e. he closed his eyes, feeling suddenly weak.

    quot;Baerd?quot; Elena said be;Im sorry. I did not mean to—”

    ried to speak but found t . ed to reassure  it  time in almost ty years.

    For t time since teen-year-old boy forbidden to go to war by o figo an end.

    quot;Be easy, Baerd,quot; le. quot;Be easy. trangeness here.”

    to meet and clasp at . ed against rong and s o cover his face as he cried.

    Above t trange fields ing-time, or utterly bare and desolate and lost, in t.

    quot;t; someone said, o t;Look. e  claim our weapons.”

    tios voice. Elena released epped back. Baerd wiped his eyes and looked

    to t again.

    And  to make rig terly een.

    Over t, far off yet but unnaturally clear in tural ligh.

    quot;O; aken breath.

    quot; do you see?quot; Mattio said.

    Baerd turned. tly trimmed, but ;Ygrat; e of excitement. quot;Soldiers of t, but t is exactly hers.”

    Mattio looked suddenly tful.  it was Donar who spoke.

    quot;Be not deceived, Baerd. Remember  in our peninsula, ttle of t your invaders from overseas.”

    quot;I see t I see.”

    quot;And sell you t  their numbers?”

    quot;And t again,quot; Mattio said bluntly, almost angrily. quot;to a tail like tain cats. t teeths.”

    Baerd  of ill, in tance, pouring do of ting knives of Ygrath.

    urned to Elena, a little desperate.

    quot;I do not like to name ; s;ten me too much.

    tures of my c it is not s e, but