tER At SUNRISE ts and Devin entered tigana for t time since her had carried him away as a child.
Only t struggling musicians came into Loe, te for engagements of any kind, ter tyrants inerant performers of t Loe meant bad luck and t.
It as if tory knoeans ally . It did not make for a congenial setting, tists of talking it over in taverns or or Corte. Only tured to take t sad province in t. By time Devin raveling for a very long time and ation to be able to esc particular one of the nine provinces.
too; no one really understood it, but travelers of titious lot and, given an alternative, feure into a place e. Everyone kneories.
So t time for Devin. t ing for t of passage, kno since t Sinave nortime ago, to be near, knoher side.
And no pale ligo t stretcs, and t of t it, o tigana.
And o to to respond. scattered and confused. rollably a fe ligion restlessly at work. I’ll be old he land where I was born.
No past t claimed tops of rees and finally batime world as far as he could see.
It tains visible beyond. its a stream. It froze for a minute, co flee.
tando, too.
told s and ried to picture it: , one of t beside aken turns—in t goods t darkened by smoke and fires on the horizon.
It seemed a false picture in some exactly false, it migrue, it migly true, but Devin didnt knos, no ory. t it . It really even tigana they rode. he had never
even name until alone any stories, legends, cs past.
te; so all his life.
tled. Beside able. Ahem Alessan was riding alone.
said a he border.
ed be. ted and absolute and sruly his home.
ever Alessan . It ally actual, trampled fabric of ried, riding to imagine be feeling. t only just: a guess more t of all to a place w speaking now.
itled, Devin t, craigained in front of titled to ude, even kno.
And t of ruggling adjustment to o to w ill e.
And somes of a long er of t, and of listening in silence as older and t and be t person to find in a single man ts for traction or a dream.
It t Devin felt somet trings of as if it be seemed to Devin t t drumming rings as they galloped.
tiny ing for t in riad Games t took place every t ttered, it could make a difference. t ter of events in time. Devin felt someting and bearing o tide, trom of ture. Into w w was over.
ime Devin smiled back at ual, reflexive irony leave t. Devin almost felt sorry for the man again.
Impulsively o Erleins broo squeeze ther mans shoulder.
quot;ere going to do it!quot; ly, almost gaily.
Erleins face seemed to pincself toget;You are a fool,quot; ersely. quot;A young, ignorant fool.quot; conviction tinctive response.
Devin laughed aloud.
Later too. er under t, blue cloudless sky. Forests and tains on t and in tance before t glimpse of ting ribbon floly norts curve to find the
sea.
tuary of Eanna lay in a ering and isolating circle of of t far from t rade back and fortigana and Quileia the Sfaroni Pass.
In all nine provinces Eannas priests and Morians, and tesses of Adaon reats.
Founded in out-of-ts of times dramatically so—ters of learning and teaciated clergy, repositories of riad, and as places of s and priestesses side for a time or for a lifetime.
And not just ty imes do t;contributionsquot; t e offerings for tering for a space of days or years of treats.
Many led people to tuaries. It t tesses of Adaon birtors in ters of distinguis elected to sojourn at one of treats at times t mig for t an indeterminately age of ters left beurned to tayed to Morian. te-robed priests of Eanna to do tories belying t, as well.
Little of tyrants came. Neito stir up triad against ts and tesses o do as ted tive as it migo the new rulers from overseas.
botyrants did do, er or lesser success, emples against eac to see—tensions and ilities t rippled and flared among triad. t, in eacion, to turn ting tion to . Many patterns mig c all recognition, and some mig or forgotten entirely, but not t te, reciprocal dance of state and clergy.
And so temples still stood, and t important ones still flourisatuary, and tments for services. Save in one place only: in Loe, ues and ted and burned. t of somet after t years of tyrants. Even in ted province, to continue ty and touaries.
And to treats came a great variety of men and ime to time. It only to ride or be carried aurbulence of times of strife, uaries ous eyries or in ty valleys.
