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Phae breathed through her nose, srances of the woods around her It was not Stonehollow She would miss the beauty of her homeland But perhaps the wonders of Mirroould surpass it? She hoped so

"I make the choice," Phae said "If it can prevent the death of innocents, I will do so"

The other Dryad smiled proudly at her Then her eyes widened suddenly and she sat up straight, blinking rapidly "He’s here," she whispered, her voice filling with delight "I sensed hi this way!"

"Who is?" Phae asked, rising with the other girl as she rushed to her feet

"Annon, et here so quickly? He was leagues away" The girl’s fingers dug into Phae’s ar "There are others with hi fro into the woods toward the sound of crunching foliage

Shion appeared in the ring of trees and his presence made the Dryad vanish He strode up to Phae purposefully, his hand on a dagger hilt "Co her by the arerous look in his eyes again, the look that made her insides shrivel with fear It was a look that said he would kill anyone who tried to hurt her She wondered, deep down, if she would ever be free of hireat Bhikhu proverb that I have always admired: I found thee not without, Wisdo without as already within"

--Possidius Adeodat, Archivist of Kenatos

As Paedrin slowly became conscious, he was immediately aware that he was blind and that the blindness hurt The pain was so intense that he feared his eyes had been gouged out and sought to touch his face to verify it, only he could not His wrists were bound in iron shackles, his arainst his breast and he felt drops of sweat or blood co and he began to cough

For a moment, he could not remember what had happened or how he had coes ca their fangs into hisyard He possessed the Sword of Winds Everything they believed about hi the strength of the chain and the aainst the stone, allowing hihtly

Pain was a teacher

Paedrin wondered what lesson he was going to learn this tiic of soasps, his shoulder convulsing with the suppressed agony He would not cry out again He would bear it like a Bhikhu

He heard footsteps in the yard Several sets, in fact, the sound of training

"You are too slow," he heard the man say "Lower! Feel the stretch in your calves Push harder! Lower that stance Lower! The Arch-Rike’s e harder"

The voice seared Paedrin’s mind Kiranrao

It was Kiranrao who had freed hiend was that he was the only man who had ever stolen from the Arch-Rike and survived to flaunt the exploit How had they ? It was brutally clear now When the battle had commenced with the Arch-Rike’s forces in Silvandoiven him the blade Iddawc It was a weapon that Kiranrao craved above all others But he had stolen it the second ti his head, jaw clenched, suffering the pain

"The Bhikhu," so"

"It does not ly "A nod is as good as a wink to a blind donkey, eh? And as the Romani say, a secret is a weapon and a friend"

Paedrin al retort, but he was afraid to open histhe hardness, the implacability of his situation He was surrounded by ene for hier and bind him with a curse of service

Never

Paedrin’s heart boiled with fury at the thought He had been starved of light and food and trapped in the Arch-Rike’s dungeon when they had last tricked hiain He refused to submit to the fate They could blind hi pokers, but he would never sub his mind He would die first