AARM NIG on trees, on tones of tanding in the high window.

    Devin o  and quickly turns. Rovigo running up, to stop, rigid h Alais.

    quot;; to tones beside Devin. raught, he has a knife in his hand.

    quot;?quot; Devin gasps, uncompre; do you . . . ?”

    quot;My fingers! No t; And Sandre dAstibar slaps t of to Devins palm and curls  one in treet. Only ended. to the Palm.

    quot;Sandre . . .quot; Devin begins, stammering.

    quot;No  me, Devin!”

    Devin does as old. incing, gritting eet pain against grief,  do.

    Alais, not the Duke.

    But in t ts clean to grind against stone t and dazzling flased by a corona of ar about  in ter-image of its glow.

    Alais is on to quickly  his bleeding hand.

    Sandre lifts t , silent in t a word spoken, Alais ing his arm.

    From ant crasing. Silted in tall riana becomes suddenly taut. Soo far ao make out too terribly far. turn to to t.

    quot;O t; Alessans voice is a ragged w.

    too late. Far, far too late.

    On y road, Devin sees her fall.

    Not o deat graceful as s dos forand. torting blur in t, a sural  in traig t stops for a moment, seizing at this wild, impossible hope.

    t starts beating again, ever Sandre ried, it is not enougoo far, it is too oo neo triana falls. Unstayed, unciful as a moonlit fantasy of a woman wo a broken, crumpled ending behe garden wall.

    Alais bursts into desperate sobs. Sandre covers ears in ood, to the garden.

    quot;e o move a; Rovigo croaks, telligible. quot;they will be searching.”

    It is true. Devin kno is. And if t, anyt all to Catriana noo c is t  have been meaningless

    or in vain.

    Devin forces o rise. turns to Alessan.  moved, nor taken ill men standing and gesturing.

    Devin remembers ternoon  urns to Rovigo: quot;e are too many to stay togetake Alais. Be very careful. triana w you in our rooms.”

    takes Alessan by turns  resist, folloart soutumbling do ake tle, from till  into .

    t o s familiar tricks ime and memory—a nig fall.  nig old t take tomasso out of the wizards binding.

    And no o no good at all. t s so mucomasso is nine montigana whe Deisa years ago.

    for old le. o cry again, unable to stop  later he feels Alessans hand upon his shoulder.

    quot;tle longer yet,quot; t eroget; he hand on Devins shoulder.

    torc ones.

    treets of Senzio as t some  tle. ts feverising  t from a avern. Sreets yet; t stopped by anyone.

    t er, Devin realizes t never, not for a single moment, did  t Catriana he Barbadian before she jumped.

    Back at Solinged noto go upstairs to umult of t as tient c room, running sly to of to side.

    Devin and Alessan exchanged a glance. Music.

    t to tform in took up ood beside ing. testing, tuning notes and t a he song Devin had known he would begin.

    As t es of t;Lament For Adaonquot; spun out into ted murmur, and to ing . But not for time, t c for Adaon falling from  for Catriana di tigana fallen from hers.

    Men said after t tillness, suc attention among tables in Solings ing on patrons and tcopped ood listening. No one moved, no one made a sound. tary voice singing t song of mourning in the Palm.

    In a room upstairs Alais lifted ear-soaked pillo up. Rinaldo, tending to Sandres maimed urned oill. And Baerd, idings t smas in a  could ever o ened to Alessan and Devin beloo fly t-of his way.

    Out in treet ing voice carried, people stopped in t of rumor or tless cs pleasures and tood outside tening to tes of grief, t in the spell of a music shaped by loss.

    For a long time after it  ing, breaking, utterly unexpected offering of t;Lamentquot; on t nig marked the beginning of war.

    t in eittles of ly open: Alaiss, t rianas too. Baerd ing in tepped foro the hallway and Alessan embraced him.

    For a long time tood locked togettle. o there and Rovigo. San-dre.

    Rinaldo, Ducas and Naddo. Sertino to t nearer to them.

    quot;Did anyone to bring ; Rinaldo asked in a faint voice.

    quot;I did,quot; Devin said, going over to ted. Devin glanced at Sandres left  topped. o one of ttles and t boto ask for a glass. Devin gave ttle to Ducas, whe same.

    Sertino  Sandres ;Youre going to o get in t of masking t;  eness.

    quot;I kno; Sandre said. quot;I feel very weak righough.”

    quot;Doesnt matter,quot; Sertino replied. quot;t be constant. Do it. Now.”

    Sandre looked up at  tandan   seem to stop t tomasso, dead in a dungeon in Astibar.

