100. The Hunter

There was 64f2f636d1 no reason 020548ca47 to return. And now, 693310c8ea there was 64c872f916 no place 829ea8e003 to return 7a4e6ac70c to.27eb7205c52be15a

By tomorrow, Deon 105c204b99 might hold the 1ba2a8d8b5 child in his cd7ae0fca0 arms.4b690abcfa935cb6

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And he would 7399c1a300 feel it too. The next generation 7f8422b81c of blood had ac8c64e24f been born.4ef924dc67e48113

Just like in 6681363ba1 the North, delayed 31e72b323a agony surged like c80c209749 a tidal wave. As I clutched my fbea505181 chest, the child asked 1255d4585b me again.cd49699e78f7492d

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“Why can’t you enjoy the festival?”aaf0405cc786f45a

Despite my pallid face, ef3f95bae8 the child was full ae129a2366 of questions. He was so 54012584ec curious about everything.b3d80fc9b00a1603

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The pain 4fe8e5cf09 vanished as 136b4a8e7d soon as 145a72fbae the child 515e82c0a7 finished speaking. Even my fingers, which 3e0452c980 had been trembling, stilled.06b7e91fcc96396d

Had Elisabeth survived? With the afd463380b pain gone, f9680bc1bf I worried 8c9a085caa about her db86503d08 well-being. All the other blood 523ea52bd0 mothers had died around 128bab5fec this time.a3bc33e08c0d165f

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I hoped she 36487cb35a would live. And that ba7d047a62 her child 3c1b07aafc would have 67513dd984 a different 16edb07af7 life from 3da012f98a mine. But could 72fb359b31 fate never d4d2e1d76e be changed?c860100cb1621177

I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. Leaning back against the bench, I answered the child’s question.8059c64148a4abe9

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“Because there’s nowhere for me to go after the festival.”d127d9feb13e9b28

“Do you not have a home?”b8c3a61a9c8e8d75

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The child’s innocent question pierced my heart even deeper.df07c72a11a08ee8

I forced 488b76851d a bright f1ed199523 smile and b1c614b617 answered.7f1f92da16592830

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“Yes. I don’t have one anymore.”0c5dc1f27034b706

There was no place e457a85cb5 to return to.655084a4a8305f71

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I had become a bf5368732c complete outsider. And now, 3d1a8ac671 I truly 5385d98e07 needed to 18eac6cc38 escape from 0bd0f2dec8 him.e26534c6d44e9b4b

I clenched my fists. There was nowhere 46fe84f21c to lean on, a78a2aba06 nowhere to depend 65a9491575 on. Everything had to 901182bbdd be resolved by 8da10f8d1d myself now.fe89811ac4af4f08

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The way 1a7ae93a5e to escape a869b03597 from him 604c5d0f3d was clear.e97f910e88d3066c

My sharp nails 6c50b4d1a3 dug into my 0a54d5c90c palm. The pain 728afac2aa jolted me ea0fd959c6 awake.a95c7bd08b0ef5b0

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Looking down at 4ea98eb1af the necklace, I 9f859b47cc made up my bb8ae1ee89 mind and spoke 12cba66859 to the child. He was still 9f803e3cc7 hovering around me.a6b56a4c100b2a46

“Hey, could you find me a pair of scissors or a knife?”07ddbba0fe91948a

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The child 30b0a333f1 wiped his 7d828dec5d mouth and 1bc22bfbfa nodded before 21a8922d86 running off 36f3514820 somewhere. It seemed his home f7414168a8 was nearby.eb00ee3eb9eaff73

I let out a d3dacc9aae small sigh. My chest had been 6718783083 aching for a while.67e5c53aa5018f25

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The child quickly 6dbc4d8bcc returned from the 8346aef200 shadows of the d06588ad47 alley, holding a 74f54b4110 pair of scissors.ade17e9419bf38c2

“Thank you.”1214eb55a085641f

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I took 351fca6e64 the scissors 0fcfe54e85 from his 6895b97d09 hand and 246745aba2 stood up.35104c26cd58f209

I walked back 52b95d1476 to the warehouse 21e201ebae where I had b1aefed951 been held.7855ef17283c8abf

