of absolutely everyt t ts of tterly refused to cooperate.

    Marius of Quileia sent a gratifyingly s reply to Albericos latest benevolent offer to trade. An emissary delivered it directly into t Ortiz.

    Unfortunately, t brief gratification ed ime, in recognition of its importance, by Siferval edly sopicated language it contained a message t, ely and circuitously p and clear: tfully judged t Brandin of Ygrater, firmer po green in  risk incurring trading   to.

    It ter t could easily drive a man into a killing rage.

    Figrol, Alberico ain of tter, t o extract and copy from t all control deserting him.

    o turn ao stride alone to t tate and drao calm ell-tale tremor beginning again in  eyelid; ttering o get rid of since t nig died in truggled for ty t  ions of tercepted message, but calm ly receding illusion and s in t orm.

    Senzio! t to link e puppets in t  impossible to credit t a man, o tage, could be such an imbecile.

    o ains, staring blindly out too brigly began to consider o look to to t of t mattered: to Alberico. idings be read, if Brandin of Ygratrading souts  t beyond tregea and tains to Quileian ports and all t land, so long kept to tesses?

    If to t. Denied access because Alberico of

    Barbadior oo infirm in o t . . . Alberico felt o s; a cold trickle of moisture slid doil it passed.

    From t suddenly seemed as if a dagger erialized, more s have fashioned.

    Senzio.  tless nigo break out, to regain control of a situation t increasingly seemed to be operating upon ead of , as master of iny.

    And t er, even before tains.

    tly after, even as t floibar, t t someone ried to kill Brandin of Ygrath.

    ried, and failed. For one blissful nig glorious scenarios of triump t  ly  , a sire Peninsula of ter ely, erms of trade Alberico to offer him.

    And ter all of t, at t.

    it o  for to finally die.  sh of Quileia.

    It o tate and found all tains ing, grim-faced. A ne again, a single day after t,  smasy years of balancing into tiny, ss t hey had been.

    Brandin ed in Ygratern Palm.

    On Ced, trembling at ing .

    quot;And t; Karalius of t asked s to speak.

    quot;Most ;If tay t become citizens, only equal citizens, of the new kingdom.”

    quot;You say t; AJberico said,  and ions. quot;Do you knoold t to be so?”

    turned grey, stammering some reply about logic and obvious consequences and  . . .

    quot;ongue cut out t; Alberico said. quot;I dont care o t conclusions are to be drawn.”

    ted dead aoppling sideo t could be seen t o carry .

    Alberico didnt boto cuously as o kill just then.

    ured  tains. Not t any of to linger at t particular moment. hich

    s trust any of them very much.

    entirely trust ains eit o keep t odds and on edge  . Or it il now.

    But notered, and Brandin  to c t tually mattered, not in itself. It eepping-stone.  of Barbadior as a young man, in order to rise in turn as a leader in , no point at all to ty years of exile if  sail riumpriumpery.

    urned ains and  to titiously massaging ed, to see o , none of ion and discretion seemed to  it should.

    Karalius said, very softly from be;My lord, tunity  opportunity.”

    ly rue and because it meant moving again, and quickly, committing o dangerous, decisive action. But action  in t back o return. ar far ae peninsula riving for a conquest .

    quot;e  go carefully,quot; Grancial said quickly. More to oppose Karalius t ed t we.

    urned and fixed tain ry glance. quot;I  t,quot;  word. Grancial flicked his eyes away.

    Siferval smiled beneataches.

    Karalius did not. ful.  of t dangerous, for t  do Company leader and ed.

    Karalius said again, quot;tunity nourmoil in t, disruption, Ygratell you ; ement. Alberico understood t: th for himself.

    It ake to let Karalius unfold too muc;I knoly o t. I kno  one t yet kno most o tery over all t come o become inconsequential figures in the Palm.”

    quot;Neit; said Siferval pointedly, quot;did we.”

    Alberico suppressed  again. It seemed o do t so muce  t plans, and  t of to be for all ambitious men in toward w else sious man aspire?

    quot;I am a,quot; he said, as calmly as he could.

    quot;t do ; Grancial asked. A real question, not a c and t loyal—because of t hree.

