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Zionae wore nothing that would identify them, but from the hand of the dead
white man I
took this."
Numbly, Wulfston put out his hand, and Norgu laid on his palm the gold ring.
The intricate carving
glinted, blurring as his eyes filled with tears but not before he saw clearly
the intertwined figures of wolf and dragon.
Chapter Five
Wulfston stared at the ring lying glittering on the palm of his hand. Lenardo
dead?
No
!
Norgu swept on out the gate, to where his retinue awaited him.
Wulfston remained in the courtyard, stunned. He stumbled to the watering
trough for the horses and sat on its edge, his legs weak with shock.
Traylo and Arlus came running from the castle, straight to Wulfston. Sensing
his sorrow, they rubbed against him, whimpering. He slid the ring onto his
right hand, then put one hand on the head of each dog.
Their dumb compassion broke through the burning lump in his throat, and his
tears fell.
His friend was dead. Not only would he miss him savagely, but how could he
face Aradia? Aradia, who even now carried Lenardo's child?
He must go home at once. Aradia needed him more than ever. Lenardo's child
would need her uncle to help raise and educate her in her fathers stead.
And I'll do right by you, Lenardo
, he promised silently, twisting the ring on his finger.
Determination shoved his grief aside. He washed his face in the watering
trough, and considered his situation. For the first time, neither the burly
guards nor the two female Seers attended him.
But of course they could Read him whenever they wanted to. At least he could
make it more difficult for them by bracing to use Adept power. In fact, he
realized, he had been doing so instinctively ever since
Norgu had told him Lenardo was dead.
Now that the Karili had decided he was not their enemy, how much freedom did
he have? He should be able just to walk out of the castle, past the guards at
the gate& and into a land where he did not know the language, customs,
geography
He had no money and no friends, but he had responsibilities, Zanos and Astra,
Huber, any sailors who had survived the shipwreck he could not leave them
stranded in Africa. First he must find all who had survived. Then they would
have to barter their services for passage on a ship home.
Distasteful as it was, the quickest way to earn passage home was as
mercenaries in the coming battle with the Savishnon. The Karili had not
persuaded Norgu to aid them; they would probably welcome
Wulfston's powers joined with theirs:
Traylo and Arlus suddenly jumped to their feet. The dogs turned as Wulfston
did, and ran merrily wagging their tails to greet the Princess Tadisha.
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"Is the Assembly over so soon?" Wulfston asked, for he had been about to go
back and offer his help in return for theirs in locating his friends.
"No. I asked Kamas to take my place," she replied. "Lord Wulfston, I am sorry
to hear of the death of your friend."
So she had been spying with her Seeing powers on Wulfston or on Norgu? Was her
sympathy real or feigned? Cautiously, he opened to Reading, ready to reassert
his defenses at the first sign of betrayal.
He Read only genuine sympathy as Tadisha said, "You called him your brother."
"We were closer than many of blood kin. And now, because that fool Sukuru
insisted on involving me in his power play, Lenardo is dead."
At the renewal of his grief, Tadisha reached for his hands, saying, "It's not
your fault! If we hadn't captured you& I'm so sorry."
Her green eyes looked into his as she gripped his hands. Suddenly, painfully,
the pressure increased. She gasped, "Norgu lied!"
"What?"
She dropped his left hand, and put both of hers around the ring on his right.
"This ring the man who wore it was alive when it was taken from him!"
He stared at her, too much afraid to suffer raw grief a second time to take
hope from her words. "How do you know?"
"I have some power to See the history of objects. This ring is new, its
history brief. There is much love in it, and no death."
"Maybe Lenardo just wasn't quite dead yet," Wulfston said. "Why would Norgu
lie about ?"
//Tell Wulfston I am both alive and well. So he will believe you, tell him //
//Lenardo?
Lenardo!//
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