He looked up. His eyes and cheeks were hollow, his long hair all tangled. He was glaring at her. He would not ask for mercy.
But there were snow-fishers on the banks beyond him, bright as the tears that the world wept at evening. Her answer came like a drawer at the touch of a hidden spring.
‘Bring him one of the spare horses,’ she said to Orcrim, without looking around. ‘He can ride and eat with us, as far as the March. After that, he may go where he wills.’
She kicked her mare on, riding ahead while her orders were passed down the line. She did not want to look at the man she had saved. This evening, when they camped, she would have to speak with him. Heaven alone knew what she would say.
She did not think she could forgive him. But she supposed she did not have to.
That had been done for her.
Also by John Dickinson
The CUP of the WORLD
“Subtle foreshadowing and superb pacing…. [Its message] will remain with readers long after they leave this troubled, beautiful world.”
—School Library Journal, Starred
“Rich in emotional and symbolic power.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“Dickinson's debut novel is a rich tapestry woven with much obvious care.”
—Voice of Youth Advocates
“The whole book is … detailed, glowing, rich and unforgettable.”
—The Guardian (UK)
“Brimful of talent … fraught with betrayal, politics, and passion.”
—The Times (UK)
Published by Laurel-Leaf an imprint of Random House Children's Books a division of Random House, Inc. New York
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2005 by John Dickinson
All rights reserved.
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RL: 5.9
eISBN: 978-0-307-54932-7
April 2007
v3.0
The Widow and the King Page 49