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“I saw you fight today,” Erlin told him

Vaelin felt the ache at the base of his skull deepen “You must be rich to have afforded a ticket”

“Hardly There’s a way into the Circle fe of, a passage under the walls that affords a good few of the arena”

Silence stretched between thely preoccupied with the suspicion that he was about to throw up again “You said you had so to tell me,” he said, mainly in hope that further conversation would distract hiut

“One of the lanced at Erlin, noting the intense scrutiny in his eyes “You knew him?”

“Not well My acquaintance ith his wife She has assisted me in the past I count her as a friend”

“She’s a Denier?”

“You would call her that She calls herself Quester”

“And her husband was also part of this… belief?”

“Oh no His name was Urlian Jurahl Once he had been called Brother Urlian He was like you, a brother of the Sixth Order, but he gave it up to be with Illiah, his wife”

Little wonder he fought so well “I took him for a soldier”

“He took the trade of a boat builder after leaving the Order, becaes, the finest on the river some say”

Vaelin shook his head in sorrow I have served the Faith by killing an innocent builder of boats “What was he doing in the arena? I knoasn’t a ot wind of Illiah’s beliefs, quite how I don’t know, mayhap her son spoke of it when at play, children can be so trusting They came for her, ten men with a rope Urlian killed two and wounded three more, the rest ran off, but they came back with the City Guard Urlian was overpowered and taken to the Blackhold, his wife too”

“Their son?”

“He hid at his father’s bidding as the fight raged He’s safe now With friends ofhis wife then it wasn’t istrate would have seen that surely”

“Surely But the istrate had some wealthy friends with an eye for an opportunity Did you know the odds that you would survive your Test were hardly worth a bet? The odds against were long indeed With Urlian in the arena it would be worth risking so chance They offered him a proposition, confess his crie as your Masters would be quick to spot his skill Once he had killed you he and his ould be free”

Vaelin realised he had sobered completely, the nausea fled in the face of the cold, implacable compulsion “His wife is still in the Blackhold?”

“She is By now she will have heard of her husband’s fate I fear what her grief will istrate and his wealthy friends, you have their naave them to you?”

Vaelin fixed him with a cold stare “Kill them all That is your intention isn’t it? To set ive me the naeance In any case you couldn’t kill them all Wealthy uards Youher fate in the Blackhold once you have been cut down”

“Then why tell ht?”

“You can speak for her Your ill carry ht If you went to your Aspect and explained…”

“She’s a Denier They won’t help her unless she renounces her heresy”