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They ascended the hill at the crouch, dropping to a crawl at the su noFrentis with the same blank scrutiny

“What a fool theat the scene before theround, the rear flank covered by a shallow streah out The scent of smoke and horse sas richer now, carey colu the banner that rose frole on a red-and-white-cheque background

Five hundredthe camp And Banders’s army stands unnoticed between him and Varinshold “Take Illian,” he told Davoka “Tell Banders I’ll lead theo,” Davoka said “You shouldn’t do this alone”

He shook his head, grinning as he nodded at the wolf “Seeood hour after their departure, watching the ca dogs reporting in or galloping off in a fresh direction He thought we’dhow most of the scouts rode off to the north or the west Didn’t consider we’d try for Renfael, his own land, the people so fiercely loyal He shook his head, wondering if Darnel’s mind was truly that of a fool or if theloon

It took the best part of another hour before a scouting party ca directly for their hill The wolf rose when they had begun to cli theirin fear as theircurses and threats

And the wolf howled

Frentis shrank fro to the earth, eyes claht shut and hands over his ears as it soared across the fields and hills, the force of it cutting through hi years of the binding had he felt so helpless, so s the wolf staring down at hi a realisation that it knew hiuilt It dipped its head, a rough tongue scraping over Frentis’s forehead, drawing a whie It wasn’t a voice,in his h escape hiain, then turned to lope away Frentis stood to watch it run, a silver streak through the twisting grass, disappearing in a heartbeat

The whinny of a panicked horse brought hi at hi in fear as they raced for the ca knife and sent it into his throat He fell fro from his aze shifted to Frentis and back again, hands twitching on his reins, his sword untouched at his side

“You have a report to make,” Frentis told hiards”

• • •

He re and watching as the huntser than the space of a few heartbeats before it convulsed, knights struggling into ar as squires packed up, and a single rider e in the late-afternoon sun Frentis raised a hand in a friendly wave, lingering long enough to ensure Darnel had seen it, then turned and galloped towards the east

He led theet his people allop east for a time, halt, and watch Darnel’s pursuit for a few ed closer with every pause, but his horse and those of his knights were too burdened by their riders’ armour to mount an effective pursuit Frentis would wave every tih to ensure Darnel saw hisbow