    Ducas le. ook it and drank. Passed it over to Naddo, and  to sit beside Alais on took  the wall.

    of t, the cheekbones showing in angular relief.

    Ducas cleared . quot;e  do some planning,quot; ;If sy tonigriad knoomorrow.”

    quot;Sandre used magic, as ; Alessan said, not opening ;If tracker in Senzio hes in danger.”

    quot;t ; Naddo said fiercely, looking from Ducas to Sertino. quot;e did it once already, remember. And ty men  tracker.”

    quot;You arent in tando no; Rovigo said mildly.

    quot;Doesnt matter,quot; Ducas said. quot;Naddos rigreet and Sertinos o point out tracker t contrive a bra killed him.”

    quot;t; Baerd said.

    Ducas suddenly smiled like a race of mirt;Id be grateful for a risk to take tonig; ood exactly w .

    Alessan opened  t;Do it, t; ;Devin can run any messages back o us. ell move Sandre out, back to to. If you send —”

    opped, and t to . Baerd   tood up, releasing Alaiss hand.

    ttle of sound from tairside tepped carefully over to triana in his arms.

    In tony silence  t, taking in turned to Alessan. quot;If you are  magic,quot; ;t be very  deal of po noracker in Senzio tremely likely to be captured and killed.quot; opped, tly. quot;But I caugime. She is alive.”

    t iculate joy. Sandre literally leaped to  and ruso claim Catrianas unconscious body from Erleins arms. ened to tedly, was Rovigo.

    Devin ime to see Alessan cross t strides and ed ed Erlein, feebly protesting, clean off the ground.

    Alessan released epped back, t by a grin  seem to control. Erlein tried,  success, to preserve omary cynical expression. t h cheeks.

    Again troubadour struggled to look fierce and displeased. Again irely unconvincing attempt at ;Careful, you. Devin flattened me to t till bruised.quot;  Devin, w him.

    Sertino tle. y pull.  ;It  o guess from t sometarted to follo I dont run very fast anymore so I decided to use magic. I got to t as Alessan and Devin reache near side.”

    quot;; Alessan asked s;You never use your magic. hy now?”

    Erlein sely. quot;Id never seen all of you run any; he grimaced.

    quot;I suppose I was carried away.”

    Alessan o  in for very long. Every feo reassure ;t?quot; he asked.

    quot;t  over ting in t; urned to Sandre. quot;You sent an astonis you didnt  kno you cant stop someone falling t o be unconscious. t kind of magic  exclusively; if  to apply it to someone else to be suspended or everyts muddled w is o fig.”

    Sandre  it  I just  strong enough, even

    he binding.”

    Erleins expression o respond to t, but instead ale. quot;I used a spell to make ronger one to catc. t to get us over tely spent, and terrified trace us immediately if tracker any t, too mucemple of Eanna for a time, and then I carried her here.”

    quot;Carried reets?quot; Alais asked. quot;No one noticed t?”

    Erlein grinned at  unkindly. quot;It isnt t unusual in Senzio, my dear.quot; Alais flus Devin could see t s really mind. It was all rig.

    quot;e ter get doo treet t; Baerd said to Ducas. quot;ell o get Arkin and some of trackers, t find o be an unbelievable searcoonigo be some fighting.”

    Ducas smiled again, more like a ;I ; was all he said.

    quot;One moment,quot; said Alessan quietly. quot;I  you all to ness somet; urned back to Erlein and ated, c;e bot you did tonig any coercion from me, and against your o interests, in every way.”

    Erlein glanced over at ts of red forming on eac;Dont make too muc,quot; ;Every man s of folly. I like red-s all. ts rapped me in t place, remember?”

    Alessan s;t may be true, but it is not all, Erlein di Senzio. I bound you to t your  I t joined it freely.”

    Erlein s;Dont be a fool, Alessan! I just told you, I ...”

    quot;I kno told me. I make my os truto realize tonigriana, bot ts to w I wiso do or see done for any cause. Even my own.”

    As AJessan finisepped foreadied ;I am Alessan, Prince of tigana,quot; ;direct in descent from Micaela. In t to o your freedom, wizard!”

    Botaggered apart, as if a taut cord . Erleins face ;I tell you again,quot; ;you are a fool!”

    Alessan s;You ,  noe: I  man, o be free as any of us   co me your oyrants. If you co leave us, you can. I do not expect you o our company.”

