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Lia turned to the good , quickly!"

Food and drink aplenty Honor to soldiers who represented the king’s sheriff Lia approached the cook, hoping the wo at her Her eyes orn and puffy, her hair long and dark and with long stands of silver interspersed Part of her belly bulged, and Lia re the baby in the crib and wondered ho and fresh it was to the world The tray of food was the distraction What she needed, she knew the Pilgrim must have in its stores

"Where is your valerianum?" Lia asked in a soft voice It was an herb Pasqua used when she could not fall asleep, or when someone else needed the remedy TooSometimes Lia wondered if she did it like that on purpose

The cook started, her eyes widening as she realized what Lia had in ent…like cheese…they would taste it…"

"The cider," Lia said, "is sweet and strong"

"You are right," the cook said, nodding She gave Lia a hard look, herinto a small, tense frown Then she went to her stock of herbs and quickly found the sealed pot fro up with a cask under his arirl, who had wandered over as he climbed up the ladder "Careful there Guard your little sister’s crib, Ailed the sht them to the table and fished around for a tap to pound into the keystone

The oldest daughter approached Lia, holding forth a leather pouch with strings to cinch it closed

"Your nairl whispered, then sirdle as Lia, brown instead of woad blue Her arms were dark and she was nearly as tall as Lia

Lia slid the orb into the pouch and tied it to her girdle belt She caught the girl’s hand as she was about to go back "When you take the tray upstairs, Bryn, look at everything in the room Listen carefully The prisoner has a scar on his eyebrow If you can, tell the soldiers you will fetch a healer and then I will come with you when you return for the tray Can you rehttogether in the kitchen, each doing a part, even the littlest daughter A father Athat Lia never had – a family

The kitchen door shoved open and Brant rushed in "Three upstairs with the soldier I brought some coals for the brazier Three in the co a ruckus, including the ugly sheriff" His eyes gleaet my friends, we can…"

The father snorted viciously "You will do nothing et your head split open, Brant Grab "

"I will get thethe bustle "Brant – you need to do so in the back"

The grin that ood man turned on her "If the sheriff’s men return…"

Lia s He is very capable of being long-winded in his tongue lashings" She snapped her fingers and pointed to Brant "But your father is right We need to be cautious If you are found out, say you were given four pence to saddle it up No one else would question you twice about that kind of excuse" Then another idea The ie of the thief shone in her mind "If they ask you who paid you, then say a man with a maston sword, nearly a beard, and dirty boots and reeked of mutton A plain shirt, with a brown collar, mud-spattered and…"

Brant looked at her in shock "With a quirky eyebrow that twitches a bit? And he talks very fast?"

Lia was stunned "He looks like a vagrant, but he is…"

Brant interrupted her again "…In the coht noith the sheriff’shere and claimed the reward A mound of coins, I swear it!’

Lia balled her hand into a fist

"It is difficult to explain how touching the Mediuins with a thought Thoughts are powerful things Thoughts fed by strong emotions can become real At Crowland Abbey, there is an Aldermaston who has a very faithful steward Their love and respect for each other is well known I have myself heard of how this steward finishes the sentences of his master He is so in harhts, that he can hear them before they are spoken Distance has no effect whatsoever on its efficacy This steward can stand before the king, speaking in the Alderhts are perfectly entwined Those who are strong in the Mediuhts of others, friends or enehts into the aether Most are undisciplined and vanish into nothingness But consider this carefully Sodoms"