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.They are very nice to me, but I can't wait to see you.I hope you will let me come visit.Your obedient daughter,Citrine ShieldThe news of this little group's arrival was not new to Melina, for Melina had spies posted at the major crossing points betweenHawk Haven and New Kelvin.Indeed, one of these, Kiero, had sent an express message announcing the company's arrival to herand had taken it uponhimself to arrange an incident that should have removed that nauseating Lady Blysse from the country.Kiero's plan had failed,and Melina thought his removal to Urnacia was only fit.She really couldn't understand why he kept sneaking messages out toher.Did he expect her to reward failure?No.The group's arrival was not news, but Citrine's membership within it was news indeed.Why had her spies not mentionedthis?aaTTnnssFFffooDDrrPPmmYYeeYYrrBB22.BBAAClick here to buyClick here to buywwmmwwoowwcc.AAYYBBYYBB r rMelina unlocked the carved wooden box where she kept her more private correspondence and checked the appropriate missive.No, Kiero had said nothing of Citrine being part of the group.Had the girl been kept hidden? That was likely or could she be&Melina reviewed the list of those included in the expedition, pausing to dwell on a single sentence."Hired as guide is one Jalarios, a cripple with a small son, also called Jalarios or, more usually, Rios."Small.How small? Small enough to be a nine-year-old girl in disguise? Now that she knew to look, Melina thought this mightindeed be the case.This Jalarios merited attention as well.Either the Hawk Havenese were paying the man a considerable feeto insure his silence or they knew something about him that would guarantee his cooperation or&Something touched the edge of her mind, and she reached to make it solidify.A New Kelvinese& associated with& a manwho would be an ideal guide&Grateful Peace?It was too likely a possibility to ignore.Kiero had seen this Jalarios.Easier to ask him what he thought than to raise suspicions.He would be eager to prove himself after his time at the glass furnaces.Melina reached for pen and paper.It looked as if Kiero would be getting out of Urnacia, and Idalia might be getting a surprise.Melina looked down at her daughter's letter again.Could she use Citrine against her annoying associates? It was certainly apossibility.There were other possibilities, though, ones that didn't rely upon a nine-year-old.Melina had met with what seemed to her anastonishing amount of resentment from some sectors of the New Kelvinese population.Perhaps she could turn this to heradvantage.Ink blotted outward from the tip of her quill while she plotted.Then Melina swept the stained paper to the floor and, placing afresh sheet before her, began very rapidly to write.DeviderBEE BITER CAME darting to Firekeeper, his blue and red feathers with their black barring quite dramatic in the late-summerlight.The little kestrel might lack the peregrine's dramatic stoop, but he possessed a trick as wonderful, for he could hover inthe air almost like a hummingbird, a great advantage in hunting his much smaller prey.The wolf-woman was drowsing in a tree near Hasamemorri's stable.She had tried the hayloft in the stable, but the flies hadbeen too much.Blind Seer was in the tree with her, having accepted her assistance in making his way to a limb strong enoughto take his weight.The pair made a startling sight, or would have had the tree's thick leaves not hidden them from everyone butmembers of the household.Even Hasamemorri's maids were becoming quite accustomed to odditiesa thing that, in any case,they accepted as normal from foreigners.Firekeeper awoke instantly, inspecting the kestrel through slitted eyes."You've been gone long enough," she said lazily, enjoying a good yawn."We were beginning to think that someone had drawnyou down from the air and we were going to need to rescue you."Bee Biter fluffed indignantly and Firekeeper laughed."Don't be so hurt.At least we would have come and found you.That's some comfort surely
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