And t—for a price—suco ted reats sucs valley, could be time. For a lifetime. ies beyond the hills.
have been.
For a time, for a lifetime, t, looking out t the valley in
sunlig springs return. So keep s from going back. ting for and so little of ter season falling to t birds, arros, time t was her own, and her only one.
A lifetime of remembering, by curle dao prayer, by candlelig dusk, by sigraigo ers ers end, by t nigo prayer again, by drone of priests at prayer, by a star falling in tern cold dark of tion of t borne by t to bring one to te-robed priests es and ttiness, and tance of hem all.
is o Danoleon—-p say about growt.
tions and a flus doion tled and ouceady and t unpleasant weariness.
ed grief in , not caring w was w be dying.
quot;It ; ly. quot;It oo far. I save you. thing I can do.”
quot;; she had asked. her only words.
old rong she was.
rong? Srong. More so t by far. S to leave, and t ts o tate nortevanien.
As it ually knoity s for a time. A fair-o laugh.
Melina bren tonaro. A . She Sea when word came of Second Deisa.
tion y: Danoleons suggestion. Almost nineteen years ago. t aking away, heir dreams carried in his person, a hope living so long as he lived.
S ime ago. Sonaro and o tuary of Eanna in its high valley above Avalle.
Above Stevanien.
ed. ted for t boy to groo a man suc a descendant in direct line of Micaela and to do.
ed. Season after season; s birds falling from the sky.
Until last autumn, wold rong.
S t at trees. t once; e season for riding. As a girl, as a o t fall leaves she would ever see.
Surned s and o calculate. Days and montic time to be sure of it. So Danoleon, not t oo soon.
Not until ter, beginning to melt from t and instruct o tter sed sent to ts— began this spring.
Sions. Many times.
Simed it very by cing to protest, to dissuade, to speak of dangers and circumspection. But t from under , s in tless and t t on ted patiently for o meet last, as sance.
o reaty to t co come bid o Morian. Especially o w so dreams of her people?
Danoleon promised to e tter and sent. Ser out. S to see o her.
ttle t ill cold t day. Outside, tle drifting folds in t upon it but s, unexpectedly, since everyt once, not ever, so break and fall on te sands of ts along the curving beach.
So Pasitigana bren Serazi. Once a princess in a palace by ting, as er near tains turned to spring in t year.
quot;t, ; said Alessan. quot;A ne use my name. Not ; aken on t nighis had all begun for him.
t in t of afternoon. ts point. And norees and grass touc green-gold of spring. A tributary stream, s-running ing snoed nort out of t. temple dome in t of tuary gleamed silver in tance.
quot; name, t; Erlein asked quietly. one or t know.
quot;Adreano,quot; ter a moment. quot;I am Adreano dAstibar today. I for triump, joyous homecoming.”
Devin remembered t deat er, after t;Sandreni Elegies.quot; t and t a day to probe. If o try, someo make t kno doing t t badly out of h again, his
earlier rusement fading before the Princes manner.
Soutoains above Castle Borso. ter did not retreat so sly toured footered east running of trees. A grey for a moment, almost motionless, before against tuary seemed to lie s y, he world.
Devin kne so.
t o tigana. Brandin of Ygrato Alessan if trayed and taken after so many years. ain pass: Do you trust this message?
Devin rusted ts of Eanna in oo s subtle of t apt to steer events to t lie out of sigions as of a goddess, find it easier to take t everyone kne all across triad riple understanding yrants from abroad: tive silence, tacit complicity, bougo preserve tes t mattered more to t seemed, the Palm.
Even before meeting Alessan, Devin s about t. On t of t speaking s of o t it, to be a great many nuances to ts of to olid fat time to path.
rack finally s o ting touary in t one outer rees began on eito early leaf. Beyond ts and some of ts, clad not in te of ceremony, but in nondescript robes of beige, beginning t t ers end. One man , clear tenor voice.
tern gates of tuary complex ar-symbol of Eanna. tes enclosed tuary oervals around t, o and adversity. Set emple s as to tes and passed hin.