    Alberico looked up. At Karalius, not at Grancial.

    quot;You gat; ely, t. t be final, every instinct old . But  time and ttering gem doo would fall away.

    quot;You gatake t together as soon as possible.”

    quot;; Karaliuss eyes  sicipation.

    quot;Ferraut, of course. On t; Senzio, tleground.

    quot; take you?quot; hem.

    quot;Five ; Grancial said quickly.

    quot;Four,quot; said Siferval, smiling.

    quot;t Company,quot; said Karalius, quot; on it.”

    quot;I ; said Alberico. And dismissed them.

    alone at ime after, toying , t. But  all to slide into place.

    to be grasped riump see t ser, over land, into his reaching hand.

    ing. Ss  being impacted upon. il ttled in t. Quileias c all. to see, on t ruly, falling from ting to be clasped.

    to be set upon his brow.

    ill uneasy t uncannily so, sitting alone as tened, trying to convince rut seemed strange to  painful.  in darkness at t corners of s. o turn to, trying to make a torcionality, to look  out ty.

    And t, and understood, in t same moment, t it could not be rooted out, not ever be acknoo a living soul.

    For trutrut  interly.

    trutly as it  ty years.

    A s  doairs and underground to see he messenger.

    Alais knely ed gift of a journey in tting married at the end of summer.

    Catini bar Edinio, e of olive trees and vineyards nortibar, and a modest but successful banking y, ers ly foreed, among oto forestall Selvenas oft-proclaimed intention to do aill be living at umn. Catini  and pleasant if a little dull, and Rovigo  and liked the man.

    Selvena empestuously ecstatic, about plans for t t of running her

    o telling t ticipated pleasures of the marriage bed.

    o tion of ts of sadness t rove to mask, tributed it to tural feelings of a man ed Rovigo more t it er to Alais, neat and quiet and co sadness ouc amid ticipatory bustle of the house.

    Alix seemed to understand, perter taken to patting  sporadic, unexpected moments, as if gentling a restive creature.

    ive. table and of seemingly enormous consequence. Barbadian troops o clog to nort, on tern Palm  to tion. Or none t ibar. Rovigo   old a long time ago t t mark thing new.

    And somet fit itself to t beyond it, into danger and tential for violence. o  and see it everyaverns, looking up too quickly whe door.

    One morning  of Quileia. And in ure, as  ice breaking up and ters beginning to run again, carrying to the sea.

    Over k same morning, standing in tc o too see about equipping t run of to tregea, o trade for a sregean goats cheese.

    It  not an inappropriate one. tle later in tly for trade, partly to learn  Alessan and Baerd, spending a long nigavern  migime in the unfolding.

    So t of ine.  , ruly impulsive, o take Alais h him.

    ,  iful beyond  grieving at all for  stop  sorro of Selvenas ions.

    So tle too casually, if sed to come c;Oriad, yes! I o come!”

    It o be her dream.

    One of  dreams, never requested, never even spoken aloud. Alais could feel ell-tale color chere were

    times  seem to need urned in time to catco t, and so sea in t time in her life.

    Sed to do so for so long s even to a time  enougo be lifted up by o tibar to see t o tune in the world.

    And s so mucs—tall to o t-blue coat of fres along timber. And tself: tcs laden o some far part of tant places  o her.

    A sailor in red and green ing to o be at ic places from  of t of t. t t t hem.

    Selvena o cry at all tion, Alais remembered, and to t sly after and ridden a tcibar. Soo young to understand , but  silence and expressionless face, riding by told er, s deal more, groo ty of her world.

    o ter. It er, o even in spring and summer and early fall so accompany o too he waves.

    Dreams. S go to sea. And dutiful, intelligent daugroubled to be allo seemed t, sometimes, on some mornings completely unforeseen, Eanna could look do be freely offered t would never .

    It seemed sing easily to tline of Astibar scrolled by on t. to t seemed to ed, censity t made tease .

    ts t of her life.

    tip of torms, one of told  t spring day it  turned back soutco te sand of tted along t.

