\u201cThis is pointless!\u201d Behfa shouted. \u201cWe could crawl up and down this river for weeks and never find them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd yet we must look,\u201d said the wizard. He was crouched by the riverbed, rooting around in the loose dirt and rocks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think there are any soldiers in the dirt,\u201d she sneered.<\/p>\n
The wizard sighed at that. \u201cI fear there are far too many soldiers in the dirt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what I mean! What are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking for our friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behfa snorted. \u201cFriends? You really think any of them would be out here if I wasn\u2019t my father\u2019s daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n
The wizard hummed as he rooted. \u201cI couldn\u2019t say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell I can.\u201d She stood north up the river. The new day was chasing off the dark of night, but a large, sharp shadow struck west from where Behfa stood. \u201cJunior officers, second sons,\u201d She snorted again. \u201cThey\u2019re only here because they smell an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t that why we\u2019re here too? Oh look, a minnow. There must be more. Would you be kind enough to catch one for me, Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith what?\u201d<\/p>\n
The wizard held his hands over his head. They were orange with clay and pebbled with little puffs of dirt and mud. \u201cWith these great instruments. This is a ford, the Ghrana Ford, if I\u2019m not mistaken. The water is very shallow here; it won\u2019t go past your thighs. Just strut on out, wait, and snap!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should be looking for the troops.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought you said that was pointless.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behfa grimaced, but not knowing what else to do, she strode out into the water. It was cold, but not freezing, and so clear she could see the large, smooth stones that ran along its bottom. The water seemed to twinkle in the sunlight, and every so often a tiny flash of green or red would catch her eye. Minnows, flying downstream faster than birds. One slipped between her legs, and another winked by right next to the wizard. \u201cThey\u2019re too fast!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have an unusual philosophy for catching fish, Captain,\u201d the wizard said. He seemed to be delicately picking through leaf shreddings, pebbles, tiny stray bones, and what looked suspiciously like deer droppings. \u201cYou haven\u2019t even tried to catch one, and yet already you\u2019ve determined it cannot be done.\u201d<\/p>\n
She crossed her arms. \u201cIn battle, you have to assess the situation before acting. It\u2019s called strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAhh,\u201d the wizard answered, enlightened. \u201cAnd this is your strategy for catching fish?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d she said stubbornly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why haven\u2019t you caught a fish?\u201d<\/p>\n
She ignored that and turned back to the river. Minnows were everywhere, but when she blinked each one would vanish. She crouched and readied her hand, but when she thought she had spied a good one, it was already gone.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really think they\u2019re out there looking for us?\u201d she said. \u201cIf they\u2019re not drowned, they\u2019re probably marching back to the border right now. That or to East Gate, to try and convince the Yenese I kidnapped them or something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know how those children managed to sneak up on you last night?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey didn\u2019t sneak up on me!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, so you were just playing with them. In the middle of a covert military action? Hm.\u201d<\/p>\n
She did not have an answer for that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey snuck up on you because they were silent. They took the time to observe and understand the situation, they waited for their moment, and then,\u201d the wizard suddenly struck his orange hands into the water. When he pulled it out, a tiny green and red fish was in his hands. \u201cThen they struck. Whoops!\u201d The minnow had slipped out of his fingers and back into the river. He shrugged and returned to the mud.<\/p>\n
Behfa groaned. \u201cWe used to eat quail and roast pig, with salads of apple and dates, and now we\u2019re supposed to grub in the dirt for fish?<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t say anything about eating<\/em> the fish.\u201d<\/p>\n She stared at him for a moment. \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI still have some lesser fire with me, but it\u2019s raw. I\u2019ve found most of what I need here, but I still need a fish\u2019s scale. Any fish will do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor another glowstone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomething like that. Say, since you\u2019re already out there, maybe you could catch a fish for me. It\u2019s simple, just wait and watch, and then snap!\u201d<\/p>\n Behfa looked upriver. There was a mild bend a few hundred feet away, probably the bend that bashed their ribs the previous evening. The minnows glittered brightest just as they came around the bend, so she looked there, waiting for her chance. She let her eyes relax, trying to take in as much of the river as she could.<\/p>\n As she did, her attention was drawn to something closer, only a dozen feet away or so. At the bottom of the crystal river, nestled amongst the smooth stones, was a small yellow rock. She stepped toward it, slowly, trying to betray nothing. The little rock sat between three larger stones that had arrested its movement as it flowed down the Big Bolt. Behfa took another step toward it.<\/p>\n As if to frustrate her prayers, a minnow leapt out of the river and plunged back in, knocking against the little yellow rock and disturbing it from its place. It began to flow downriver, not as fast as a fish, but fast enough. Behfa\u2019s entire body tensed. It was coming. She allowed herself a single breath, relaxed, readied. And struck.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you catch one?\u201d the wizard asked.<\/p>\n Behfa\u2019s left hand was at her pouch, but her right hand was empty. \u201cNot yet,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cNot yet,\u201d the wizard repeated. \u201cYou know, that might be one of my favorite sentences in the Yenai language. Not yet.