Just inside Alessan pulled o a . From aance over to t ted sound of cer. In an open, grassy field set beyond a stable and a large residence unics icks and a ball, supervised by a young priest in the beige work-robes.
Devin calgia. o to cut and carry maracco stick. And tes more often —snatcicks and one of ttered succession of balls Nico iently oget of layers and layers of cloto the
barnyard, pretending team at triad Games.
quot;I scored four times one game in my last year of temple sc; Erlein di Senzio said in a musing voice. quot;Ive never forgotten it. I doubt I ever will.”
Surprised and amused, Devin glanced over at turned in o look back as er a moment tance ts and laug trangers er ting of the snow.
t ts and co in pens on tral avenue. Some distance in front of trance to temple and beside it on t and a little beory— for in all uaries ts of Eanna tracked and observed tars she had named.
t many priests and servants moving about tering and leaving temple itself, able gardens Devin could see beyond tory. From t direction as akable clanging of a blacksmito be caug one, circling lazily against the blue.
Alessan dismounted and Devin and Erlein did t as ts came up to t almost exactly t. tured at himself and his colleague.
quot;Not mucing party, Im afraid. e expecting visitors t admit. No one even noticed you riding do o Eannas Sanctuary, o us. May t; he had a cheerful manner and an easy smile.
Alessan returned t;May so be , ain o deal ing. e actually our entrance routines yet. And as for early in to get moving sooner tabliso starve.”
quot;You are musical performers?quot; t asked eet to have been.
quot;e are,quot; said Alessan tempt at a grand manner. quot;My name is Adreano dAstibar. I play tregean pipes, and tell you truly, you il youve listened to our young companion Devin dAsoli.”
t laug;Oo ter sco give a lesson to my coric.”
quot;Id do better to teac; Alessan smiled. quot;If music is part of your program here.”
ts moutc;Formal music,quot; ;t Morian, after all.”
quot;Of course,quot; said Alessan ily. quot;Very formal music for t for ts of t; he arched one of his dark eyebrows.
quot;I ,quot; said t, smiling again, quot;to a preference for Rauders early music myself.”
quot;And no one plays it better t; Alessan said smoot;I can see place. So t?”
quot;You s; said t smiling. ying trings at ;Ill take you to to commit assault upon eacrol at all over them?”
Savandi spun to look, se unpriestly fasoing imprecations. From tance it did indeed seem to Devin t ticks ly at variance ed rules of the game.
Devin saw Erlein grinning as che wizards lean face changed when he smiled.
rue one, not ten used to indicate a sour, superior disdain.
t, grim-faced, pulled neatly, and draped it over one of t s make out and anot time—ily emerged from tables on t.
quot;take t; t ordered bluntly. quot;See t t to t house.”
quot;Ill keep my pipes,quot; Alessan said quickly.
quot;And I my ; Erlein added. quot;No lack of trust, you understand, but a musician and rument...”
t able manner. quot;As you ; was all he said.
quot;Come. My name is torre, I am ter of tuary. You must be brougo t.quot; urned and set off ing for to t of temple.
Devin and Erlein looked at eacorre and Alessan, passing a number of ots and lay servants, most making up for ted guide.
t up to temple. torre opped, Alessan beside er looked around, quite casually, t as casually:
420 tIGANA quot;trust no one. Speak truto none but Danoleon or myself. ted. e t it , per s oday.”
quot;t. ifying,quot; said Alessan in an odd voice.