    A feorm, off tregea. Rovigo  coming at sunset, or smelled it in t tline  in for ser. tful distance off so keep clear of t , Alais  of the way.

    Even teful to discover, didnt bothing

    pleasant about it, feeling ted in darkness by  sold  ely y years at sea, and s going to let ened or discomfited by a minor spring squall from t.

    S of going back up on deck as soon as s t ill raining, and so stay clear of  one rail and looked up. East of tly scudding clouds revealed rifts of clear sky and briefly Vidomnis liger topped and t, far stars come out above t. S ook a deep breat of perfect happiness.

    S c  return t as  ender and grave.  at tline. ater glistened in  beard  far aouc—tregea moved slowly by.

    quot;It is in you,quot; ly, over t;In your  and in your blood. You  more t;  a moment, t;But Alais, my darling, a  live a life at sea. Not in t is.”

    as tter of hen undone in such simple words.

    S;You . ill you surrender to aco pursue this life?”

    quot;;  gently, but sometful took s.

    Sigo o lean her head on his shoulder.

    t, c on t, but s made. S fe song.

    Sill on ;Could I be taugo help you in your business, I mean.

    Even if not to actually sail on the journeys.”

    ime. Leaning against eady breatogethe rail.

    ;t can be done, Alais. If you  it, it can be done. omen run businesses all over t often, but not only t; ated. quot;Your moted to, if s; urned o look do  s lift ;It is a s a  t love to carry you outward and home.”

    S t. t  to t of t ty years old and it ime, it  time. And s one strange dream many niger just past:  tars, o o gather him.

    Sed  t;I like Catini. Im ed to  fat s kno is, but I need more.”

    irred tc it out. quot;I kno; she

    ;I kno would be yours.

    tars of Eanna would all be yours.”

    S s noe moon on ter torm o know again.

    Catriana couldnt see t from tant sounds and tanding, rigidly c trees, sell t sometly  uations suchis.

    ill  after bate place of ime t back and fort and Certando—so see w was happening.

    t o to graze. Baerds borees, close to  troops passing by, marc all around them.

    quot;More of t; Sandre said, a cold anger in his voice.

    quot;It looks like t it?quot; Baerd murmured grimly.

    ly ed. t inctive male response to triana felt like sh.

    It o o Alienor of Borso on t Marius of Quileia in tains and rode  h Devin and Erlein.

    And listening t day, forcing o be composed in Alien-ors presence, Catriana ood ime,  until spring.

    ting for Marius to say yes or no. to say if able croold ttle, a very little, about why.

    ten days later scside Fort Ortiz side ted he Barbadians.

    Next morning t o ture tes of t  in extreme e. One of t —hird Company.

    quot;It is done,quot; Baerd ;I cannot believe it, but I t!”

    A little more ter t troops o move, and t. It  until some days after t, in an artisans village in nortando, trading for carvings and finis tedly, ern Palm.

    quot;Are you a gambling man?quot; Sandre o Baerd. quot;trol til top.quot; Baerd  sometunned, near to sriana go over and take  really like  all.

    But everyt tay at Castle Borso. Someto oo, but t  explain. Ales-

    san ed to admit it, s as muche Prince.

    Even t ely altered now.

    ted in t no t speed from too too speak to men and to some riana , telling to be ready, t t be a summer rising.

    And  many, only a select few, o Senzio before Midsummer. h you if you can.

    And it   brougo Catriana most s potently, t t time for action ruly come. It ions or s. Events er noo  yet knoelling.

    ell oo, he names of people.

    Scores of trusted. o be told,  t of Albericos troops o be ready at last. to cs and be prepared to respond.

    t toget nigars or in a secluded corner of an inn in some  or village, and Baerd e for to know.

    It , falling asleep after Catriana belatedly realized t to be told to die, .

    quot;Ricaso bar Dellano,quot; Baerd ;A cooper in Marsilian, t village sout Ciorone.  go to . Speak to  be able to come nort kno district if the need for a rising comes.”

    quot;Ricaso bar Dellano,quot; s. quot;In Marsilian.”

    quot;Porrena bren Cullion. In Delong inside tregean border on t.

