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You really miss him don’t you?” The Ranger nodded. “More than I realized,” he said. Alyss urged her horse close beside his and learned over to kiss him on the cheek. “That’s for Will when you see him.” A ghost of a smile touched Halt’s face. “You’ll understand if I don’t pass it on in person?” he said. Alyss smiled and leaned over and kissed him again. “And that’s for you, you jaded, bad-tempered old Ranger.” A little surprised by her own impulsivness, she urged her horse ahead of him. Halt touched his cheek and looked at the slim blonde figure. If I were twenty years younger…he began. The he sighed and had to be honest with himself. Make that thirty years, he thought.The Burning Bridge
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Halt eyed them balefully. They were all being so obvious about not mentioning his sudden reappearance that it was even worse than if they had commented on it…
‘Oh, go on!’ he said. ‘Somebody say something! I know what you’re thinking!’
‘It’s good to see you up and about, Halt,’ Selethen said gravely…
Halt glared at the others and they quickly chorused their pleasure at seeing him back to his normal self. But he could see the grins they didn’t quite manage to hide. He fixed a glare on Alyss.
‘I’m surprised at you Alyss,’ he said. ‘I expected no better of Will and Evanlyn, of course. Heartless beasts, the pair of them. But you! I thought you had been better trained!’…
‘Halt, I’m sorry! It’s not funny, you’re right… Shut up, Will.’ This last was directed at Will as he tried, unsuccessfully, to smother a snigger.
The Emperor of Nihon-Ja