Devin felt suddenly cold. Off to t, in ter a ly, ting. ternoon invocations. ts in formal e direction, arm in arm, disputing animatedly.
quot;tc; torre said clearly, pointing as ;Over t.”
quot;Of course ely, as Alessan said nothing.
ts sloered trangers and truments, and on. quot;Just over ts ; torre continued, quot;beyond tcer school.”
ts, resuming t, s briskly around t led to t of temple.
torre fell silent. tly, ;Eanna be praised for gracious love. May all tongues give last.”
Devin sorre to Alessan. An uncontrollable sears, brig sunligers eyes.
Alessan made no reply. see er, tes of a sung prayer.
quot;Sill alive t; Alessan asked, looking up at last.
quot;S; said torre emotionally. quot;Sill alive. S; finisence.
quot;t in to spill tears like a c; Alessan said s;Enoug, unless you me dead.”
torre gulped. quot;Forgive me,quot; ;Forgive me, my lord.”
quot;No! Not my lord. Not even ; Alessans voice ake me to Danoleon.”
ter raig;; managing one again. rode up th.
quot;Good,quot; Alessan murmured to t, from be;Very good, my friend.quot; trailing torres at t Erlein but time tful, did not return the look.
tcer scs, sent o be educated—udy and sleep. All across teac of tion of tuaries vied o draudent boarders—and thers money.
It udents in tuary in Loe doing very well.
On t, e could afford Sanctuary sc se or C up c send o be educated? Loe ants, but it a place to put
dos. ed to be rooted in te?
torre led teps of a covered portico and ts o be open to ter ttered past.
tood in a large, ting-room. A ed tern end and a number of comfortable cables . Crystal decanters on a sideboard y of no books. t to stand, disconcertingly empty. tigana old about t.
Arcern and ern to porc could be caug eve.
On t certainly leading to the bedchamber.
tatues oo ous silver stars of Eanna served for painted decoration on the walls.
to ts came out.
t not unduly so, to see ter ing ors. One man -and-pepper ray of of ed on a t his neck.
It t Devin stared, t s staff of office. tention even it, Devin t, gazing at t o be Danoleon.
t raige covered e as ne teness of raig in t taff of office as if it ch.
If t, a t of Eanna in tigana men he fall.
t from today; rationally. It y years ago, even so, it o feel daunted in turned from Danoleon to Alessan: sligurely silvered c, dusty, road-stained riding clothes he wore.
But o t Danoleon Devin realized, o pain, rut prince of tigana, soutains all those years ago.
And time. tired man no, trying to deal . Devin found ing for t about t years t umbled and spun and drifted like leaves or snohen and now.
and-big. to be so many trutions of late, ting to be grasped and claimed, just out of reach.
quot;e s,quot; torre said in ;three musicians, a newly formed company.”
quot;; t ray grunted ;Neo be to venture remember t time someone of any talent suary. Can you t clear a room of people, eh?”
quot;It depends on t; said Alessan mildly.
Danoleon smiled, to be trying not to. urned to t. quot;Idrisi, it is just barely possible t if .quot; ted iny of t placid blue gaze.
Danoleon turned back to t;You ; ;e ing nely, and rigient in some pain. Idrisi di Corte, ends to be distressed whe case.”
Privately, Devin doubted if distress o do ean priests rudeness, but ed Danoleons apology bow.
quot;I am sorry to ,quot; o Idrisi. quot;Is it possible ients.quot; , Devin noted, tioned. It o be an accident t Danoleon e.
t;As you please. Sainly not sleeping, and it can do no out of my
my will.
Not t I can do very mucruto Morian no; urned to Danoleon.
quot;If tire , fine. If s is a blessing. I onight, unless I have word from you before.”
quot;ill you not stay to ; Alessan asked. quot;e might surprise you.”
Idrisi grimaced. quot;I onighe dining hall, perhaps. Surprise me.”
ed smile, gone as quickly as it appeared, and past tated strides out the door.
t silence.
quot;; Danoleon said softly, almost apologetically.
quot;ean,quot; torre muttered darkly.
t s;; ed. quot;It angers ; back to Alessan. ed a little on aff. o speak.
quot;My lord, my name is Adreano dAstibar,quot; Alessan said firmly. quot;tevanien.quot; ed. Danoleons blue eyes Devin. quot;And t; Alessan finis;is our friend Erlein di Senzio, ws of his hands.”
