“Then come with us to Hurog,” he said. “It’ll confuse the king a bit—I imagine he’ll expect to find you on your way home to Buril. But the king won’t hurt them until he has you where he wants you. They’ll be safer if you’re not there.

“So come with us,” Ward said again. “And on the way I’ll try to show you why your fate—and mine—might not be as black as you think. Dark, yes. But not hopeless.”

“Go,” said the Tamerlain, and Ward glanced down at her.

Garranon looked at her a moment, too, then started his horse in the direction Ward had been riding.

11
WARD

Home heals the heart.

IWATCHEDGARRANON CLOSELY AS HE LOOKED AT THEpacked camp, glanced through the faces, and drew in a shocked breath when he saw Jakoven’s brother. “Kellen?”

As I dismounted I watched expressions run across Kellen’s face too fast for me to interpret, but the one that stayed was sheer pleasure.

Garranon’s eyebrows rose and he turned to me and said with mock awe, “And I thought Jakoven was going to come afterme with branding irons and skinning knives. All I stole was his new play toy—you took his brother.”

Kellen had taken a few steps forward, but stopped cautiously at Garranon’s words.

Garranon shook his head and grinned. “I thought the king might have bitten off more than he could chew when he attacked the Hurogs—but I didn’t dream this big.” He dismounted without disturbing his burden and handed the boy to me. “What are your plans, Kellen? Are you going to run from Jakoven and hide in the wilds of the north?” There was nothing but curiosity in Garranon’s voice.

I looked down into my half brother’s sleeping face and wished I’d known about him sooner—and that the only reason to keep him at Hurogwas that he was my brother. It would have made his absorption into the Hurog household easier on everyone. I noticed also that there was a bandage around his wrist, and I worried about how much blood Jakoven had already taken from him.

Kellen said, “I plan on dethroning Jakoven and becoming king in his stead.”

Garranon stretched his neck, first one way, then the other. I was standing close enough to hear the cracking of his spine. Then he stepped forward and fell to his knees before Kellen in a graceful, humble gesture.

“I am your man,” he said.

Kellen looked momentarily taken aback, glancing at Rosem, then Tisala before pulling a regal air out from somewhere and cloaking himself in it.

“Arise, I ask no one to humble himself so before me until I hold the throne.”

Garranon stood and took a good look at Kellen. “You could use a few hundred meals, my friend. But you still look much better than the last time I saw you.”