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204 lines
9.4 KiB
HTML
204 lines
9.4 KiB
HTML
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<head>
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<title>The Shadowmaster - Chapter 9</title>
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="imperaWeb.css"/>
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<link rel="stylesheet" type=
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<div class="section" id="xhtmldocuments">
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<h1>
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9
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</h1>
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<p>
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"A magician's trick," Megrin said. "Simple, not bad for a beginner."
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</p>
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<p>
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The ragged man reeled back as if struck
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</p>
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<p>
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"It's Old Meg-o-the-woods." A woman in the crowd broke a sudden silence.
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</p>
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<p>
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"That was no trick, crone. I am <em>Grisan</em> here. The spellcaster."
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</p>
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<p>
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"Grisan, eh," Megan cackled. "And what's your name, son?"
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</p>
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<p>
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Riggon's face seemed to swell with anger. He raised his skull rattle and shook it vigorously. A hush went around the crowd yet again.
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</p>
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<p>
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Megrin stepped towards him, completely unfazed.
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</p>
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<p>
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"You better put that away before you do yourself a mischief. Can't have beginners playing about with earthy magic. Oh, and what's that smell? You never
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heard of washing?"
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</p>
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<p>
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"Beginner? Me, a <em>beginner</em>? Who are you to call me a beginner, old woman? I am Riggon the spellcaster. I could turn you into a toad. Or worse.
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</p>
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<p>
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Megrin cackled again, this time with laughter. Somebody in the crowd giggled nervously.
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</p>
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<p>
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"You would turn me into a toad? I could do better than that. I could make you smell like a man and not reek like a pig in a sty. But it might be hard work.
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I've smelt dungheaps more fragrant."
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</p>
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<p>
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This time the laughter was more natural. It rippled through the gathering.
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</p>
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<p>
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Kerry stepped forward, sword drawn. Jack and Corriwen were right beside him and ready to act.
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</p>
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<p>
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Riggon held up the heartstone on its chain. "I'll use this," he cried. "It has power!"
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</p>
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<p>
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He spun on his heel to face the villagers. It took a second for him to realise their eyes were fixed behind him. He turned back and his eyes opened so wide
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they could have popped out.
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</p>
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<p>
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Around Megrin's feet, grass, twigs and leaves were spinning off the ground. A sudden wind moaned, whipping her tattered shawl and cowl.
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</p>
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<p>
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Megrin began to straighten from her stooped posture. Jack felt Corriwen's hand grip his arm.
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</p>
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<p>
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Riggon raised the heartstone and shook his charm-stick again.
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</p>
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<p>
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But Megrin kept, uncoiling until, amazingly, she towered over the ragged shaman.
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</p>
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<p>
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Her hood fell back and even Kerry gasped in amazement when he saw her hair that had been straggly and grey, become long and straight and gleaming silver
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down her back. Her tattered shawl flapped in the wind, shedding scraps of material until it was torn away. Now Megrin stood before them in a long cloak
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that could have been made of summer gossamer with a fur hood of pure white.
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</p>
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<p>
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The old gnarled stick in her hand had become a slender carved staff, as tall as Megrin herself, richly polished.
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</p>
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<p>
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The transformation took everybody by surprise, not least the ragged man whose feet seemed welded to the ground, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly.
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</p>
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<p>
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She turned to Jack who was flanked by Kerry and Corriwen. Then she winked at them.
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</p>
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<p>
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Megrin fixed Riggon with emerald eyes. She didn't move, but in an instant he was squealing like a piglet.
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</p>
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<p>
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And the fingers of his hand began to smoke and melt.
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</p>
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<p>
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His hand jerked up. The heartstone went flying into the air.
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</p>
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<p>
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Two pure white shapes came plummeting down. All Jack heard was a whirr of feathers as a pair of goshawks, white as snow, snatched the heartstone's chain
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from the air, banked their wings and soared towards him. Their talons opened and the heartstone was softly draped on his neck.
