“Why not now?”With an exaggerated snort, Tarn paused before hecontinued. “Tonath knew that Alec had framed me beforemy court martial. I never disobeyed an order, you know. I
honestly never had the chance. After that rst strike on the
clan holds, I asked for other duties, but was never given thechance to do them. As I think back on it now, I realize thatAlec had it in for me from the very beginning. He did frameme. Tonath knew it, but said nothing.”“What makes you say that?”“Tonath knew I was on the up-and-up. But you have tounderstand one thing about Tonath. More than anythingelse, he is a follower. He takes orders very well, but givesthem very poorly. Like I said, he’s turned down commandof the garrison more than once. But Tonath always viewedcommand as a burden, not a blessing.“And so when Alec laid out the charges against me, Tonath didn’t speak up, even though we both knew that heknew I was innocent. When I asked him, all he would say to
me was, ‘You have to obey orders, Tarn.’” He shufed in his
saddle for a moment before he continued. “I would neverdare to call Tonath a coward to his face, but that time he was, and for that I can never forgive him.”* * *Nyla held up a hand to halt them, and Tarn and Loganpulled their mounts up alongside hers“What do you see?”“Dust cloud up ahead. See it?”Weeks of exposure to Nyla’s keen eyesight had taught Tarn never to doubt her. “What do you think it is?”
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