    Stle older triana.  to speak to.”

    quot;Porrena,quot; Sandre rating, oget;In Delong; And Catriana marveled at o be, oucravels turning from Quileia, readying time, a season, a moment in ture—which was now.

    o see. And  o alismans of power.

    t  an almost reckless pace, barely simulating ts. Making bad, y transactions o linger to bargain for better ones. Pausing only long enougo find t village or ter of farms, the word.

    t tins to spare from Alie-nor. Catriana, being   sill reluctant to ackno woman ibar.

    Once, Baerd let act in a toriana  triana tle younger tain tructed, had shown her

    dolphe message.

    tell to be armed if they can.

    tanding up abruptly as Catriana began to speak. Sall, even more so triana ionless a moment and tepped foro kiss Catriana on th.

    quot;triad bless you and keep you and t; s;I did not to see t; Sriana tasted salt on her lips.

    S into to Baerd and Sandre. t finisandan ale. A cransaction.

    quot;ere going nort; sed, rade instincts taking over.

    quot;t like ale in Ferraut! You kno.”

    quot;to drink it ourselves,quot; Sandre said, sing beside  as t of too t seemed, t.

    It  same day, early in ternoon, t to t off to let o tche Barbadians go by.

    It anding t caused trouble, s. But by time s oo late. It ention. Sandre in ter of almost complete indifference to the Barbadians.

    But a merc, a minor trader  and a second scra an army passing in t tly  even remotely submissive or cened let alone so sucuation . . .

    triana t, could be oo clearly sometimes. S Baerd beside ony appraisal of t  arrogance, s just a male pride. It ive response to tyrants po .

    quot;Stop it!quot; s even as serse command and acorianas mout dry. So er. Sandre did the same.

    quot; are you doing?quot; s;Remember where we are!”

    Sime for no more. to t, grey-haired relic from Khardhun.

    quot;I dont like t; taring at Baerd. t of t his eyes were pale and hard.

    Catriana s time in a year tation so direct o be calm, to say t things.

    s kno Baerd  moment.

    Not six Barbadians on ando, but as many Ygratill sharp as a wound from only

    yesterday. All time seemed to fall apart and blos suchis.

    Baerd forced o avert ake, kneake  careful. oo eupoo fast on a floodtide of emotion, seeing to tune  it , far too early, so mucrollable in ture. And to live to see t future or everyted. Years and lives, tient conjuring of dream into reality.

    do;I am sorry if I  you. e  seen so many soldiers on the road in years.”

    quot;e moved aside to make ; Sandre added in his deep voice.

    quot;You be silent,quot; t;If I s I will inform you.”

    One of toep backriana, be  and gripped t; h fear.

    Saring at o er he pond.

    quot;Forgive us,quot; Baerd repeated, in a muffled tone. quot;e meant no  all.”

    quot;Really? ing our numbers?”

    quot;Counting? Your numbers? hing?”

    quot;You tell me, merc.”

    quot;It is not so,quot; Baerd protested, iner tuation  of control, and t  ing t;e are only traders,quot; ;Only minor traders.”

    quot;it so minor, I would say.”

    Baerd blinked, and clutcogetially. errible mistake. this man was dangerously sharp.

    quot;I ; ;tla unrest.”

    rue. t, more ty-five Barbadians ered in a pass. ain Alessan here.

    quot;Your ; one of t;e knoo ood, and t  to see t was in  kind of laug.  could lead.

    igana eig, eyes do, murder in , bound close h memory.

    quot; are you carrying?quot; t Barbadian rapped out,  as a trowel.

    quot;Ale,quot; Baerd said, squeezing oget;Only barrels of ale for th.”

    quot;Ale for Ferraut? You are a liar. Or a fool.”

    quot;No, no,quot; Baerd said ily. quot;Not Ferraut. e got a very good price. Eleven astins to be aking all tibar  for times t.”

    rue,  paid ty-tins for eachese.

    At a gesture from ted. t, eartandan beer surrounded them all.

    turned back to Baerd. there was a malicious smile on his face.

    quot;Eleven astins a barrel? truly a good price. So good, t even a grasping merc  ate to donate to t defends you and your kind.”

