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PROLOGUE

A Silence of Three Parts

IT WAS NIGHT AGAIN The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts

The s that were lacking If there had been a wind it would have sighed through the trees, set the inn’s sign creaking on its hooks, and brushed the silence down the road like trailing autumn leaves If there had been a crowd, even a handful of men inside the inn, they would have filled the silence with conversation and laughter, the clatter and cla the dark hours of night If there had been music…but no, of course there was no s, and so the silence remained

Inside the Waystone a pair of men huddled at one corner of the bar They drank with quiet deter news In doing this they added a ser, hollow one It made an alloy of sorts, a counterpoint

The third silence was not an easy thing to notice If you listened for an hour, you in to feel it in the wooden floor underfoot and in the rough, splintering barrels behind the bar It was in the weight of the black stone hearth that held the heat of a long dead fire It was in the slow back and forth of a white linen cloth rubbing along the grain of the bar And it was in the hands of the any that already gleaht

The man had true-red hair, red as flame His eyes were dark and distant, and hes

The Waystone was his, just as the third silence was his This was appropriate, as it was the greatest silence of the three, wrapping the others inside itself It was deep and wide as autureat river-smooth stone It was the patient, cut-flower sound of ato die

CHAPTER ONE

A Place for Demons

IT WAS FELLING NIGHT, and the usual crowd had gathered at the Waystone Inn Five wasn’t much of a crowd, but five was aswhat they were

Old Cob was filling his role as storyteller and advice dispensary The men at the bar sipped their drinks and listened In the back rooht behind the door, s as he listened to the details of a familiar story

“When he awoke, Taborlin the Great found hih tower They had taken his sword and stripped hione But that weren’t even the worst of it, you see…” Cob paused for effect, “…cause the la blue!”

Graham, Jake, and Shep nodded to the to Cob’s stories and ignoring his advice

Cob peered closely at the newer, more attentive member of his small audience, the smith’s prentice “Do you knohat that meant, boy?” Everyone called the smith’s prentice “boy” despite the fact that he was a hand taller than anyone there S what they are, he would most likely remain “boy” until his beard filled out or he bloodied someone’s nose over the matter

The boy gave a slow nod “The Chandrian”

“That’s right,” Cob said approvingly “The Chandrian Everyone knows that blue fire is one of their signs Noas—”

“But how’d they find him?” the boy interrupted “And why din’t they kill him when they had the chance?”

“Hush now, you’ll get all the answers before the end,” Jake said “Just let him tell it”

“No need for all that, Jake,” Graham said “Boy’s just curious Drink your drink”

“I drank ru rats in the back roo hollowly on the top of the any bar “Hoy! We’re thirsty men in here!”

The innkeeper appeared with five bowls of stew and tarm, round loaves of bread He pulledwith an air of bustling efficiency

The story was set aside while the men tended to their dinners Old Cob tucked away his bowl of steith the predatory efficiency of a lifeti steam off their bohen he finished the last of his loaf and returned to his story