“Regin!" He leapt up from a bunk."Well, well, the gang's all here." Nix must've given him Regin's whereabouts. Again."I'm going to get you out of here," he said, his green eyes aglow.She snorted. "Let me know how that works out for you, Job MacBangup." Seeing Brandr here just brought her situation into stark relief. "It's curious though--you don't usually show up until it's time to bury him.”

“MacRieve had been roaring in his cage in the basement for hours now, […] "Let me the bluidy hell out of here!" sounded up from below. Regin glared at Lucia, as if this were her fault. "He is harshing my buzz, and I am" – Regin turned to yell over her shoulder – "not interested!" "Open this fucking cage, you glowing bluidy freak!" Gods, he was fierce.”

“Crooks stood up from his bunk and faced her. "I had enough," he said coldly. "You got no rights comin' in a colored man's room. You got no rights messing around in here at all. Now you jus' get out, an' get out quick. If you don't, I'm gonna ast the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more."She turned on him in scorn. "Listen, Nigger," she said. "You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?"Crooks stared helplessly at her, and then he sat down on his bunk and drew into himself.She closed on him. "You know what I could do?"Crooks seemed to grow smaller, and he pressed himself against the wall. "Yes, ma'am.""Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny."Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego--nothing to arouse either like or dislike. He said, "Yes, ma'am," and his voice was toneless.For a moment she stood over him as though waiting for him to move so that she could whip at him again; but Crooks sat perfectly still, his eyes averted, everything that might be hurt drawn in. She turned at last to the other two.”

“Hang on - Slow down. I'm not going anywhere. You know that, right? You don't have to put out to keep me here. Well, as long as you eventually..." Shane said."Shut up" Claire said.”

“You called her a cunt,” I reminded him. “He threw out a hand, his brows shooting up. “Were you not just here? She is a cunt.”This was not debatable. I didn’t even know why I brought it up.”

“Dragon! My lord...oh, please, wake up-speak to me! Don't you dare just lie there!" Tears all but blinded her and slid unheeded down her ashen cheeks. Clasping his shoulders, she tried to lift him. "Please...wake up...don't-"He was too heavy, she couldn't budge him. And he just lay there, his eyes closed,all the life seemingly gone from him. A sob broke from her. She grabbed hold of his tunic and pulled so hard that the sturdy cloth came close to rending. "Don't you dare! You can't be hurt! Think of all the battles you've been though, all the adventures! Are you going to let a horse you don't even like do this to you?"One eye opened and looked at her balefully. "Would it be better somehow if I did like him?"Rycca gave a shriek of delight and threw her arms around Dragon's neck, damn near choking him. By the time he managed to disentangle himself, his vision had cleared enough to see that his wife was crying and laughing at the same time. That rather pleased him."It's all right," he said gruffly. "I'm fine.Only let me get up.""Careful," Rycca admonished and stood by to help him. "Here,put your weight on me."Dragon started to laugh and thought better of it when he realized his head was pounding. "Lady,if I do that, I will crush you.”