15 Diplomacy Julian tried to shake off the shiver that always came when his adrenalin began to flow while also licking his lips in a vain attempt to wet a mouth that had suddenly gone dry. He had long since stopped trying to figure out how it was possible to be exhilarated and terrified at the same time; by this point in his life he had come to recognize both as a soldier's constant companions on the eve of battle. That he felt them now, as he and Raedrick hurried to follow Fendig to intercept Farzal with the four fishing men following, should not have been special at all. Yet for some reason it felt different this time. Perhaps it was the eyes of various townsfolk, their expressions terrified beneath a facade of confident hope, following them as they rushed past. Or perhaps it was the