As Erlein, and to t t was a very old man.
quot;Eanna guard us all,quot; torre whem.
Alessan looked pointedly around at to t;ticular patient is near deatake it?”
Danoleons gaze, Devin t, seemed to be devouring Alessan. t palpable , tarving man. quot;Im afraid s; one steady only h an
obvious effort. quot;I s be able to emple. too far away.”
Alessan nodded o igs and rolled. ed tregean pipes in t them.
quot;t sounds as if ternoon prayers are done.”
ting opped. In ter scill running and laug. Devin could ated, unsure of ;Per like to play alone for hey may help her fall asleep.”
Danoleon Ales-san turned back to look at Devin, and t Erlein. his expression was veiled, unreadable.
quot;?quot; lengt;ould you abandon me so soon after our company is formed?quot; And tly: quot;t you cannot kno you should hear.”
quot;But s; Devin protested, feeling somet of balance. quot;S; opped himself.
Alessans eyes range.
quot;S; ;I kno is o be some neer .”
urned and oanding just before it. Alessan stopped before t and t eac he cheek.
t past t and dreeadying breated a o run it t stopped himself. A queer smile crossed his face as if chasing a memory.
quot;A bad , t,quot; o no one in particular. t in and they followed him.
ts bedc as large as tting room in t, but its furnisarkly simple. ts, a ing desk, a trunk for storage, a small privy set apart in tern corner. to t room, s, despite tains drao admit some slanting ligicoes to t.
tar of Eanna it too s in the four corners, and a pine headboard.
It y.
Devin, nervously follo ted to see a dying tle embarrassed, to jumped from t fall.
quot;rangers?”
Alessan urned unerringly to ered t sense, Devin never knew —and so rolled and unsurprised w cold voice
spoke. Or and by one of t do, raig all of them.
Pasitigana bren Serazi, o Valentin t y in beauty still s t portal of Morian. Sall and very t of t, clearly, o ting s to translucence, t into too siff collar self uating ural, ot , so Morian and ther shore.
But t , a style long out of fase certainty t current faso t t, unsettling appraisal, before moving on to Erlein, and ting, finally, upon her son.
t seen since een years old.
ttering and cold, one and set just beloed, fierce and c of t before s even ing for an anso question—Devin realized t hose eyes was rage.
It face, in t o the arms of her chair.
An inner fire of anger t
ale.
Devin so of range. A moment later bothing.
even tion been meant to be ansh.
For a long time, a sequence of moments t seemed to speaking, e, imperious features quite unreadable. At last, sloher was such a handsome man.”
Devin flinc tone, but Alessan seemed scarcely to react at all. . quot;I knorain must just before it got to me.”
read a message turn, murmured someto torre he room.
to stand guard in front, Devin realized, feeling a ce t been spoken could kill t Erlein and sa t of its case. ook a position near tern ly began tuning rument.
Of course, Devin t: Erlein kneo play for a dying muc now.
quot;Musicians,quot; tempt to ;o play a jingle for me noo sant to ease a mot; t unbearable in one.
Alessan did not move, too ray ension t too casual stance, ted simulation of ease.
quot;If it ; ly. quot;time I can remember w of music would indeed you pleasure.”
ttered coldly. quot;time for music. han name.”
quot;O; said Alessan, a little s;true men and ormed ts of C terror at termination. Mot let it rest, even no of our family and een years.quot; ened, greedly a;Must , can our speecters en so many times?”
t and grim, implacable as t had come for her.
quot;No, not t,quot; s;I so muco e. I summoned you o receive a mothers dying curse upon your blood.”
quot;No!quot; Devin exclaimed before op himself.
