"And Duke Deathridge?"

"Much the same. My wife pleaded for him to give me this chance."

Gideon slowly nodded. "So the endless war will be expanding to Mystria."

"It's a long way from a Minister's notion to cannons thundering in the wilderness."

"There are times I wonder if the Ministers even know why we fight the Tharyngians."

"Honor? Because they overthrew their King and now the Laureates rule? Because the last generation failed to conquer them, so this generation must?"

Owen leaned heavily on the ship's rail, fatigue both physical and spiritual making his limbs tremble. "They are evil. During Villerupt, I saw things no man ever should. You don't want that coming to Mystria."

Tar smiled. "Then I shall be happy you are here to prevent it."

Owen laughed. "I hope, sir, you are right."

Tar looked out toward the harbor. He fished a small crystal sphere from his pocket and held it up to his right eye. The glass glowed with a faint blue light. The man smiled. "Harbormaster is coming out to guide us in."

Owen looked west, but shook his head.

Tar held the crystal out to him. "Use it, if you like."

"Thank you, no. I never mastered the spell that focuses those things for me." Owen held up a thumb. "All the magick they say I need is here."

"Shooting fast and straight has its advantages in your line of work."

"It does, sir, it does."

A shout from a small boat called Captain Tar away to deal with a harbor-master.

Owen remained at the rail, sorely missing his wife. He should have felt relief at finally being in spitting distance of solid land, but in the absence of seasickness, loneliness opened a void in his middle.

I wish you had come, Catherine. At once he realized he was being selfish, because she truly would have been miserable. She would have hated the ship's cramped quarters and found the ship's fare inedible. Aside from Captain Tar's wife, she would have found no suitable companions among the other women. Had she been called upon to actually work, she would have been completely lost.