There had to be so many images that overlapped... There had to be so many images that overlapped and could evoke the same mood, emotions, the same sounds and smellsLike this one: darkness outside, the edge of grey dawn and the castle stir the sun would bring, chill of the corridors and knowledge of wind outside the walls, cut by the crackle and roar of the kitchen fire; the reassuring steam and smell rising from their cradled mugs; sleep and dream receding, the mind slowly turning forward to the day that lay ahead swathed in ground mistLooking at their stillness amid the bustle of the kitchen Devin felt another return of the sadness that seemed to be his legacy from this long strange night in the highlands
Sadness, and a distinct stir of longingDevin realized that he wanted that shared history for himself, wanted to be a part of that self-contained, accomplished fraternity of men who knew this scene so wellHe was young enough to savor the romance of it, but old enough, especially after this past winter and his time with Menico, to guess at the price demanded for those memories and the contained, solitary, competent look of the two men in front of him
He stepped through the doorwayA pretty servant noticed him and smiled shylyWithout a word she brought him a scalding mug of khavAlessan
replica prada glanced over at him and hooked a third chair with his long leg, pulling it into a position near him by the fireDevin walked over and sank gratefully down near the warmthHis stiffened neck was still bothering him
"I didn't even have to be charming," Alessan reported cheerfully"Erlein was already here and had started in on a fresh pot of khavThere were people in the kitchen all night to keep the fires goingCouldn't have lit new ones on an Ember Day
Devin nodded, sipping carefully and with intense gratitude from his steaming mug"And the other question you mentioned?" he asked guardedly, with a glance at Erlein
"Solved," the Prince said promptlyHe seemed unnaturally bright, brittle as kindling"Erlein's going to have to come with meWe've established that I can't let him get too far away or my summons won't workAnd if that's the case, well he simply has to go where I goWe really do seem to be tied together, don't we?" He flashed his teeth in a smile at the wizardErlein didn't bother to respond; he continued to sip his drink, gazing expressionlessly into the fire
"Why were you up so early?" Devin asked him, after a moment
Erlein made a sour face"Slavery doesn't agree with my rest," he mumbled into his khav
Devin elected to ignore thatThere were
rolex daytona cosmograph times when he really did feel sorry for the wizard, but not when Erlein trotted out his reflexive self-pity
A thought struck Devin"Is he going to your meeting this morning, too?"
"I suppose," Alessan said with apparent carelessness"A small reward for his loyalty and the long ride he'll have afterwardI expect to travel without stopping very much His tone was genuinely odd; too deliberately casual, as if denying the very possibility of strain
"I see," Devin said, as neutrally as he could manageHe turned his gaze to the fire and kept it thereWhen it stretched, Devin looked back and saw Alessan looking at him
"Do you want to come?" the Prince asked
Did he want to come? For half a year, from the moment Devin and Sandre had joined the other three, Alessan had been telling them that everything they wanted to achieve would point toward and wait upon a meeting in these southern highlands on the first of the Ember Days
Did he want to come?
Devin coughed, spilling some khav on the stone floor"Well," he said, "not if I'm in the way, naturallyOnly if you think I could be useful and if maybe I could
He trailed off because Alessan was laughing at him
Even Erlein had been roused from his sulk to a faint, reluctant snort of amusementThe two older men
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"You are a terrible liar," the wizard said to Devin
"He's right," Alessan said, still chucklingI don't actually think you can be useful, it isn't in the nature of what I have to doBut I'm certain you won't do any harm and you and Erlein can keep each other entertainedIt'll be a very long ride
"What? To the meeting?" Devin asked, startled
Alessan shook his head"Only two or three hours there, depending on the state of the pass this morningNo, Devin, I'm inviting you west with me
"Pigeon!" the balding, burly-chested man cried, though they were still some distance awayHe sat in a massive oak chair set squarely down in the middle of the Braccio PassThere had been early spring flowers blooming on the lower slopes but not very many this far upOn either side of the path piled rock and stone yielded to forestFurther up, to the south, there was only rock and snow
Carrying-poles were attached to the oak chair and six men stood behind it in burgundy liveryDevin thought they were servants, but when he came nearer he saw from their weapons that he was wrong: these were soldiers, and guards
"Pigeon," the man in the chair repeated loudly"You have risen in the world! You bring companions this time!"
It was with a genuine sense of
imitation chanel handbag disorientation that Devin realized that the childish name and the raucous, carrying words were addressed to Alessan
Who had the oddest look to his face all of a suddenHe said nothing by way of reply though as they rode up to the seven men in the passAlessan dismounted; behind him Devin and Erlein did the sameThe man in the chair did not rise to greet them, but his bright, small eyes followed every move that Alessan madeHis enormous hands were motionless on the carved arms of the chairHe wore at least six rings; they sparkled in the light of the morning sunHe had a hooked much-broken nose in a leathery, weather-beaten face that showed two livid scarsOne was an old wound, slanting down his right cheek in a white lineThe other, much more recent, raked redly across his forehead to the greying, receding hairline above his left ear
"Company for the ride," Alessan said mildly"I wasn't sure if you'd comeCould have consoled me on the way backThe young one is Devin, the other is ErleinYou've grown monstrous fat in a year
"And why should I not grow fat?" the other roared in delight"And how dare you doubt that I would come! Have I ever not kept faith with you?" The tone was boisterous in the extreme, but Devin saw that the small eyes were alert and very
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