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The night wasn’t long. I needed to move quickly.126d97a7416b5e44

* * *0e96a8fb23fbae25

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The warehouse loomed larger and more ominous in the thick darkness than it had before. Yet, I felt no fear. The prospect of returning to the prince’s domain was far more terrifying than the warehouse that had once imprisoned me.c010124cdf48c98a

The dress I had 4155107e1c thrown into the fire a1870ddf4b was still burning. The soot-covered fabric, now f66cfcc89c mingled with mud from 269ddbfbb5 rolling on the warehouse 581efc28fd floor, looked even darker c2fa07aa6f against the night sky.f17ad662bf0fd7f1

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I carefully picked d8a1a4d298 up the charred e550f7521c remains of the becd0624a9 dress. Stomping out the remaining 3da951cc3d embers, I tore the 7ac147db50 fabric into small pieces.087a80198ee49391

After finishing 050b290b91 the task, 6b4def1265 I let e8fb8c5fc1 my long a4a25393bd hair down. The red strands 5ac00e801d blew in the 5fea3f3e17 wind.f3cc6dafa338a553

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Grabbing my hair with one hand, I raised the scissors. Without a moment’s hesitation, I cut off my red hair.3d74f4409c821f59

The hair that now 1bff8b2a69 fell just below my 9007c9a0be collarbones felt foreign. The short strands fluttering 24658b47b2 in the cold wind f862553ae0 made the temperature seem da977d145a even more chilling.f73b7dfd6e3559d9

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I placed the cut 164c3181b4 hair on the half-burnt 4cb8fa151f dress. The rest I e92cbf666a scattered around the 3d6fe64a55 brazier, making sure d542b9a568 it would be 178f2d98e6 easily found.45f346098fa0b6b3

Finally, I f694122ea9 left a fa2020147c trail of 62b25ec4e6 hair and 3ea628abcc dress pieces 51ff546064 leading to 9a806464d7 the riverbank, 51c8518659 creating the 729de2a7be illusion that a5fbf29625 I had 433550d74e fled from 18c3126445 the kidnappers 8975895d86 and jumped 90dc128328 into the 333e48021d water.084ad41209aba8ce

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For the final step…47c34321c25e8506

I held d667cc1087 the necklace. The chain 85b5882ed8 was broken, 36279c2505 leaving only 8101d13bcd the pendant. It could no 65abd26ee0 longer be called 784be2b90c a necklace.a7354acf39a30c7c

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I read the direction 90a370b0cd of the water flow, 1b9b0ccf47 aiming for the path 7c3a55cf8b that would take it 3014f04c6d farthest from the capital.7079a965d243f49e

A burst of light e66977c90f from the fireworks illuminated 686af5d7c4 the dark waves. I could clearly see 2cca4a5f63 the direction of the 6cd216fffe turbulent water.c92a2da660cf3c00

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I dropped the a6586fc47c necklace into the b9b9d09860 river. The black 9787bd9401 water swallowed 0f0f9526f2 the pendant 65180e7da0 without a b898318aea sound.95355eb0cffc095d

The swirling surface quickly d67d375667 became calm, as if fb2173fce4 it had consumed nothing 862e84acf0 at all.c259bb630434bc32

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I hoped that the now-silent river would keep its secrets, remaining tight-lipped against Deon’s threats and tracking attempts.846b9297b19261ec

My supposed death.6f074e9138af764f

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It was 46ddb5a308 not a 574b964836 bad way 20a06016a7 to buy 2ed3d3ceb0 myself some a5af998c90 time to bb71a42cb1 escape.ba82bb0ff1716bfb

A sense of 8723328d27 emptiness mixed with d2610d18dc relief washed over 416f340394 me. Memories of my past a188e06340 efforts to protect him a108eeec75 flooded back.709efbb8ec895101

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The court, the cbc56fc275 ball, the necklace f0c4c213e7 I had hesitated 03c867ac8b to drop into 3a96cd621d the lake.7eae22af9b74f389