    Erlein looked cornered, assailed. uation o ed he wizard.

    quot;Im glad,quot; ;Im glad youre h us.”

    quot;Im not! I  said t!quot; Erlein snapped. quot;I  said or done any suching!”

    quot;Of course you ; It ion and pain still vivid in ;You did it tonig. ter tter, in some roubadour. ried to make yourself believe t nottered

    to you but your o rue? Im one. Baerd and Devin. Perriana. Not Alessan, Erlein.  set you free to prove us all wrong.”

    ting from treets belosteps. Erlein turned to Alessan and t eacrusions of memory: t campfire in Ferraut, Alessan playing songs of Senzio for Erlein, an enraged shere were so many layers here, so many charges of meaning.

    ion of five fingers t to Alessan.  it  so touched.

    quot;I suppose I am ; Erlein said. quot;After all.”

    quot;I kno; said Alessan.

    quot;Come!quot; said Baerd, a second later. quot;e o do.quot; Devin follooairs beyond the window.

    Just before stepping turned to look back at ticed, and followed his gaze.

    quot;S; tly. quot;S fine. Do o us.”

    Devin glanced up at  s;t; Devin said, meaning a number of to tumult of treets.

    Sually as before s and unexpectedly familiar, and ting to  first s quite make t. So open her eyes.

    quot;I t; someone ;ill you all do me a great courtesy and leave me alone s?”

    S voice the room.

    A door closed. t voice was Alessans.

    s be dead. t Morians er all, he dead surrounding her. She opened her eyes.

    ting on a co w in bed. Someone  ained from .

    the rush of memory was dizzying.

    Quietly, Alessan said, quot;You are alive. Erlein ing in t you  you back.”

    S  again as sruggled to deal  of life, t as s of , t-ion, as if s drift aest of breezes.

    But s. So leave. Surned  remely pale.

    quot;e t you ; ;e saside t Erlein did,  you ; ed after a moment.

    S about t. t;Did I aching happening?”

    ;It is too soon to tell for certain. I t deal of commotion in treets. If you listen you can .”

    Concentrating, s ting and running feet passing beneath

    the window.

    Alessan seemed unnaturally subdued, struggling  er t being. Sed, looking at ing t.

    ;Catriana, I cannot tell you ened I onig listen to me nory to t is somet matters very muc;  quite pin down.

    and laid  lay upon t. quot;Catriana, I do not measure your  stop doing to yourself. to redeem. You are w you are, in and of yourself.”

    t ground for  difficult of all, and s beat ched him, blue eyes on his grey ones. his long, slender fingers were covering her own.

    S;e arrive , a ory. Families matter. he was a coward and he fled.”

    Alessan sill sometrained in ;e o be so careful,quot; ;So very careful  daug co stay ry to keep t aheir children.”

    Sears starting noo blink ted talking about this.

    It  the core of all she did.

    quot;But it ; s; before ttles. Even the one we won.”

    Again  t of ress. ed  to  remember  before. tely strange about all of this.

    quot;Parents and c; ly s missed t;It is so o judge.quot; ated. quot;I dont knoold you, but my motraitor and a coward.”

    So sit up. too suddenly. Serribly old  to not t day.

    quot;; s t;You? A co . . . didnt s . . .”

    quot;S all of it,quot; ly. quot;So  is rying to say, Catriana: it is possible to differ on sucters, and to reacerrible as t one e. In think, or we are all alone.”

    Sime to pus  day, t so  nig  ly out of to till been out there somewhere, alone, when she had gone away.

    S;Did it ... did it end like t  how she died?”

    quot;S s me take  t meant . . .”

    quot;Of course it did!quot; s;Of course it did, Alessan. e all do t. e do  o say.quot; S known shing.

    o will covered  herself coloring. he

    said, quot;trut noriana. Perer all.”

    t ill beating very fast. S  after   sed not understanding  time to be traordinary ion of liger the room should have allowed.

    Figo control  absurdly afraid of  migammered, quot;I ...  to me? Please?”

    Scime, c kindled in hey moved.

    quot;; ill ;I realized t I ood, too late, , even ts possibility, ill gone. t . . . s oriana, and trutrut you are t  before you leaped I kne I loved you. Brigar of Eanna, forgive me t you are the harbor of my souls journeying.”

    Brigar of Eanna. , from tly, easily, a name among oteasing for werm of praise whe harbor of his soul.

    So be crying, silently, tears o slide slowly down her cheeks.

    quot;O; co ;I am so sorry. I am a fool. too sudden, toniger onig even know if you—”

    opped just t only because so make op.

    Sill crying, but to be t amazing brig like to rise beyond the rim of darkness.

    S  say. Sill said not speak. Srembling. S earlier tonigtle time ago sood in a castle o die. ears fell on  ot falling. S as t rialla, only neo give voice to ts days.

    ttempt at smoot. It seemed to be someted to do for a long time.  and yet never known, never acknowledged or allowed?

    quot;; s needing to speak, quot;I used to dream of this. Alessan, have I died and come back? Am I dreaming now?”

    s ted o be o offer t  t .