In took a long stride for;My lady, no indeed,quot; ;t—”
quot;I am dying,quot; Pasiterrupted s of brigural color in ;I do not o listen to you anymore, Danoleon. to anyone. ait, you told me, all tient, you said. ell, I ime for patience. I s for me. I ime to linger ties at rustic weddings.”
t jangling of rings.
quot;t,quot; said Erlein di Senzio from tern ;is ignorant and unfair!quot; opped, as if startled by burst. quot;triad kno is noo me rying to kill Brandin of Ygrato be perfectly frank, does not surprise me at all in this province!”
t no one. In t followed Alessan finally moved. illness ural, now o hers chair.
quot;You ; ;Remember? I . In many rying to kill tyrant in Cervention. Do you knoo speak of it at nig, ion on ter deats name restored because of us.”
ic in its cadences. Devin sao till as marble, as expressionless and cold. Devin moved quietly totempt to quell t ill by tly, single notes and random c quite a tune.
quot;But ; Alessan on, and an urgency, a terrible need to be understood o ;And one Midsummers Eve Marius became Year King in Quileia, er t . Baerd and I began to learn some true t po time, building and building, a t, a dream, larger and deeper trying to kill a tyrant. e came back to to travel. As musicians, yes. And as artisans, mercs, ates one time in a triad Game year, as
masons and builders, guards to a Senzian banker, sailors on a dozen different merc-s even before tains, it ask in life o be. About ried. You kno, Danoleon knoe you years ago anding . It o take botyrants toget t again be free.”
eady passion t;I remember. I remember t letter came. And I ell you again e you to t s castle in Certando: you es freedom, and Astibars and tregeas at tiganas name. Of our very existence in t t of everyt the price of vengeance and our pride.”
quot;Our pride,quot; Alessan ecly no;O our pride, motaug I learned someter, as a man. In my exile. I learned about Astibars pride. About Senzios and Asolis and Certandos. I learned yrants came.”
quot;t; Pasit; is ter. is a peninsula t we s?”
quot; is tigana?quot; Erlein di Senzio asked bluntly, in his hands.
Pasit;I ; so tion; no one old Erlein, s in minutes from a scattering of clues.
S;tigana is t of poo t cer. And no nig descendant of t union is in tire past of ; Sment. quot;Falling tion at stake in this!”
S in up from urn t beside her Alessan bowed his head.
Erlein di Senzio, from too far to see t;And sell you tibars? ill you ory of Eanna on tars from tandos claim to be t and soul of t alkers in two hundred years ago?”
traig ing errible to he face of so much courage and such a force of will.
quot;But t is t,quot; sly, sparing rengt;t is t of t see it? I do remember tories. Anyone ion or a library, any fool imental y different songs of Eanna and Adaon on Sangarios. Not us, t you see? Not tigana anymore. ars by to sing, wion he world?”
quot;I ; said Devin, his sides.
urned to fix ;e all ; he
said, as firmly as to t;t song again, my lady. Because your son is not a corying for to do it. Somet o do o the world.”
later, ification. Pasiter turned into anote fit of coug deal of blood stain. Sc to steady herself.
quot;You are a c; s;And my son is a c t Baerd bar Saevar is exactly ts her had.
Somet; ser ice: quot;Do you infants he Palm?”
Sloand before ;e s. e idings. is it?”
quot;I told you t; Danoleon said quickly. quot;But I o give you the—”
quot;I am pleased,quot; Pasiterrupted. quot;So very pleased. It seems I still o tell my son before I leave learned or t out all by ; S again in t like frost under blue moonlig in rying to break terrible fear, and of more t;A messenger came yesterday at sunset, at tevanien Brandin it by o all ructions to spread tidings.”
quot;And tidings are?quot; Alessan o receive a blow.
quot;tidings? tidings, my feckless c Brandin abdicated as King of Ygrath.
o stay become citizens of tern Palm. Ce, Asoli, Loe. Four provinces under Brandin on t axes are to be s in half.
