The Bastard Prince of Hollowvale

at clung like a leech to the rockface. Caelen pulled his fur collar higher and urged his mount

f crooked stone buildings bound together with rope bridges and bad luck, squatti

ead. The watcher didn't call out. No one di

ff its hinges. A pock-faced boy stepped out of the shad

boy said,

her creaking, snow hissing on

quinted.

The crossbow hadn't moved. "Te

oward the gate. "Stables to the left. Don

ttered, leading the horse pas

ron. Men hunched over barrels, passing a skin of rotgut, eyes rimmed red from the cold or the things they'd do

ight know his face from the last time he was here, two years

dried apples from his satchel, brushed frost from its mane, and whisper

near the cliffside. A red scrap of clot

's

pped i

ating, thick with breath and smoke. A d

s slowly, fingers st

ed jaw looked him up

es me a

he back room. "She might

A single oil lamp burned on a crate. Rythe sat cross-legged on a p

look up. "Y

ps into the room. "Didn'

for tr

le beneath her left eye. Her hair was shorter now, hacked roughly at the sh

ht coin,

one smooth motion. "You think you c

can pay for a

tep deliberate. "Talk, then. Before I

ng you. Blond, glassy-eyed. Always

e said. "W

f yours. He's k

't change, bu

have

ooden token etched with the sigil of the royal gua

died it. Her lips pressed into a t

utting a merchant outside Thornh

the crate, and sat. "And yo

o warn

ted. "Ho

le. I just-"

d up. "Ju

dn't

red. Somewhere outside, boots thudded over frost-hardened w

hat you say, he's already report

always

ld run,"

hould

one ru

ket again. "You got y

didn'