    Baerd ing to stay in cer, ;If . . . if it is your desire, to buy it, at only the price I paid?”

    till marc  passed t estimate of  of riana make a small sound beended, and delicately touc of his blade.

    quot;e do not bargain,quot; ly. quot;Nor do eal. e accept gifts. Offer us a gift, merc.quot; tle. Baerd could feel it nicking and fretting against his face.

    quot;Please accept . . . please accept t to t; he said.

    it  ed from the mans face.

    quot;,quot; t along Baerds c;And since you  begrudge us t t carry them?”

    quot;take t as ; Baerd  suddenly as if  ing above this scene, looking down.

    And it  acage point t o see to claim ttac-o traces again. One of t onto t Catriana, a little abased quickly up on t and clucked at t rolled sloo er er of men among eac ain arting ervene.

    move. None of til t of t of sig rumbling after it. Baerd turned t Catriana. Srembling, but o kno was as much fear.

    quot;Im sorry,quot; o touch her arm.

    quot;I could kill you Baerd for giving me suc.”

    quot;I kno; ;And I o be dead. I underestimated them.”

    quot;Could ; Sandre said prosaically.

    quot;O,quot; Catriana said tartly. quot;e could all be lying dead here now.”

    quot;t  took  to realize easing tle wildly.

    Sandre, e unexpected t;You ; ;er, granddaugo take pride in w you are?”

    So say. A moment later, deeply moved, s for, carefully, as if s remember t time someone  way.

    epped back, clearing  aedly soft, looking at them.

    quot;tremely lovely,quot; sely dry. quot;Selling each

    ot splendid people hink we are?”

    Baerd grinned. quot;Not a bad idea, but not t. I to double back to  and horse.”

    quot;Good. I could use a flask of ale,quot; Sandre said. Catriana glanced quickly back at  t  sed to be able to lauger seeing a s Baerds face.

    Baerd collected . Sed to argue but couldnt. And sly grateful for to ride; ill weak.

    It y along t to t. artled a rabbit and before ser t, Baerd c, and traded it a s  a farmc on.

    Late in time to triana bad convinced  t unate, but not really important after all.

    Eiger tregea toervening aken t t and goods at to tral market. It e in ternoon, a oriana could see ts of t so come up ter ter. Sandre opped at a leatall to o t t , moving umbled out of a tavern, sa s and between her legs.

    Sartled thing else.

    And a moment later  s done so. Baerd, just a , flattened to the side of his head.

    And Catriana kne moment ter and absolute certainty—t riking out not just against a drunken reserve guard, but against touc grove in Certando a week before.

    tened silence around te babble of sound. t eacher for a blurred, flashing second.

    quot;Run!quot; Baerd ordered ;Meet tonig er. If I am not t. Eanna guard you all!”

    ting ter of mercenaries began fanning out quickly to moved.

    Catriana didnt  to see if  off t as s of t tall cely careful, not to look at  to run t  one of triad please be  make it from till carried toward Midsummerss fires.

    Sed doreet and t at t crossing into ting lanes t made up t quarter of tregea near tories of  toered t ely blocked in places by t connected t ramsreet.

    She lane. One

    of ted a command to . If any of triana t, se likely to die in t feo side s to  do again at t crossing, doubling back the way she had come.

    t regea, and s be found, but to t he Barbadians so close behind.

    So lose t  to Sandre to make tact. Or Baerd, if he survived.

    Sreet, and knifed over to  toer. t in ty as s by. t, ser her.

    treets ain  fleeting intervals sopmost masts of terfront oo open and exposed. Se ss and curses.

    Sumbled going around anoto . Every moment, every turning, sed to lead raigo  ss cart blocked ttened  t. Came to anoted straigime, past urned at the second crossing.

    And ed to scream, but a eeto bite, violently ting to escape. then suddenly she froze in disbelief.

    quot;Quietly, my . And come t; said Rovigo dAstibar removing h.

    quot;No running. treets over. Look as if youre ; o a tiny, almost deserted lane, looked back once over ;Now down beer, quickly.”

    quot;; she gasped.

    quot;Sahe square. Followed you here. Move, girl!”

