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."Domioffered herprotection.Such an agreement, once made, no other person could break thatoath.""This is true." True Flame said.Earth Son had cast his shield, encompassing only him and hissekasha."Shecan't hold them.This is preposterous.""They fit the model of a household with Jin as the head," Wolf said."Only clan heads can hold that many people," Earth Son said."And she isnothing but a  ""She is mydomi and we are the clan heads of the Westernlands," Wolf growled."Forest Moss is right.You are a blind.Tinker has closed the Ghostlands."Wolf pointed to Malice's massive body."She killed the dragon that four of uscould not harm.She has made a peace with a force that we didn't even knowexisted.Do not assign her your limitations.We can hold the tengu.""They are monsters!" Earth Son shouted.Wolf shook his head."They were once human, forced into their shape by cruelmasters.They have fought beside mydomi to kill the dragon.They haveprotected my youngestsekasha from harm.""You are a traitor to your people," Earth Son spat the accusation and thenlooked to True Flame, as if challenging the prince to refute it.True Flame said nothing, waiting to see the outcome of the debate.Wolf directed his argument to the Wyvern and the Stone Clansekasha as he knewthat his Hands had already decided on the issue  or they wouldn't havedefended the tengu.But their decision was based on their trust of him.ThePage 249ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlothers would need convincing."My people are those that offer me theirloyalty, be they elfin, human, tengu, or half-blooded oni.It is my dutyasdomana to extend protection to those weaker than I am.""It is our duty to keep our race pure," Earth Son said."That is our Skin Clan forefathers speaking.Kill the misbegotten children.Eliminate the unwanted genetic line.Ignore trust, obedience, loyalty, andlove in the search for perfection.It was the Skin Clan, but it not our way.""This is insanity.They breed like mice.All of them do.The oni and thehumans.This is our world.If we don't eliminate them, they will overwhelmus.""If they offer their loyalty and we give them our protection  do they notbecome one of us? They do not lessen us  they make us greater."Earth Son worked his mouth for a minute, and then finally cried."No! No, no,no! They are filthy lying creatures.I am Stone Clan head of the Westernlands,and I say that the Stone Clan will never accept this!""I do not care what the Stone Clan accepts." Wolf cocked his fingers,wondering if Earth Son would be as stupid as actually start a fight with allthe tengu assembled.Since Earth Son was holding shields, he could strikequickly."Know this  the tengu are Wind Clan now.I will protect them."Earth Son made a motion.It was a start of a spell.What spell Wolf wouldnever know.Wolf snapped his hand up to summon the winds, even though he wouldbe too late to block the attack.Thorne Scratch reacted first.With deliberatecalm, she struck out and beheaded Earth Son."We will not follow the path of the Skin Clan." Thorne Scratch cleaned theblood from herejae.Red Knife, True Flame's First, nodded."Those that offer loyalty will beprotected."Jewel Tears gazed down at Earth Son's body."As temporary Stone Clan head ofthe Westernlands, I recognize that non-elfin can be beholden."Back|NextContentsFramedBack|NextContentsChapter 23: PeaceTinker woke slowly.She had been dreaming, but for once, it was a pleasantdream of the new viceroy palace being complete.She had walked from room toroom to room, marveling that all this was hers.Theirs.When she opened her eyes, she knew instantly she was in her own bed atPoppymeadow's because Windwolf lay beside her, his black hair poured like silkacross the cream satin sheets.Contentment poured through her like warm honey.She snuggled closer to him.For once the taffy thickness of thesaijin -inducedsleep didn't seem threatening.If she was with Windwolf, then everything wasright with the world.Page 250ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAnd then with sudden dark coldness, she remembered the tengu.She hadpromised to protect them but then let the elves drug her.What had she beenthinking of? The elves would have only seen the tengu as enemies.She sat up, hands to her mouth to hold in the cries of dismay.What hadhappened after she was carried away? Was Jin, Grace and Xiao Chen and all theothers already dead?"Beloved?" Windwolf sat up beside her."Oh gods, I failed them! I promised Jin I would protect the tengu! I failedthem.""You did not.You are mydomi.Your promises are mine.I protected them.Itwas, after all, the right thing to do."She knew, in a way she wouldn't have know a week ago, what she had asked ofhim, and how different he had to be from other elves to understand.There beena secret fear hiding inside of her that he wouldn't understand, and instead ofbeing a powerful protector, he was in truth a ruthless killer.That cold knotof fear dissolved."Oh, thank you!" She hugged him tight.She didn't need anything else but tobe in his arms and hear his heart beating.She snuggled closer, wanting todrown in thesaijin -laced honey contentment [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]