Beginning yesterday. Cut by considerably more te. Our burden treets of Stevanien.”
Alessan, moving very carefully, as if mig and fall, turned toward Danoleon. ho was nodding his head.
quot;It seems t tion attempt on t; t said.
quot;Originating in Ygrat. It apparently failed only because of one of ribute ando arted a , teen years ago? It seems t in t staying in t tigana and about be done in Ygratinues here.”
quot;And o continue ; Pasit;tigana ill be lost forever to our people yrants name as it dies. ther.”
Alessan o be listening, as if irely inside in t, looking at
greill in tside, far arolled ss and laugo tened to t distant mirtried to slo, to attempt to deal t heard.
Erlein, o troubled and ried desperately to to gattered ts, but t ted, it? Except t it . Brandin aying, t free of of igana? of tigana now?
And te unexpectedly, t. A distracting, niggling augging at telling hing he should know, should remember.
t o place. In fact . . .
In fact, ly w was wrong.
Devin closed , figly as ern anding all time.
Alessan to ;t c deal. Im going to need time to t t I believe it may actually ruly be a gift not a curse.”
quot;; ;tyrants name in treets of Avalle!”
Devin te pain at t of t cry, but o keep moving. A terrifying certainty hin him.
quot;I and. But dont you see?quot; Alessan dropped to again, close to ;to fig feay ... o do you tibar will do whis?”
quot;; Pasitly. quot;Alberico is a timorous man spun neck-deep in o tiara. At least a quarter of tay oppressed people in t do you t imagine an army can be raised in Ce and Asoli to fig Barbadior for a man whis peninsula?”
Shan before.
Devin didnt kno even begin to guess. tely sed, t and played hing else.
s ledge t of . for t time ted it. tions, offered a quick prayer to Eanna and, on t to tico. ill coug.
umbled and fell, craso a pillar o in time to see a figure in beige robes leap up from a crouc a , a blind, t-obliterating rage rising in oo uproarious in t them alone.
Only time t this room.
Alessan t behind him.
quot;Savandi!quot; Devin gasped. quot;ening!quot; ter ting moment of tever Rinaldo to Certandan barn. t over e need to catcher man.
ed tone balustrade at tico breaking stride. Savandi, sprinting for all touary grounds. In tance on t Devin could see tted eets! ching, even now?
If Alessans identity became knole doubt ly t kno all about w would hen.
And t, one t terrified o even greater speed, legs pumping, if Savandi could link to t if Brandins spy could directly contact him in Chiara now?
Devin cursed in t but not aloud, sparing a small building on t and cut s, about ty strides a of temple itself.
Devin sped around to be seen. , seized by panic. to temple coming into green on t.
t spot. to ching his arms and face.
ered area, large, beautifully serene, gracefully laid out, ain at ter. ime to value suc t corner ter gave onto anotico and a long building t noing up teps to tico and to t one second-story cloister.
Running flat out for temple for t t of Eanna but could not venture doo her larger dome.
ook teps to tico in one flying leap and burst the doorway, knife in hand.
follo arget for an ambuso lie in .
t would hough—which only increased his deeper fear.
to be racing aself, tcory or t t expect really be o escape.
, in turn, t to try to do, if Devin gave ime.
to a long corridor and a stair of sig Devin, glancing doo Eanna: running across ter t rail akable on tone floor and it do up tairs.
Devin sped in pursuit, flying doo a left turn around a corner at t intervals all along and an arcrance to temple at te end. Most of t of ty.
But t s corridor o one closed door; Savandis trail led topped.
Devin clutc the heavy wood. Locked. Immovable.
Sobbing for breato for t of since Marra aug locks. ed and tried to s rembling. S streamed into furiously a t t roy them all.
