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‘Sparhawk and I don’t keep secrets fro about secrets, your Majesty,’ the boy replied innocently ‘I’s you shouldn’t really waste your time on’ He made it sound very plausible, but Ehlana looked more than a little suspicious

‘Don’t embarrass me, Sparhawk,’ she warned

‘Of course not,’ he replied blandly

The can was brief Since Pelk knew the precise location of the camp of the dissidents, and Plati mountains, there was no real place for the bandits to run, and they were certainly no match for the thirty black-arainst the nobles were held for the queen’s justice and the rest of the outlaere turned over to the local sheriff for disposition

‘Well, my Lord of Belton,’ Sparhawk said to an earl crouched before hie around his head and his hands bound behind his didn’t turn out so well, did they?’

‘Curse you, Sparhawk’ Belton spat, squinting up against the afternoon’s brightness ‘How did you find out where ere?’

‘My dear Belton,’ Sparhawk laughed, ‘you didn’t really think you could hide from my wife, did you? She takes a very personal interest in her kingdoe and all of the peasants It’s even rumoured that she knows most of the deer by their first names’

‘Why didn’t you come after us earlier then?’ Belton sneered

‘The queen was busy She finally found the time to ine you’ll care much for these decisions, old boy What I’ht have about Krager He and I haven’t seen each other for quite soain’

Belton’s eyes grew frightened ‘You won’t get anything from er on that?’ Kalten asked hireat deal of unpleasantness if you told Sparhahat he wants to know, and Krager’s not so loveable that you’d really want to go through that in order to protect him’

‘Just talk, Belton,’ Sparhawk insisted i bravado cruan to tre of you It ’

‘Your life isn’t worth very ht noay,’ Ulath told hi to talk’

‘For God’s sake, Sparhawk! You don’t knohat you’re asking!’

‘I’, Belton’ Sparhawk’s face was bleak

Then, without any warning or reason, a deathly chill suddenly enveloped the woods, and the lanced upward The sky was very blue, but the sun appeared wan and sickly

Belton screa trees, coalescing around the shrieking prisoner Sparhawk ju to his sword-hilt

Belton’s voice had risen to a screech, and there were horrible sounds co hi flesh The shrieking broke off quite suddenly, but the sounds continued for several eternal-see minutes Then, as quickly as it had come, the cloud vanished

Sparhawk recoiled in revulsion His prisoner had been torn to pieces