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"Peyton, take the children inside," Letha said to a boy of about 12, the oldest of the half dozen children that had been helping her turn over the garden.  "Do not come out until I tell you it's safe."  There was a harsh tone to her normally soft voice and Peyton only hesitated for a moment before gathering up the younger children and ushering them back inside.

Through long habit and practice of being Ian Zula's eyes and ears here in Grayweald, she counted the armed men, took note of the blonde elven woman with shackled feet, and listened intently to what this Vatikar had to say.  

An escaped prisoner?  No news of such had reached her yet, but she couldn't help immediately suspect it was one of Zula's lot.  That elf's now, she reminded herself bitterly.  Rumors surrounded Thaliar, some of which made him seem nearly as dangerous as Lord Octa himself.  She'd judge for herself when she met him.  Dane and Kan spoke well enough of him, which was enough of an endorsement to satisfy her.

She allowed herself to be caught up with the crowd of mostly men as they headed inside the tavern, wanting to witness first hand whatever happened inside.  

[hr]

"Could be," Dane said noncommittally to Thaliar's theory of the raven being the thief that had tried to steal something from Burren.  "I'd say if there's a chance of finding something to counter Octa there, we've gotta try it.  Sure'd be nice to turn the tide a bit," he said, looking around at their rather pitiful make-shift camp.  

When Thaliar's attention turned toward the bound young soldier, Dane stood and hauled Edwin's unconscious form into a sitting position, waiting for him to wake up while Rook glared from her spot on the other side of the small fire.