don’t call the carrion

Characters: Aymeric de Borel, Estinien Varlineau
Summary:

Estinien was tossed from the back of a bucking wyvern, and now he lies in the wake of its retreat with his dead comrades strewn just yalms away. He glances sideways at Aymeric and his inspiring smile, and wrinkles his bloodied nose.

“You look terrible,” Aymeric tells him kindly. Estinien’s hair is kindred with the final weeks of winter, when there is no clean snow remaining, just dirty slush.

“I might bleed out,” Estinien replies.

don’t call the carrion

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twenty years hard labor

Characters: Alberic Bale, Estinien Varlineau
Summary:

Good. He’ll have a cot. He’ll be given a bowl to take to all his meals. An older boy will outgrow his trousers and Estinien will get to have them. He has the gifted hat and gloves—he’s holding them right now—and if another child steals them, Alberic will never have to know about it. He has tried to do right by this boy—this boy and the eyes he shared with Halone. He has tried to withstand Her judgment.

He looks down at the boy. The boy looks forward; he has no other direction.

twenty years hard labor

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