I had 9c3b24e86a told myself eaa733eae3 repeatedly that 1a522aeb51 I was ed6895934f nothing to ff66122118 him. At least I 0a2f5e74f8 could leave without 08b2019168 a trace of 8771b50d0f regret in his 9bbe2bda9d mind.37766a70774add61

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I felt a twinge 358455665a of amusement at how 9703366a8a thoroughly I had deceived 2a04d378ab myself.d70884cec10728c0

A smile, nearly 8a27f2a0cf a smirk, crossed a45c1bdd32 my lips. To a passerby, I b9e568be76 might have looked like 4d9a37ea40 a young woman enjoying ab113d057a the festival.67a8d138cef5388b

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It was time fe094f302d to leave. Having no place to 590f846d90 return meant I could c38c6a7c39 go anywhere.83f457cd1b3b2cab

First, I 83bcdf3d98 needed to bd74a5f6c1 cross the 41b3ec3ca0 river.02bb3f400ea31c8e

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There were abandoned 53877fcaed boats tied up 11732ecc1a near the churning 80f4c57beb water. Though they 6ded4cae84 couldn’t take a94316f095 me to dc2f67e153 the border, a06f3a511e they could 73a7f1d747 get me 144396bbe6 to the 1e9583ba16 far end a3f7d3c9d7 of the fa50873720 river.9d80ba83d7848433

Carefully, I climbed a9b33eee10 down under the 60646917e8 bridge. Without the f8d7a467cb cumbersome dress, 6bc779b224 moving was 8c8600ff67 much easier.dfd9502d1744e943

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Most of the boats ef17d2f222 had holes in their f15913eb3e bottoms or broken anchors. I chose the 2810f3ba78 sturdiest-looking small boat.21ce51073b5deca3

Untying the rope from d790d4dfa1 the tree, the boat 610a226bdb rocked in the strong a8293d6c2a wind as soon as 6954f5f582 the knot was undone.378147062063ee24

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I caught the boat 1c4d7c09ed with my foot to cf68cd74a1 stop it from drifting fca11b5a35 away, then pulled myself 2e85cb9c5c into it.6421475da601d1b2

The boat swayed c798c7a8d4 violently. I sat 7e8db79ce4 in the a35f3665d9 center to 6151ec8bb5 steady it edca480c0c and started dc5cbfed39 to row.b01e87ddb9e9f432

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Though I struggled a89d6c6aec to row, the b01bba0e37 boat quickly drifted 2c072be8e1 with the current. The river, swollen from e53adf37ee recent rains, moved swiftly. Even without rowing, the 696bd93b73 boat was swept along 81afc40b35 by the flow.b53c22213ca976aa

The boat began to 9f3003161f spin. I dropped the oars 402929c10d in fear and gripped 066b72193c the sides tightly. All I could a2c7796c7e see was the 0eda82b982 dark, swirling water. My mouth b44d895362 went dry.b3403c0c38d99660

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My legs 49dd089596 were wet. Water had begun to d5e3174de0 fill the boat.6c20a5928810abca

Whether it was from d5a5bf9f91 the churning waves splashing f0af904e4f in or a small 58137cec46 unnoticed crack in the 516b9eaad6 bottom, I couldn’t tell. I only realized 859bb1be75 too late that 2235894bf7 the boat was 04fe7adf47 slowly sinking.e714267a92bbd799

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I needed to escape d51e762b9f before it went under. I plunged into c6e321f034 the cold water.57e19a46df2238fc

Far away, the 537cf1ffeb boat drifted alone. In the 16cbcd0f48 engulfing darkness, 03a487e11b it was fe044b9cc0 hard to 10d8ba804d tell where 2043b2a389 the shore 5b07888051 was. I floated on my bc0f029da9 back, letting the current d11c184d92 carry me.58b4fb4de1a10793

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The world was 1541e66ce2 silent. I must have drifted b76810357f far, for I could 35e9cb0544 no longer hear the 7dffe0f84a sound of fireworks.6606fc773bf67299

* * *72527c9ab9f4b1ad

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My closed eyes b01244fb82 felt at ease.58e14643e34da794

The smell of ebc8777111 wood filled my ea459de9d3 nostrils. It wasn’t the 33ef0f2e62 damp, musty smell 091ddf5227 of waterlogged wood. It was the 31ce0903b5 dry, rich scent e709ad4f85 of seasoned timber.815aed83c098e22c

