Most beloved Zann,

My problem was I didn’t know where Wande would go if she had to flee to somewhere. Her parents were dead. Her sister lived far to the east and they didn’t get along anyway. She’d never go to Jhus’s father. She did have friends here in Crideon but the closest ones were Ostavon’s wife Geme, who was already missing anyway, and a couple of people from the scentmakers, who I had no idea how to find.

I went back to our roost. The city was strange. There were fewer people around than usual, and the ones I could see were skulking and afraid. Some of the shops and taverns were open and some were not. I saw some more corpses among the grey mist of the late afternoon.

By the time I had climbed the steps to the roost, I was weary. Still weak from the oubliette. I opened the door and heard something.

I stopped.

There was no sound.

I sparked one of the wall lights and he was there. A man I had seen before, somewhere, and he struck at me with some huge weapon. I fell down backwards, out the door. I tried to shut the door and he swung again, knocking it open. I rolled down the stairs, scrambling to my feet.

“Lauran-loving pissard,” he said above me. “Your time’s over now.”

“You don’t have to do this,” I answered, skittering downstairs as fast as I could.

“I want to,” he said, and pounced downwards at me.

Looking back on it, I have a hard time believing it, but I did the exact right thing. I dropped flat. It hurt when he landed on me, but it was a lot better than being knocked downstairs. I stood up as soon as I could, sending him farther down the stairs. I turned and kicked out at him, not very effectively.

He was getting up. I came closer and put a foot in his ribs. We continued like this until I had kicked him all the way to the front door. One more hoof and he spilled out onto the street, and I followed.

There was a squad of somebody’s soldiers. When they saw us, they raised their weapons. My attacker grabbed for a knife at his belt, and they shot him dead. Then they grabbed me and threw me in a cart.

Love,

Ybel