t¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡bubble¡¡with¡¡good¡¡humor¡£¡¡Covenant¡¡identified¡¡Tohrm¡£
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¡¡¡¨What£¿¡¨
¡¡¡¨Ur¡Lord¡¡Covenant£»¡¡I¡¡am¡¡in¡¡your¡¡debt¡£¡¡I¡¡am¡¡told¡¡that¡¡at¡¡the¡¡hazard¡¡of¡¡your¡¡life¡¡you¡¡rescued¡¡my¡¡old¡¡friend¡¡Birinair¡¡from¡¡beyond¡¡the¡¡forbidding¡¡fire¡¡under¡¡Mount¡¡Thunder¡£¡¡That¡¡was¡¡bravely¡¡done¡though¡¡it¡¡came¡¡too¡¡late¡¡to¡¡save¡¡his¡¡life¡£¡¡Do¡¡not¡¡hesitate¡¡to¡¡ask¡¡of¡¡me¡£¡¡For¡¡Birinair's¡¡sake£»¡¡I¡¡will¡¡do¡¡all¡¡in¡¡my¡¡power¡¡for¡¡you¡£¡¨
¡¡Covenant¡¡shook¡¡his¡¡head¡£¡¡He¡¡knew¡¡he¡¡should¡¡correct¡¡Tohrm£»¡¡tell¡¡him¡¡that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡braved¡¡that¡¡fire¡¡in¡¡an¡¡effort¡¡to¡¡immolate¡¡himself£»¡¡not¡¡to¡¡save¡¡Birinair¡£¡¡But¡¡he¡¡lacked¡¡the¡¡courage¡£¡¡Dumbly£»¡¡he¡¡stepped¡¡aside¡¡and¡¡let¡¡the¡¡Hearthralls¡¡into¡¡his¡¡rooms¡£
¡¡Borillar¡¡immediately¡¡set¡¡about¡¡lighting¡¡his¡¡torches£»¡¡he¡¡moved¡¡studiously¡¡to¡¡the¡¡wall¡¡sockets¡¡as¡¡if¡¡he¡¡were¡¡trying¡¡to¡¡create¡¡a¡¡good£»¡¡grave¡¡impression¡£¡¡Covenant¡¡watched¡¡him¡¡for¡¡a¡¡moment£»¡¡and¡¡Tohrm¡¡said¡¡with¡¡a¡¡covered¡¡smile£»¡¡¡¨Good¡¡Borillar¡¡is¡¡in¡¡awe¡¡of¡¡you£»¡¡ur¡Lord¡£¡¡He¡¡has¡¡heard¡¡the¡¡legends¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Unbeliever¡¡from¡¡his¡¡cradle¡£¡¡And¡¡he¡¡has¡¡not¡¡been¡¡Hearthrall¡¡long¡£¡¡His¡¡former¡¡master¡¡in¡¡the¡¡lillianrill¡¡lore¡¡resigned¡¡this¡¡post¡¡to¡¡oversee¡¡the¡¡pletion¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Gildenlode¡¡keels¡¡and¡¡rudders¡¡which¡¡they¡¡have¡¡been¡¡devising¡¡for¡¡the¡¡Giants¡¡¡as¡¡High¡¡Lord¡¡Loric¡¡Vilesilencer¡¡promised¡£¡¡Borillar¡¡feels¡¡himself¡¡untimely¡¡thrust¡¡into¡¡responsibility¡£¡¡My¡¡old¡¡friend¡¡Birinair¡¡would¡¡have¡¡called¡¡him¡¡a¡¡whelp¡¨
¡¡¡¨He's¡¡young£»¡¨¡¡Covenant¡¡said¡¡dully¡£¡¡Then¡¡he¡¡turned¡¡to¡¡Tohrm£»¡¡forced¡¡himself¡¡to¡¡ask¡¡the¡¡question¡¡which¡¡most¡¡concerned¡¡him¡£¡¡¡¨But¡¡you¡you're¡¡too¡¡young¡£¡¡You¡¡should¡¡be¡¡older¡£¡¡Forty¡¡years¡£¡¨
¡¡¡¨Ur¡Lord£»¡¡I¡¡have¡¡seen¡¡fifty¡nine¡¡summers¡£¡¡Forty¡one¡¡have¡¡passed¡¡since¡¡you¡¡came¡¡to¡¡Revelstone¡¡with¡¡the¡¡Giant£»¡¡Saltheart¡¡Foamfollower¡£¡¨
¡¡¡¨But¡¡you're¡¡not¡¡old¡¡enough¡£¡¡You¡¡don't¡¡look¡¡more¡¡than¡¡forty¡¡now¡£¡¨
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¡¡A¡¡moment¡¡later£»¡¡Borillar¡¡walked¡¡across¡¡the¡¡room¡¡to¡¡stand¡¡stiffly¡¡by¡¡the¡¡door¡£¡¡He¡¡looked¡¡like¡¡a¡¡resolute¡¡acolyte£»¡¡determined¡¡not¡¡to¡¡fail¡¡a¡¡high¡¡duty¡£¡¡Finally¡¡his¡¡young¡¡intentness£»¡¡and¡¡Tohrm's¡¡appeal£»¡¡moved¡¡Covenant¡¡to¡¡say£»¡¡awkwardly£»¡¡¡¨Thank¡¡you£»¡¡Hirebrand¡£¡¨
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¡¡Tohrm¡¡cocked¡¡an¡¡amused¡¡eyebrow¡¡at¡¡his¡¡fellow¡¡Hearthrall£»¡¡gave¡¡Covenant¡¡a¡¡gay£»¡¡grateful¡¡bow£»¡¡and¡¡ushered¡¡the¡¡Hirebrand¡¡from¡¡the¡¡room¡£¡¡As¡¡they¡¡departed£»¡¡Tohrm¡¡started¡¡to¡¡close¡¡the¡¡door£»¡¡then¡¡stopped£»¡¡nodded¡¡to¡¡someone¡¡in¡¡the¡¡hall£»¡¡and¡¡went¡¡away¡¡leaving¡¡the¡¡door¡¡open¡£
¡¡Bannor¡¡stepped¡¡into¡¡the¡¡room¡£¡¡He¡¡met¡¡Covenant's¡¡gaze¡¡with¡¡eyes¡¡that¡¡never¡¡slept¡that¡¡only¡¡rarely¡¡blinked¡and¡¡said£»¡¡¡¨The¡¡High¡¡Lord¡¡would¡¡speak¡¡with¡¡you¡¡now¡£¡¨
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