    Sook , ted a er and Catriana ducked to t. A moment later t stopped as a shing long and sharp.

    quot;Forgive me,quot;  give you away w; She scissors she carried.

    Catriana  rigid for a moment, t a er s resses gatters scissors rasped cleanly t in the shadows.

    t of noise outside, a clatter and ing. It approac loudly past. Catriana realized t soucly er t in to be seen. Catrianas breat side ac o something in her wild careen. She had no memory of doing so.

    t. Sain of   sime to realize w was being done.

    quot;Catriana, Im so sorry,quot; Alais where was real grief in her voice.

    Catriana s;Not; s  to speak.

    quot;Only vanity.  does it matter?quot; So be erribly. S a oucurned sidetle, on ter, and leaned  then, holding her close while she cried.

    On ter tunelessly to ed clot textures,  of afternoon as it filtered doo treet in a quarter he sun.

    Baerd lay in t  time ing  er triana ing doo them.

    t regea very urn from Quileia, rigainous province as a good place to seek out and nurture any sloion.

    tain from t, but to to times over ty itself and in tains of its distrada, finding in trengtness t erribly sloingly indirect patheir lives.

    ys maze of streets infinitely better to oto avoid as dangerous dead-ends. It ant, in to know suchings.

    sout from t, and to tavern ing cover of t cer curfereet by craop of one of t linked her side.

    Be being balked by seemingly inadvertent t t be: a milk-cart creet, a keg of  avern. regea,  of its people too.

    In a s time  square, ance entirely from roof to roof, flitting liged and unseen.  enjoyed t been so  Catriana. At tregea taller and treets o continue ill o t and leaped to land on its roof.

    s, listening carefully for sounds of alarm in treet below.

    raffic of late afternoon t from its old  s trapdoor and slipped doo tremazzos attic.

    ed for o adjust to tself e clearly, and  takable rumble of tremazzos bass tones. It ime, but some to change.

    Around ringent or s, of various medications. tle in tattered armc tremazzo used to leave up o it. tion brought back memories from years ago.

    Some t change.

    Eventually t. Listening carefully  only tinctive, read in tely scratc migtic room. But only a rat t could scratcimes quickly, and then once again.

    triad as a igana s link to Adaon, and to mark it wheir signal.

    steps beloop, and t later, resume tread, as if noto .

    It didnt take long. It e in time to close up sremazzo ser and floor and t door being s and t driven  later to place, footsteps ascended, tremazzo came into ttic, carrying a candle. ion, bulkier than ever.

    te and stood,  Baerd. ly trimmed to a point. And scented, Baerd realized a second later.

    Grinning, o  and gestured at tremazzos finery, pretending to sniff t;Customers,quot; ed. quot;It is t t no caused all ternoon?”

    No more t; no greeting, no effusions. tremazzo  as a  of tains.

    quot;Im afraid so,quot; Baerd replied. quot;Did the soldier die?”

    quot;; tremazzo said in ones. quot;You arent strong enoug.”

    quot;as t?”

    quot;Not t I heard. ho is she?”

    quot;One of us, tremazzo. Noen, to find a Khardu warrior and give him a message from me.”

    tremazzos eyes ration as tory unfolded. It didnt take long to explain. tremazzo  quick. t a man to venture norto Senzio  act ot to find Sandre at t dourned, puffing, , and a flask of good o go hem.

    touc in searcting among tems stored above an apote and drank, ing for darkness to fall.   onto tarted back nortoer a orccreets to t ty  do led o .

    . oo many years of living to remember to seize and act upon opportunity.

    None of  to t place.  t of untupidity, regardless of t t it  most of t square o do t one time or anotyrants today one suppressed sucched people one cared for die.

    o Catriana. In tarry spring darkness  from er er.  in ter a time, perably, of Elena. And tain as daurning of t to he world.

    tle, too small to be alarming, in tree be later a trialla began to sing. ened to it, and to t ude and t play of memory.

    before he died.

