Tariic flicked his ears and gestured to her right with the rod. Ashi turned her head-and caught her breath. Vounn lay rolled onto her side just a few paces away from her. Her eyes were wide and staring, the wound inflicted by the Deneith honor blade gaping and ugly in her belly. The sword itself lay beside her, bright blade still stained with blood.
Pradoor had said “the other one” would live too. Who? Ashi twisted her head to the other side, wondering who else had survived, dreading the possible sight of more friends dead.
Midian’s bright blue eyes stared back at her from a face marked by the fading bruises of a savage beating. Hatred rose like bile in Ashi’s throat.
Tariic crouched down between the two of them. “Now,” he said, “what are we going to say really happened here?” Raat shan gath’kal dor. “The story stops but never ends.” — Traditional closing of hobgoblin legends.
