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Tenser won the argument, of which he was immediately quite proud. Yrag, after all, had seemed obsessively worried the whole trip with staying undetected or unnoticed. Even Ehlissa seemed to have been swept up in this strange desire for stealth. Tenser had gone along with it at first, but it had become increasingly tiresome as the long march through the rugged terrain continued. Right now, he did not care who they encountered. If an ogre blocked their path, and offered him a comfy chair and a cushion for his feet in its dungeon, Tenser would be tempted to take it up on its offer.

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Page 16

"Did you think the tangles back there posed a danger?" Ehlissa asked at last.

"I didn't know," Yrag said, "and that's what was dangerous. I know it's been awhile since I was through here last, but they were not here before and could have been placed to conceal a trap."

"This far from the castle?" Tenser asked.

"Stay cautious," Yrag warned. "I will keep my shield on me and my sword in hand from here on. I advise you do the same with either your dagger hilts or your spell pouches, whichever you place the most trust in."

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