"It's less dangerous for witches," Ashlynn said quickly when she noticed the alarmed look on several faces. "It's the domain of the Mother of Thorns, and while it's true that the plants there are almost as hostile as the beasts are, as long as you have a guide to show you the safe routes through the swamp, it really isn't that dangerous."
"So you survived by avoiding the great beasts?" Liam asked as he savored the strange, creamy, cold dish that tasted sweet enough to be a dessert even though it lacked any of the heaviness of the sweet things he'd seen served as desserts, either in Lothian March or at the academy in Keating Duchy.
"And how do you get something so cold somewhere so hot? It can't have been easy to bring ice there from the mountains," he asked as he considered the desert.