    But tedly, o rest it against t covering er, one t o ood; it seemed— o goddess could old t so offer er all. Sed o

    seemed to Catriana in t moment as if t nerialla in o sing. Of trials endured and trials to come, of doubt and dark and all tainties t defined ter boundaries of mortal life, but  at t all, like lig stone of a rising tower.

    tracker in Senzio, Devin learned later t nig not by to deal y t ime tory together.

    It seemed t the Barbadians had gone wild.

    Finding t to all the murderously obvious conclusions.

    ty of to tern le. t in upon Cullion of Ygratative, as ruggled into ook time about killing le.

    t back doairs and tyard to t gates and o deat t a proper searc  tain of tle Guard came into tyard o lay doheir arms.

    to most reports later, about to do so, e purposes,  tc tantly dead, one mortally racker.

    to-torc courtyard of tle, soon slippery h blood.

    tered to t man, taking some ty or forty Senzians hem.

    No one kneily doairs screaming  to stop.

    In t follo deat to going doo tarted it all. ty as t. A errified croside tle. Sly after midnig long after t ty in Senzio rode aiger under t nortoward Farsaro w was anchored.

    Catriana roubled, almost cs peace.

    Alais could not find rest too mucumult in treets and sever was happening.

    Even after Rovigo came back in and stopped at to look in on t t to be no immediate danger, Alais ill unable to sleep. too muconig none of it to  riana ed and unsettled in oddly discontinuous ways. S even  were working upon her.

    Eventually s on t t and  to sit on the open window.

    It e by t, do see too far inland—but s  anc breeze. treets even noion of tavern quarter, but noty  a curfeo be a night.

    So da ay ao see t s  for it. t a nig for her, Alais

    amended, glancing back at Catriana. Sime them had shared a room.

    home.

    S , receiving Rovigos letter of carefully p-explanation sent by courier across Astibar from t of Ardin too Senzio. S in anotrust saining, defining elements of her own world.

    S t ill dark, tars over no tting; it probably lacked several  till daion t t   nigumult in treets. In a curious, quite unexpected  served to reassure  of all else, ill continue as they always had.

    tstep on tairside. Alais leaned backedly realizing she could probably be seen from below.

    quot;?quot; sly, so as not to disturb Catri-ana.

    quot;Only me,quot; Devin said, coming up to stand on tside t umbled or rolled someoo dark to properly see ;; he asked.

    Sured, not sure o say. quot;too many t once, I suppose. Im not used to this.”

    Seet;None of us are,quot; ;Believe me. But I dont tonigo bed.”

    quot;My fat seemed to ed down.”

    Devin nodded. quot;For nole. Catriana did kill to  tracker. I t was w saved us.”

    Alais s;My fat tell me about t.”

    quot;  to disturb your nig;  o;how is she?”

    quot;S, really. Asleep.quot; Sered t Catriana  concern, t caring, tonigonighin her mind.

    quot;And ; Devin asked, in a different tone, turning back to  altered, deeper voice t made it difficult for o breathe.

    quot;Im fine too, ly.”

    quot;I kno; ;Actually, you are a great deal more t, Alais.quot; ated for a moment, seeming suddenly aand t, until o kiss ime, if you counted tairs, but te amazingly unlike t. For one t   in her hair.

    eadily. Alais opened ened, steps  past in t running as before. t, looking at eac. ;It is ... till to morning. You sry to sleep, Alais. t deal o come.”

    Sated anot, turned to er landing toh Alessan and Erlein.

    Sting  tness of tars, letting  gradually sloy and o o someone scion, t voice  deal. And it ouc o o t it and relive t of t kiss, a most astonishing.

    Sill smiling urned to er all, for t fely altered  long night.

    All t day everyone ed. A pall of doom like smoke y treasurer attempted to assert control in tle, but to take orders from ed confrontations  on all day. By time someone t to go doaken away; no one knew where or by whose orders.

    ty ground to a . Men and reets, feeding on rumor, c every corner a different story  Rinaldo, t Dukes broto ty to take command in tle; by tale, but no one he man.

    A restless, nervous darkness fell. treets remained cro no one in Senzio could sleep. t hrough a clear sky.

    Outside Soling all inside—to . Songs not sung since Casalia o o be called Governor instead yrants to advise ed out from Solingo ted summer nigoars.

    Just after da. Before noon t ed anch a favorable wind.

    ar had come.

    All to t taverns and treets and began tedly, to temples of triad.

    In t deserted front room of Soling afternoon one man continued to play tregean pipes, faster and faster and  forgotten tune.