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. But you ve brought old friends to us.They ll have much to tell us. Alf decided to say nothing for now about the destruction of the rest of the Brotherhood.He would leave that news for the Brothers themselves to tell.Leaving Tando s, Alf hurried tofind the Emperor.He hoped to slip into the meeting without notice, but heads turned when heentered the doorway, and the Emperor invited him to come forward and sit next to Falco.Takingthis place, he saw that Zoë was beside the Emperor and that near them sat men and women he dnever seen before including two tall, remarkably handsome men, about Alf s own age, whostood behind Zoë and the Emperor holding spears. They inform me that you ve been exploring the land to the East of the valley, theEmperor said. Have you learned anything with a bearing on the Chosen and their army? I have learned two things, Your Imperial Highness, Alf replied, assuming a dignifiedtone that took its key from the Emperor s demeanor. I ve found yet another way from thisvalley to the lands to its North, but it s far from here, and if you re planning a speedy attack onthe enemy, this route would take too long to follow.However, I believe I can say with certaintythat there is no other easy way across the mountains between the route I discovered and the twopasses into Bent Lake we now guard.And there is also a second discovery I can report.TheBrotherhood is no more. All eyes were on Alf as he told them what they d discovered.He spoke of the Rand onlyas a tribe of men whom the Brotherhood had mistreated.There was no need to go into furtherdetail at this time.But he looked at Zoë as he spoke, and he was certain she knew the men hewas talking about. Alf, Zoë told him when he finished speaking, you have become a true Forester.I onlywish I had been able to join you on your journey of discovery.However, as you can see, I hadother matters to attend to.But where is Jon? When Falco said that you d gone on a mission, Iassumed Jon had gone with you. Zoë, Jon never came back from the camp of the Chosen.We went together soon afteryou and the Emperor set out on your journey.I returned with the members of the Brotherhoodwho d chosen to enter the Emperor s service, but Jon stayed in the enemy camp in order tospread the rumor that the Emperor was here with a large army.He was successful.As you haveprobably heard, the enemy has made no second effort to take the pass.But instead of returning toBent Lake, Jon went on to Kar, in the company of men from the Chosen.I don t know if thejourney was his choice or if he was compelled to go.I only know that he was in Kar becauseDavid and Alice saw him there. Alice and David? Have you seen them? Zoë asked excitedly. They re here in the valley.Jon helped them come from Kar he gave them money forthe journey. Then my brother is alive.That s wonderful news.And we bring news for Alice, bothgood and bad.Her brother Tandar is among the men who ve come with us to the valley, but herfather and her other brother were killed in battle.Of those who left Bridgetown to fight for theEmperor, few survived. She spoke the last words in a low voice, and after she had finished speaking there was along silence.Glancing around the room, Alf saw than many heads were bowed. Alf, the Emperor said, thank you for what you have told us.If Jon is in Kar, he willfind a way to help us there.The Empress calls him her brother, and that means he is my brotheras well. So Zoë was now the Empress.Who would have believed such a thing possible? Alfglanced at her and saw she was looking at her husband with unfeigned admiration. But we can speak of these matters at another time, the Emperor continued. We face anopportunity we must seize now or lose altogether.Before the week is out, we will launch anattack on the enemy.Indeed, a week is too long to put off action
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