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"I&039;ll e," Isana said For a moment, the terror and pain and panic of those around her seemed to rise up in a wave that threatened to drown her The corpses of the Marat lay on the floor, twisted and stiffening, their expressions agonized She heard herself letting out a low, unsteady laugh "I&039;ll et to him"

Frederic sed and nodded "Yes, Mistress"

She fought to take a deep breath, to control the eh her "Hold the door, Frederic Keep them safe" Then she walked out the door of the barracks as quickly as she could and started toward the far courtyard again

The battle, it see down Corpses and the wounded lay everywhere She watched as a Herdbane Marat ca around a corner, only to be ridden down by a pair of Marat on horses, spears run through his back as he fled A blood-s ripping at one of its hind legs, bringing the beast to ground, while its rider leapt from its back and spun, spear in hand, to face the wolf

Isana pressed on, past the coionare shouted to her to get inside She ignored him and pressed on into the eastern had been worst, and the carnage was greatest Not only had the dead been laid out here earlier in the day, but now hundreds h here and there the red and gold of a Rivan legionare&039;s tunic stood out fro the pale barbarian bodies She could have walked to the far side of the courtyard without setting a foot on its stones

She began to pick her way across the courtyard, twice dodging aside as Marat fled past her, heading for the broken gates, eyes wild and panicked She stayed out of their way and let theh the corpses, hooves crushing indiscriate Here and there, the wounded stirred, dragged the, or waited quietly to die The place was thick with the smell of blood, with the septic stink of ruptured bellies, and Isana&039;s head i by

the time she reached the broken section of wall, where she had last seen Tavi

She had to crawl over aherself for what she was afraid she would see: her brother, dead on the stones Fade, hanging at the end of a rope, strangled, or his neck broken Tavi above, bled to death

Instead, she found Bernard laying quietly against the base of the wall His mail shirt had been unbelted and rolled away from where the mercenary&039;s sword had pierced him, and the skin there was pink and smooth- newly crafted whole She stu for his throat She found his pulse, slow and steady and strong

Tears blurred her eyes, even as she heardfrom his seat not far away His throat was raw and abraded, his sleeve stained with blood, but the cut upon it had been crafted closed, pink skin clean and al

"Fade," Isana breathed "How?"

The slave turned his face up toward the battlements "Tavi," he said, voice thick with tension "They&039;re with him up there"

Gravel pattered down around her,Isana look up

Odiana stood upon the wall, staring down, her expression detached, dark eyes so at a coil of knotted rope beside her, and it unwound, falling down to buainst the wall beside Isana&039;s head

"Come up," Odiana said

"What have you done with him?" Isana demanded

"You know I can&039;t hear you," the water witch replied "Coe of the battlements

Isana looked at Fade and reached for the rope The slave stepped closer, his expression serious, and put his hands on her waist, lifting her as she began to climb

Isana reached the top of the wall to find Odiana standing over the un for steadily Isana went to Tavi&039;s side at once, reaching down to touch his face, to brush an errant curl back fro in the terror and the fear of the past several days that demanded tears to fill the void She didn&039;t bother to craft them away

"Happily reunited," Odiana murmured "There" The woman turned to walk toward the rope, evidently in preparation to climb back down it

"Why?" Isana asked, her voice choked She looked up at the water witch "You saved them Why?"

Odiana tilted her head to one side, eyes focused on Isana&039;s mouth "Why? Why, indeed" She shook her head "You could have killed me at Kordholt Or siiven irl You did not It deserved a reply This is mine"

"I don&039;t understand"

"Saving your life would have been a s the lives of your blood is another matter You love the boy as a son You love him so much it hurts my eyes The Steadholder Even the slave They are iive you their lives Our scale is balanced Do not expect it again"

Isana nodded "What about the girl?"

Odiana sighed "I was hoping she would die, out of general principles, but she&039;ll live I neither helped nor hurt her Take that as you would"

"Thank you"

The water witch shrugged and enuine warain, Isana"

And with that, she descended the rope, and once at the bottom walked briskly across the courtyard, deeper into Garrison, eyes wary

Isana turned her back on the departing mercenary and knelt down to touch Tavi&039;s forehead, to send Rill gently into the boy, to assure her of his health She sensed that he was in pain and that he would need a ht, but that the water witch had ensured that he would live to be treated

There was a scraping of leather on stone behind her, and Fade hauled hi at it reproachfully after "Tavi?"

"He&039;s all right," Isana whispered "He&039;s going to be all right"

Fade put a hand on Isana&039;s shoulder, silently "He is brave Like his father"

Isana glanced up at Fade and smiled, wearily "The battle? Is it over?"

Fade nodded, looking down over the courtyard, the gates "It is over"

"Then help et them into a bed so that we can see to them"

"What then?" Fade asked

"Then" Isana closed her eyes "Then we go home"