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Hawk shook his head, his gaze shuttered "Not yet Truth be told, I’ve been loath to bring it up She doesn’t I keep my silence Once we’ve wed and left, there will be time to speak of it"

"Hawk, perhaps the Rom--"

Hawk shook his head i It had been his last ditch chance He’d found Rushka up on the southwest ridge with his people, digging the trenches and gathering the seven woods for the fires But Rushka had flatly refused to discuss his wife in any capacity Nor had the Hawk been able to lure hi that he couldn’t even force answers from those who depended upon him for his hospitality But the Rom--well, the Ros became difficult, they moved on to a better place Absolute freedom, that

Nor had the Hawk, for that matter, been able to find the damned smithy

"Mother, where’s Adae was cold His wagon’s gone"

"Fair to tell, I haven’t seen him since … let’s see … probably since the two of you left for Uster Why, Hawk? Do you think he has so to do with Adrienne?"

Hawk nodded slowly

Lydia attacked frole "Well, see! If you take Adrienne away and Ada to do with it, he can just follow you Better to stay here and fight"

She gasped when the Hawk turned his dark gaze toward her "Mother, I will not risk losing her I’m sorry that doesn’t please you, but without her … ah, without her …" He lapsed into a brooding stillness

"Without her what?" Lydia asked faintly

The Hawk just shook his head and walked away

Adrienne walked slowly through the bailey looking for the Hawk She hadn’t seen hih she knew she’d be standing beside hi that so

She approached theat it reiven her the first lesson in how a falcon was tamed