An exterior door opened beeps the hallway.
it looking up, Devin said: quot;touchis door!”
quot;It is done!quot; came a voice ;It is open. Go!”
Devin flung a glance over anding th a sword in his hand.
Springing to Devin ted to truments on tables. Savandi emples, visibly straining to concentrate.
quot;Plague rot your soul!quot; Devin screamed at top of o snap awake. able beside him.
.
Still screaming, Devin s eyes. in a , grinding against bone ion. ts moutonis. , ward from hen he died.
Devin released ing for breat emple. and ill shaking.
Erlein o stand beside Devin.
quot;Did . . . did ; Devin found t even speak properly.
quot;No.quot; t;You came in time. link. No message .”
Devin stared do taring eyes and t o betray this?
quot; ; ill ster on tabletop.
quot;I follo until I lost you around temple. traced Savandis aura here.”
quot;e came ter. rying to shake me.”
quot;I can see t. Youre bleeding again.”
quot;Doesnt matter.quot; Devin took a deep breatsteps in tside. quot;his for us?”
Erlein looked defensive for an instant, but quickly regained ;For you? Dont be a fool, Devin. I die if Alessan does. Im bound, remember? tion. Nothing else.”
Devin looked up at ing to say sometant, but just tsteps reacered quickly orre close beaking in the scene.
quot;rying to mind-link ; Devin said. quot;Erlein and I got to ime.”
Erlein made a dismissive sound. quot;Devin did. But I o use a spell to follo trong enougo dratention, but in case tracker any moving before morning.”
Danoleon seemed not to Savandis body. tears on his face.
quot;Dont e your grief on a carrion bird,quot; torre said harshly.
quot;I must,quot; t said softly, leaning upon aff. quot;I must. Dont you understand? he was born in Avalle. he was one of us.”
Devin abruptly turned sick to omac by a resurgence of te fury t o kill so violently. One of us. ibar in trayed by o be ill. One of us.
Erlein di Senzio laugo fists. And t h.
t silence.
Danoleon dreo be dealt ory raced to our guests. torre, er dark, wh him.”
quot; dinner,quot; torre said.
quot;No . You are ter. You e ternoon. o see fits, just after t often enoug alo unately for Savandi, time o be killed by someone on t outside our valley.”
to ts voice t Devin t t. t to to do. Loyal to ture, true to t cause. ogethem.
Savandi . Devin searc grieve for s corrosive treaco , apped some violence of passion Devin knohin him.
Almost exactly, suddenly, t Alienor of Castle Borso sphere of life.
Or, per t of t so very different after all. But t oo oo dangerous a knot to try to untie just noaring presence of deat Danoleon.
quot;; ; he follow?”
But even before come.
t looked do ;ill in my c may be over by now.”
quot;No,quot; Devin said. quot;O; And rose, and to to t tern dooro ting lige afternoon, and began, again, to run.
Along temple dome, past ttle garden noticed coming o ts o tico bets like a ball of o ttle Savandi, past t all t longing, to s came.
But time re nor in t. It moved on, and tter or for by, darkness fell and lingered and gave o lig daer eacriads grace, and they died.
And they died.
Alessan ill in till on , but beside t by time along the curving sky.
Devin ed to somes t Alessan mig alone, not day in tigana since ime y years ime had run and he was home again.
And s bed. Alessans tly as one mig but would fly away forever if released.
Devin must t.
Devin ac felt bruised, besieged. e to time as t Baerd o do better than he.
; ime.quot; Alessan nodded, ackno doo been before. As it very likely been for t long years of ime, moving inexorably foraking pride. taking love.
quot;Im sorry,quot; Devin said. quot;Alessan, Im so sorry.”
t terribly far a. Instead, after anot, ion of acceptance, of s they all knew so well.
Devin suddenly felt as if bear it anymore. Alessans quiet acquiescence orn open, ruto t like a coo large for y.
In t in silence by ternoon sent lig to fall upon covered her grey eyes.