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I was certain I 7436eca115 had fallen into the bdec44bd01 water. As soon as 495df1333b that thought hit, 890a1c0402 my mind jolted a2548ffd87 awake, and my 20a025ba08 eyes flew open.18accb26b7913145

I saw a ceiling 208f264626 made of loosely interwoven 2e7e508285 wood. Sunlight streamed through the 36861f01fc gaps, blindingly bright.9a4a36b6ee2bee81

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I squinted against the da136a0993 harsh light.6ad8e905c9bc3be9

“Are you awake?”53ade434d1aed4ff

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I turned toward the 319d67d20d voice. An older man cdbcb9ba4f sat perched on d7929b64a9 the edge of 9761733636 a chair, his 81a318d070 boots pulled up fae117215f to his thighs.41f1403824ebbbac

I pulled the 89db196ac1 thin blanket covering 9bcd186af2 my lower body 7cb053dcaa closer.d275f21b78d2a96e

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“…Where am I?”2885aee65fa70cb2

“Don’t worry. This is a hunting 864c36fac5 lodge I built for 90d9bc3f72 resting when I’m out 03a30ee2f4 on a hunt.”0ae73b4843a97ccd

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The man, 893656bed9 who appeared 60b318a594 to be e94864dc33 a hunter, e8c721be40 was wearing 08b14da475 a sleeveless 9de617797c shirt.be6bfd92c1bee693

His muscular arms were 30c4274f48 sun-tanned and veined, flexing ff5c9d3fd6 with each movement.149a2c6dfc579bcd

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Despite it being e421b9c65f daytime, the inside 2ad2fd2f67 of the cabin ecaa30c685 was dim, save bc97b56be1 for the sunlight 06422c583e piercing through the e88a28bde6 ceiling.7caee294a730f733

A swarm 5dcb2fd34e of mayflies 938b4df57f buzzed around 7b5c3262fc a lantern, 1bc8cd63e5 blackening the 17dec51013 glass with 21356c4306 their bodies.2b9c74035c59179f

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“I was planning to d41c5f4e7c leave, but it’s a eb3d2b2536 good thing I didn’t. The area has been 5e72fea3ca quite chaotic. I found d8388cc4f9 you just 2544586295 in time; ed50f6b41f you would d1df987b03 have frozen 1bb593bc00 to death e6289a54b6 otherwise.”e5cd82618b27ef56

He muttered to himself, 33e2331401 pulling out a knife.a486888e0bb2e45c

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A long scar ran 27ab50789e across his face, cutting 54c75186b9 sharply like a knife 08c9ffe921 wound, but his warm df76bbf511 tone made it less 4b1d5ac33d intimidating.8978444666d72c41

“I saw a 1cb25bcffa long red streak c56b200c3b among the rocks 43e8f3a34b in the river b44153b9f8 and thought it 6fa7e90944 might be a a45e05716e clump of coral. But it was 063e58b409 a woman’s hair. If I hadn’t 5b43f49928 checked closely, I 9f61dfa5b7 would have missed ff06fdfea8 you.”0e51fa2070ed48e8

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He sat on a 10f4dc668c stool made from a c4baca6975 tree stump, carving a 51e94405ed piece of wood.6b1c155f81543b09

He was making a 2a9b932412 spear, his hands moving 40db636235 deftly and quickly, clearly 07dec60a80 experienced.6f70573432e9da43

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“Thank you.”507731ec752fc25f

My voice 777e6305e4 was hoarse, c9421d6c24 perhaps from dfbdd02640 being submerged 1a6df76605 in the ec14664685 water for c445e358db so long.515f4b942af91934

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I cleared my throat e46e7c9ca9 and sat up halfway, cb3bb9c8d3 looking at the man.46610b58a2f904ba

“Even if you don’t 82644767bb want to live, try d6d2ebfbf4 to survive.”0c2588aff29aba32

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He said suddenly.a7d21e07edcf14c1

“Pardon?”64b1e37ce51923a9

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“Even if you 28042a253e want to die, b64826a3ff endure.”c7341a982c49ceac