    A s time later an o  of ed softly in reply, silencing triallas song. Sandre came up silently, scarcely disturbing t, grunting slig eacher.

    quot;Catriana?quot; Baerd murmured.

    quot;I dont kno caug.

    Sa is all rig er. I this will pass.”

    Baerd deliberately relaxed ensed muscles. ionally, quot;I am a very great fool sometimes, iced?”

    quot;Not really. Youll o tell me about it some time. remely large man wed me?”

    quot;tremazzo. orage room for meetings wer.”

    Sandre grunted. quot;o me outside to sell me a potion to ensure t of any woman or boy I desired.”

    Baerd found ;Rumors of Ks precede you.”

    quot;Evidently.quot; Sandres teete in t;Mind you, it uff.”

    Laugly, Baerd felt a curious sensation, as if  o t,   come to an end until to go into Albericos dungeons and kill his own son.

    tomasso. Any woman or boy I desired.

    Baerd felt rengt once in raveling, tter cold and rutted tracks of er,  for a  or an easier pace. Not once  a task, so rise in t once given any sign of t must ibar.  of all imes lety and leaders arrogance and  reserve, nothing held back.

    It reds and t  tyrants come and take tary pride.

    And sitting t again, ainty, in t, t  triving for, t for s driven aoget s of a mans life,  oget and bitter tigana and her name.

    Certain t impossible in fact, and orn a  just past, in a place of deepest magic, and  in t green darkness as if tern bindings t

    oo, a quiet one o take s he had feared would never happen while he lived.

    quot;My lord,quot; ly to tting t;do you kno I o love you in time her?”

    quot;By triad!quot; Sandre said, a little too quickly. quot;And I  even given you tion!”

    Baerd smiled, said noto guess at t  later t voice: quot;And I you, my friend. All of you. You . Even a  a future  lie a you il I die.”

    Gravely,  a palm and toucting tionless, er. Botly, reac from the river.

    Baerd called softly back, and a moment later a small boat bumped  gently  against  triana,  stepping lightly, came ashore.

    At t of   t yet risen and Baerd couldnt see w was.

    Catriana said, quot;t e a bloered?”

    Sandre, be as t ter-of-factness of cone  ;You s regea t you were being ravished.”

    quot;Yes, ; s;Do forgive me. I  sure myself.”

    quot; o your ; Sandre asked suddenly from be it had indeed been cropped away, in a ragged line above her shoulders.

    Sed indifference. quot;It o cut it off.”

    quot;; Baerd asked. Somet;? I assume a friend, given where we are.”

    quot;A fair assumption,quot; t ans say I could ter place for our con-traina to ing.”

    quot;Rovigo!quot; Baerd murmured, onis and a s surge of delig;ell met! It oo long.”

    quot;Rovigo dAstibar?quot; Sandre said suddenly, coming for;Is t whis is?”

    quot;I t I kne voice,quot; Rovigo said, sanding up abruptly. Baerd moved quickly doo to steady t. Rovigo took trides and leaped past o t;I do kno, but I cannot believe I am . In tals, he dead, my lord?”

    Even as  in tall grass before Sandre, Duke of Astibar. East of t along ter and over the bank.

    quot;In a manner of speaking I ; Sandre said. quot;it altered by Baerds craft.quot; o . t eacher.

    quot;Alessan  tell me last fall, but ner ; Rovigo his possible, my lord?”

    quot;I never died,quot; Sandre said simply. quot;It ion. Part of a poor, foolis returned to t niger t.quot; ; I o t state, neigs tside my ening to ts.”

    Under ting blue moonligain glint in epped back a little, but  avert ;It  you no; ;A cause you  out my tongue before betraying you to Barbadior. I t kno.”

    quot;I do kno,quot; Sandre said after a moment. quot; deal more than I can say for my own kin.”

    quot;Only one of t; Rovigo said quickly, quot;and he is dead.”

    quot;; Sandre repeated. quot;t of t s it, Rovigo?  sh Alberico of Barbadior?”

    Rovigo said not was Baerd wers edge.

    quot;Destroy ; ;Destroy th.”