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CHAPTER¡¡TWELVE
All¡¡the¡¡men¡¡of¡¡thy¡¡confederacy¡¡have¡¡brought¡¡thee¡¡even¡¡to¡¡the¡¡border£º¡¡the¡¡men¡¡that¡¡were¡¡at
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Obadiah¡¡1£º7
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¡¨It's¡¡Dhugal£¡¡¨¡¡Kelson¡¡cried£»¡¡even¡¡as¡¡the¡¡other¡¡rider's¡¡arm¡¡flailed¡¡in¡¡a¡¡frenzied¡¡wave¡¡of¡¡recognition¡£
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¡¨How¡¡many£¿¡¨¡¡Kelson¡¡demanded£»¡¡as¡¡he¡¡gave¡¡Dhugal¡¡a¡¡hand¡¡up¡¡behind¡¡him¡£
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¡¨Not¡¡enough¡¡to¡¡give¡¡your¡¡men¡¡any¡¡trouble¡£¡¡Sire¡£¡¡Am¡¡I¡¡ever¡¡glad¡¡to¡¡see¡¡you£¡¡¨
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The¡¡sortie¡¡was¡¡all¡¡but¡¡over¡¡by¡¡the¡¡time¡¡Morgan¡¡drew¡¡rein¡¡at¡¡the¡¡top¡¡of¡¡the¡¡hill¡¡with¡¡Kelson¡£¡¡Down¡¡on¡¡the¡¡plain£»¡¡a¡¡handful¡¡of¡¡Haldane¡¡knights¡¡were¡¡in¡¡pursuit¡¡of¡¡a¡¡few¡¡stragglers£»¡¡but¡¡the¡¡rest¡¡of¡¡the¡¡opposition¡¡were¡¡on¡¡the¡¡run¡¡far¡¡ahead¡£¡¡Several¡¡men¡¡unhorsed¡¡in¡¡the¡¡encounter¡¡were¡¡scattered¡¡down¡¡the¡¡other¡¡side¡¡of¡¡the¡¡hill£»¡¡picking¡¡themselves¡¡up¡¡shakily£»¡¡but¡¡none¡¡of¡¡them¡¡wore¡¡Kelson's¡¡livery¡£¡¡Haldane¡¡knights¡¡stood¡¡guard¡¡over¡¡each¡¡one£»¡¡Traheme¡¡and¡¡Conall¡¡marching¡¡another¡¡one¡¡back¡¡to¡¡join¡¡his¡¡fellows¡¡while¡¡the¡¡squires¡¡rounded¡¡up¡¡all¡¡the¡¡loose¡¡horses¡£¡¡A¡¡cheer¡¡went¡¡up¡¡from¡¡Kelson's¡¡knights¡¡as¡¡he¡¡started¡¡down¡¡the¡¡hillside£»¡¡and¡¡at¡¡his¡¡signal¡¡the¡¡battle¡¡hom¡¡sounded¡¡to¡¡call¡¡back¡¡their¡¡knights¡¡still¡¡in¡¡pursuit¡£¡¡Grinning£»¡¡Morgan¡¡urged¡¡his¡¡horse¡¡after¡¡the¡¡king's¡£
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¡¨My¡¡father¡¡will¡¡avenge¡¡me£¡¡¨¡¡Sidana¡¡cried¡£¡¡¡¨You¡¡took¡¡him¡¡by¡¡surprise¡£¡¨
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¡¨In¡¡future£»¡¡my¡¡lady£»¡¡I¡¡should¡¡take¡¡better¡¡care¡¡for¡¡my¡¡choice¡¡of¡¡words£»¡¨¡¡the¡¡king¡¡finally¡¡said£»¡¡after¡¡permitting¡¡himself¡¡a¡¡careful¡¡sigh¡£¡¡¡¨If¡¡the¡¡fact¡¡that¡¡we¡¡are¡¡Deryni¡¡is¡¡abhorrent¡¡to¡¡you£»¡¡then¡¡you¡¡should¡¡be¡¡aware¡¡that¡¡at¡¡least¡¡some¡¡of¡¡what¡¡is¡¡said¡¡about¡¡Deryni¡¡is¡¡true¡¡¡¡¡and¡¡we¡¡are¡¡not¡¡made¡¡of¡¡stone¡£¡¡Do¡¡not¡¡press¡¡our¡¡forbearance¡¡too¡¡far¡£¡¨
