Pretty soon it was an effort to walk. His already hobbled limbs needed to be pulled out of the sludge forcefully. The gruel-like mud sucked at his leg... with each squishy step.Abilene turned and looked back at the struggling Dany. “You know, for a pony that's been outdoors all day, she's remarkably clean.”“You're right” Clara nodded in agreement. “Let's fix that.” She yanked on the leash fiercely and Dany stumbled forward. Both women gave him a firm shove and he fell face-first into the deep,. Looking back he felt the anger swell up in his chest ordering the guards to remove the traitors from his sight.Charles was running as fast as he could, it wouldn't do to be caught not right now."Cici, any pursuit yet?" He asked"Not yet but I wouldn't count on that for long, we still have a kilometer to go for the rendezvous," Cici replied a hint of urgency in its voice.An hour later Charles walked into the small meeting hall at the outskirts of the city. Alatem rushed forward throwing her arms. The two or three who learned the hard way paid for the lesson.The last rounds for Gérard were far more serious. Black Weasel was attacked by the crew of a privateer who had thrown away his letter of marq and decided to go into business for himself. Gérard was only a so-so sword and knife fighter but he was an expert wrestler and in the end more than one of the invaders found himself flipped into the sea before he’d had a chance to swing his weapon. Beyond a scratch or two Gérard had emerged. "Oh, and look at the pair of you, all grown up now. Are you still living here?" I ask, trying to act all casual. I remember very well how these teenage girls had sneaked back into the garden, leaving our kids with the stableboy, and hid in a bush while my wife and I had some fun in the cabana by the pool - we caught them — multiple times. We are still married, but we have grown apart. I love her, but she has her life, and I have mine. We share amazing memories but create very few new.