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Devin swallowed and, knowing that however hard this was for him, it had to be easier than it would be for Alessan, he said: "TiganaHe is from Tigana, and so am I
He was careful to look straight at the outlaw wizard as he spoke, not at Ducas or the other ridersHe saw out of the corner of his eye that Alessan was doing the same thing, so as not to have to see the blank look of incomprehension they both knew would followThe wizard would be differentWizards could hear the name
A murmur rose from the gathered men, before them and behindAnd then one man spoke aloud amid the shadows of falling dusk in that lonely placeA voice from the line behind them
"By the blood of the god!" that voice cried from the heartA man had dismounted and was striding quickly forward to chanel earings stand in front of themDevin saw that the man was small, not much bigger than himself, perhaps thirty years old or a little more, and that he was moving awkwardly and clearly in pain, with Alessan's arrow in his arm
Ducas was looking at his wizard"Sertino, what is this?" he said, with an edge in his voice
"Sorcery," the wizard said bluntly
"What? His?" Ducas nodded towards Erlein It was the wounded man who spoke, his eyes never leaving Alessan's face"Not this poor wizard'sIt is real sorcery, thisIt is the power of Brandin of Ygrath that keeps you from hearing the name
With an angry motion Ducas swept his hat off, revealing a balding dome with a fringe of bright red hair"And you, Naddo? How do you hear it, then?"
The man on the ground swayed unsteadily on his feet chanel classic handbags before replying"Because I was born there too, and so I'm immune to the spell, or another victim of it, whichever you prefer Devin heard the tautness in his voice, as of someone holding hard to his self-controlHe heard the man called Naddo say, looking up at Alessan"You have been asked for your name, and you only gave him a partWill you tell us the rest? Will you tell me?" It was hard to see his eyes now, but his voice told an old story
Alessan was sitting on his horse with an easiness, even after a day in the saddle, that seemed to deny even the possibility of weariness, or the tension of where they wereBut then his right hand came up and pushed once, unconsciously, through his already tangled hair, and Devin, seeing the familiar gesture, knew that whatever he white chanel watch himself was feeling now, it was doubled and redoubled in the man he followed
And then in the stillness of that pass, with the only other sounds the whistle of wind between the hills and the stirring of the horses on the young grass, he heard: "My name is Alessan di Tigana bar ValentinIf you are as old as you appear to be, Naddo di Tigana, you will know who I am
With a prickling of hairs on his neck and a shiver he could not control, Devin saw Naddo drop to his knees on the cold ground even before the last words were spoken
"Oh, my Prince!" the wounded man cried in a raw voiceAnd covering his face with his one good hand, he wept
"Prince?" said Ducas, very softlyThere was a restive movement among the outlaws"Sertino, you will explain this to me!"
Sertino the wizard black gucci bag looked from Alessan to Erlein, and then down at the weeping manA curious, almost a frightened, expression crossed his pale, round face
He said, "They are from Lower CorteIt had a different name before Brandin of Ygrath cameHe has used his sorcery to take that name awayOnly people born there, and wizards because of our own magic, can hear the true nameThat is what is happening here
"And 'Prince'? Naddo called him thatHe looked over at Erlein, and there was still that odd, uneasy look on his faceHe said, "Is it true?"
And Erlein di Senzio, with an ironic half-smile, replied, "Just don't let him cut your hair, brotherUnless you like being bound into slavery
Sertino's mouth fell openDucas slapped his knee with his hat"Now that," he snapped, "I do not understand at louis vuitton denim all |
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