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</p>
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<p>
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He felt whole again.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Neat. Absolutely neat, man," Kerry said, to nobody in particular. Corriwen still held Jack's wrist.
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</p>
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<p>
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Megrin stood tall and silent, silver hair catching the sunlight. Riggon got to his feet, his right hand hooked into a claw.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Witch woman!" He backed away from her, but still shook the skulls in her direction. She still said nothing for a moment, then pointed a long finger at
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him.
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</p>
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<p>
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She swept her gaze along the crowd of villagers. "Some of you know me. The old ones. Your mothers knew me. I am Megrin Wildwillow of Foresthaven.
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</p>
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<p>
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"And I am the <em>Geasan, </em>who has watched over you since before your father's father's father was a child. The <em>Geasan</em> always keep watch."
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</p>
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<p>
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She put both hands on her hips and shook her head, like an exasperated mother scolding children.
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</p>
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<p>
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"You should have come to me before, rather than listen to the prattle of this prancing pile of rags."
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</p>
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<p>
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She tossed her hair contemptuously: "This will keep the shades at bay a while."
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</p>
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<p>
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Her right hand came up and pointed directly at the Shaman yet again.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Root and grow. Root and <em>branch</em>."
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</p>
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<p>
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Riggon stopped dead as if his feet had suddenly stuck to the earth. He looked down at them and as he did, a small boy in the crowd pointed at him.
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</p>
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<p>
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"His hat Ma. See his hat!"
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</p>
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<p>
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Every eye followed. Riggon stood paralysed. For a moment, the hat of twisted rowan fronds seemed to have turned into a circlet of writhing snakes but then
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it became clear that the woven twigs were sending out new shoots. In an instant, they had covered Riggon's face, except for his gaping eyes, then grew down
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in thin tendrils, over his shoulders, wrapping around and along his arms, and snaking round the stick and its skulls.
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</p>
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<p>
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As all eyes watched, his toes elongated like burrowing worms and drilled themselves between the blades of grass and pebbles, forcing the surface to heave
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and clump as they rooted themselves ever deeper.
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</p>
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<p>
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His outstretched arms, encased now in leaves, were flung out on either side, expanding as they reached for the edges of rowan barrier that had encircled
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the village.
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</p>
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<p>
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As soon as the green leaves touched the first upright, new buds swelled up its entire length, burst and let bright springtime leaves unfurl and the magic
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continued along the crosspiece, down the other post. The slender barrier of branches took root and burst into life yard by yard until it completely
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surrounded the whole village.
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</p>
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<p>
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Megrin finally lowered her hand. "There, that should do it," she said. Kerry couldn't help himself. He just started clapping his hands together in wild
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applause, watched by the terrified villagers who stood, mouths agape.
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</p>
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<p>
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Megrin took two spaces towards the assembly. They all shrank back in alarm.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Oh, behave yourselves!" Megrin said impatiently. "Now you've got real protection. A living wall, which the <em>shades</em> won't cross. And you won't need
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any amateur skull-shaking to keep you safe."
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</p>
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<p>
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She paused, began to turn away, then faced them again. "You did my young friends a great disservice. Think on that when travellers seek refuge and safety.
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Welcome them and succour them in days to come…
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</p>
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<p>
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"…unless you want me to wither your rowan hedge."
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</p>
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<p>
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"Oh no, please!" A woman's thin voice cried.
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</p>
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<p>
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The crowd all looked at Boru, expecting some action from their head-man.
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</p>
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<p>
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He coughed and shuffled forward. "Yes….my lady. We will turn none away."
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</p>
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<p>
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"See that you don't. And if you are tempted to be inhospitable to the traveller, remember your spellcaster<em>.</em> Think on that."
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</p>
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<p>
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And with that she turned her head and walked away, summoning Jack, Corriwen and Kerry with a brief nod of her head.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Now come on, young friends. We have a meeting to attend and a long way to travel."
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</p>
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</div>
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</div>
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</body>
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</html>
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