riors of Anielle in the past ten years; the White Fang mountain men had been one of the first peoples to be put down by Rieo’s conquering Archers, and very rarely did their rebels make it to s*****y. She’d heard tales of mountain men killing their wives and children, then themselves, rather than be taken by Rieo. The thought of Chaol going up against hundreds of them—against men built like Cain—made her a little sick.
“Yes,” Chaol said, fiddling with the long hunting knife at his side. “I was slotted to join the Royal Council, like my father; he wanted me to spend some time among my own people, and learn . . . whatever it is councilmen learn. He said that with the King’s army now in the mountains, we could move our interests from fighting the mountain folk to politics.” His golden eyes we