He¡¡glanced¡¡purposefully¡¡out¡¡at¡¡his¡¡returning¡¡knights¡¡for¡¡a¡¡few¡¡seconds£»¡¡temporarily¡¡releasing¡¡Sidana¡¡from¡¡the¡¡intensity¡¡of¡¡his¡¡gaze£»¡¡but¡¡the¡¡brief¡¡respite¡¡did¡¡nothing¡¡to¡¡reassure¡¡the¡¡girl£»¡¡trembling¡¡in¡¡Morgan's¡¡arms¡¡like¡¡a¡¡sparrow¡¡in¡¡the¡¡clutches¡¡of¡¡a¡¡bird¡¡of¡¡prey¡£¡¡Dhugal's¡¡stiff¡¡carriage¡¡proclaimed¡¡him¡¡still¡¡stunned¡¡as¡¡well¡¡by¡¡the¡¡tight¡leashed¡¡power¡¡he¡¡sensed¡¡in¡¡the¡¡man¡¡suddenly¡¡stranger¡¡sitting¡¡in¡¡front¡¡of¡¡him¡¡¡¡¡even¡¡if¡¡Morgan¡¡had¡¡not¡¡been¡¡able¡¡to¡¡sense¡¡the¡¡fear¡¡behind¡¡the¡¡shields¡¡Dhugal¡¡should¡¡not¡¡have¡¡had¡£¡¡Kelson's¡¡expression¡¡was¡¡far¡¡more¡¡mild¡¡when¡¡he¡¡at¡¡last¡¡looked¡¡back¡¡at¡¡them£»¡¡but¡¡Sidana¡¡still¡¡recoiled¡£
¡¨You¡¡will¡¡not¡¡be¡¡harmed£»¡¡my¡¡lady£»¡¨¡¡Kelson¡¡murmured¡£¡¡¡¨By¡¡my¡¡honor¡¡and¡¡my¡¡crown£»¡¡I¡¡swear¡¡it¡£¡¡If¡¡my¡¡earlier¡¡words¡¡seemed¡¡harsh£»¡¡I¡¡apologize£»¡¡but¡¡we¡¡have¡¡ridden¡¡long¡¡and¡¡hard¡¡and¡¡I¡¡had¡¡not¡¡thought¡¡to¡¡have¡¡so¡¡gentle¡¡a¡¡captive¡¡in¡¡our¡¡pany¡£¡¡My¡¡quarrel¡¡is¡¡not¡¡with¡¡you£»¡¡but¡¡neither¡¡can¡¡I¡¡let¡¡you¡¡go¡£¡¡Now¡¡you¡¡must¡¡pardon¡¡me¡¡while¡¡I¡¡see¡¡to¡¡my¡¡men¡£¡¨
He¡¡turned¡¡his¡¡stallion¡¡down¡¡the¡¡slope¡¡toward¡¡the¡¡skirmish¡¡site¡¡without¡¡waiting¡¡for¡¡reply£»¡¡white¡¡horse¡¡stark¡¡against¡¡the¡¡trampled¡¡snow£»¡¡Dhugal¡¡shifting¡¡his¡¡grip¡¡from¡¡Kelson's¡¡belt¡¡to¡¡the¡¡horse's¡¡crupper¡¡behind¡¡him¡¡as¡¡the¡¡animal¡¡lurched¡¡down¡¡the¡¡slope¡£¡¡Morgan¡¡followed¡¡more¡¡slowly¡¡with¡¡the¡¡subdued¡¡Sidana£»¡¡still¡¡pondering¡¡Kelson's¡¡reaction¡£
Dhugal's¡¡Mearan¡¡pursuers¡¡had¡¡not¡¡wholly¡¡abandoned¡¡the¡¡situation£»¡¡Morgan¡¡saw£»¡¡as¡¡he¡¡scanned¡¡the¡¡darkening¡¡plain¡¡before¡¡them¡£¡¡They¡¡milled¡¡in¡¡a¡¡tight¡¡knot¡¡a¡¡few¡¡hundred¡¡yards¡¡out£»¡¡obviously¡¡trying¡¡to¡¡decide¡¡what¡¡to¡¡do¡¡next¡£¡¡Between¡¡them¡¡and¡¡the¡¡