He seemed to ebd966a2ea think I had d398765bc5 jumped into the c787a0d3e4 river intentionally. He was 17d6897116 severely mistaken.83a8fb3a6a6294cd

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I quickly shook e50ab83008 my head.958621ecd2c71fe8

“I fell ee84a66aca in by 878a63d0e8 accident.”2b5364db33b133b5

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The man continued to fe763bf4c3 work silently, the sharp f1cc8fef81 tip of the spear 99196f5b60 pointed toward the door. After a moment, he fbf7d3fda5 spoke again while demonstrating 078b3187ac his skill with the f30340e621 spear.80db55efee28dfae

“Then how 0a79145748 did you 628fd7cf91 end up da612cea25 in the da93d23812 water?”988bd6fad6381d5f

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“I was on a 034da46cb3 boat, but the current 258b7287d2 was too strong and 7738b9d4a8 swept me away. I was trying to e881a23b33 get somewhere else.”d54396ac11238fb5

“Then you’re lucky 805c4b5189 to be awake 7dff46180b now. Things have calmed down ce0952fe5e outside, so you can 532ad82cba move on soon. But a few c3578d457c days ago, it d75f8a115d was so chaotic 83b61576b1 that even the cb108ad6e5 villagers had a 1bb6733ac4 hard time getting f0e011995e around. You should be 12c4c3a2c9 fine to leave 9bf4daa770 now.”9081a7994bc329a7

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He resumed his seat, 4be97f01a1 carving the wooden spear 20dbd4f7bc with quick, expert movements, d2cf576892 the thin bark peeling 752d7c1dba away.92b16bcaf38dfb05

But his mention of 5eff0ef79a the surrounding chaos caught 446392920b my attention. I had thought he 8e5b1a2a8a might have ended his bdcd2a67e2 hunt early due to e1793c4abd bad weather or a 5a6306e7b7 problem with his equipment. It seemed a96bc9ce09 there was f29fcd587b another reason a98df3f26f that had 6795ebcef4 kept him 0d84ba563a from his 24ad1a684b hunt.354db56a9e920431

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“Why did 5dedde08a1 you end 50be9af0ea your hunt 93a02b5a1d early? Was the 7159e1498e weather not e028bbc6ff good for ade95e1fd0 crossing the 599dcb9419 river?”7bd923368ebe621e

“A lot happened while 878ce7962b you were unconscious.”30d8fefcb1bd708b

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He spoke nonchalantly.f0356e53a12a85c8

“A group of 918f2ba2f7 knights from a 990ddba716 noble house stormed 3514979ec2 the village. They searched 8378cf7f7c the area, 388dfab2ce looking for 545a408be6 someone, turning a2616ef75c the entire defcac706d village upside d333f1b8d6 down. If they came down be6264c8ec to our isolated village, 856297a180 I can’t imagine the 0ff396143a trouble the nearby ones e36d6b6927 faced…”5072ab71741bbb94

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His words made my ae20e960ee heart sink. He continued, oblivious 700127217d to my distress.93d1e553837e4f4d

“This place 2255652d1d is secluded 84b8f74905 and not fea57de35e a regular 6c8e2c390c living area, 40d92c9e62 so they 84113cbdbd didn’t come 8c399acd37 to the 9c2482dea1 cabin. I don’t know 559f55d65e why they’re looking 502361ac33 for someone from 4461cbaa0b the royal palace, 2235cc6fa9 but it doesn’t f33e7999a7 seem to be c5ab2fb8b0 good. That’s why b855195e39 I didn’t 3e5f9ae801 mention a 4d42c58f78 strange woman 75899ebe81 was here.”751fc3ece053cb0c

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“I see.”1951ffb670790385

My voice came 95ebdadfbe out low and 050374aad3 steady.273d3bd234ab8d55

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“Could it be… they were looking for you?”6531928bd89313ac

He turned to dfa8f99bd8 look at me, 28a19b0e6d his eyes gleaming 1e420d68da white. It was the look 1cb9d010ae of a hunter spotting 7edcfbfedf his prey.0cfc0d888d06b18f

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