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“Master Sollis felt I was slacking at sword practice,” Vaelin explained

Jeklin tutted in disapproval “Never make a brother if you don’t try hard ‘Course inoff Ten strokes for a first offence, ten more for each offence after that Used to lose ten or twelve brothers a year through flogging” His sigh was heavy with nostalgia “Pity you’ll s for sale there Be off myself when I’ve finished up here It’ll be terrible crowded though, ith the execution and all Here you go, you little e, provoking an explosion of yelps and growls as they fought each other for the food Master Jeklin chuckled at the sight

“Execution,his First Minister hung Treason and corruption, usual thing S’why there’ll be such a crowd Everyone in the Realo dry and his heart sink into his gut Nortah’s father They’re going to kill Nortah’s father That’s why Sollis kept us here Made me stay too so it didn’t look suspicious… So I would be here when the news arrived He found hi a closer look at Master Jeklin

“Did Master Sollis visit here thisdown at his dogs “Master Sollis is very wise You should appreciate hirated

Jeklin said nothing, dangling soh every time the terriers jumped for it

“Er his throat, backing towards the door “If you’ll excuseaffectionately at the squabbling terriers “Little ht of responsibility ht force him to the cobbles Suddenly he hated Sollis and the Aspect Leadership? he thought bitterly You can keep it

But there was another thought, a growing suspicion as he reluctantly ascended the winding steps to the tower rooe of Nortah’s face as he stalked froer at the ti more, a sense of determination, a decision…

He stopped as realisation hit hi steps at a run, bursting into the roo him shout, “NORTAH!”

Empty Maybe he’s at the stables He likes the horses…

Then he saw it, the open , the absence of sheets and blankets on their beds Leaning out of thehe saw the knotted linen dangling a good twenty feet belohich left another fifteen foot drop to the roof of the north gate house and ten round For Nortah, like the rest of the mist would enable him to slip away under the noses of the brothers on the wall, most of ould have been preoccupied with the anticipation of breakfast

For the briefestMaster Sollis or the Aspect but discounted it Nortah’s punishment would be severe and he already had at least a half hour start Besides, Vaelin didn’t even know if Sollis or the Aspect were in the House, they may well be at the Fair too And there was another possibility, ringing loud and terribly clear in his head: What if he athered a water bottle and a couple of knives then strapped his sword across his back He went to the , took a firan to descend As expected it was an easy cliround With theflat against the wall until the brother on the battle boy of about seventeen, wandered away, then sprinting full tilt for the trees The run would have seemed short on the practice field, scarcely two hundred yards to the forest, but it felt like aevery second to hear a shout of alare few brothers would miss So it ith relief that he entered the cool shadow of the trees and dropped his speed to a half sprint, still faster than he would have liked for comfort but he couldn’t afford to waste any time He stayed in the trees for half a mile or so then turned onto the road

It was busier than he had ever seen it, packed with far carts laden with produce for sale at the fair, fa the once a year journey to see the contests and the many spectacles on offer, this year no doubt the promise of a First Minister’s execution added a certain spice to the occasion None of the travellers see faces everywhere, he even passed a cart full of what he took to be woodserel about the ireedy old goat