\u201d<\/p>\n A razor sharp smile cut Behfa\u2019s face. She looked into the river again, breathed out, waited, and struck.<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent!\u201d the wizard cried. \u201cOn only your second try. You are a prodigy, Captain Behfa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell me something I don\u2019t know,\u201d she jested, tossing the minnow to the wizard. His eyes flew wide, but he managed to keep the fish in his grip as he fell backwards onto the grass. Quickly, he pulled out a tiny knife and held it to the flapping, gasping fish.<\/p>\n \u201cI pray you will forgive me,\u201d he murmured, \u201cbut I have friends who need your help.\u201d Using the knife, he pried a single tiny scale from the minnow, replaced his knife, and carried the fish back to the river. \u201cWe thank you,\u201d he said, dropping it into the water.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thank you,\u201d Behfa repeated automatically.<\/p>\n A few minutes later, the wizard had a tiny purple crystal smeared with filth from the river, coated in some powder he must have brought with him. He held the crystal in a cupped hand and exhaled onto it. They waited.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s it supposed to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait\u2026\u201d the crystal was turning from purple to brown. No, not brown, to orange, and then yellow. The wizard reared down and threw the crystal far up into the wide blue sky.<\/p>\n The lesser fire exploded with a deep, though not deafening, boom. Multi-colored sparks shot out in every direction, hanging in the air impossibly.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you deranged!\u201d Behfa yelled. \u201cYou can see that for miles in any direction! Now the Yenese will know exactly where we are!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut so will our friends.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd how do we know they\u2019ll get here first?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the Ghrana Ford,\u201d said the wizard. \u201cWe\u2019re halfway to East Gate. It\u2019s a hundred miles in either direction. No one\u2019s looking for us here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what if it isn\u2019t the Ghrana Ford?\u201d<\/p>\n The wizard paused. \u201cWell\u2026 I suppose there\u2019s a chance it could be the Alwah Ford, in which case Shafinah is about twenty miles in that direction, and we could be in a lot of trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n Behfa was only four inches taller than the wizard, but she made every inch count as she glowered down at him.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we were in the river for quite a while,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m pretty sure it\u2019s the Ghrana Ford.\u201d<\/p>\n Two hours later, they were still hiding in a patch of bushes on the other side of the river when two horses approached. Behfa pulled her sword and shushed the wizard, but they soon realized the horses had no riders. They were saddled and bridled, and there were no signs of battle, yet there they were, riderless. Both of the horses slowed at the river bed and looked up where the sparkling lights had long since faded, then bent down to take a drink from the water. The chestnut plow horse had a shaggy white mane. The other, a gelding, was grey all over.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not our friends,\u201d the wizard hedged, \u201cbut it seems Satar is on our side all the same.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA gelding,\u201d Behfa sneered. \u201cGeldings are for little girls.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome to the plow horse, if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n Both animals were raised to be docile, and Behfa was well experienced handling far fiercer beasts. It was easy enough to feed them some of the still-soggy bread from their supplies and get in the saddles.<\/p>\n \u201cSo,\u201d said the wizard, \u201cdo we follow the river northwest back to Shafinah, or do we risk riding to East Gate?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeither,\u201d said Behfa. \u201cWe cut across the plains and take the Great Bariad north to Musmahwa.\u201d She did not look at him. \u201cShafinah knows we\u2019re here. They\u2019ll have already sent a dispatch to East Gate, which means they\u2019ve already slipped past us somehow, or they\u2019re riding in force at this very moment. And even if we got to East Gate before them, we\u2019d never be able to sneak into the temple of their capitol city. We can\u2019t stay on the Big Bolt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd your soldiers?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re soldiers. They know it too.\u201d<\/p>\n The wizard rubbed his beard. \u201cWe\u2019ll have to come back to Shafinah eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. There are eight great temples in Yena. We only need six.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure? Six is sacred to our<\/em> people, not to the Yenese.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m doing this for us,\u201d Behfa answered. \u201cI\u2019m doing this for Zalja.\u201d<\/p>\n He nodded at that. \u201cThat means we can\u2019t afford to make any more mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n Behfa turned her new mount east. \u201cI know.\u201d She heeled its flanks and started off across the plains.<\/p>\n The wizard looked down at the river, then up to the brilliant blue sky. \u201cAll-Mother, please, look after our friends.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The wizard said they were passing through the Plains of Inish Aiva: grassy fields dotted with tiny forests every few miles. Herds of black-horned antelope leapt and frolicked across the plains, and strange silvery deer Behfa had never seen before. She half wanted to ride up and see them more closely, but she knew they would flee, as deer always did. Besides, they were in a hurry. They camped late in the night and woke before sunrise, the wizard\u2019s new glowstone providing a little heat in the chilly nights. On the second day of their ride, Behfa saw a small flock of peach-colored birds flying overhead, which she took as a good sign.<\/p>\n On the third day they reached the Great Bariad, just north of a huge turn in the river that the wizard called the Mighty Bend.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can take this northeast all the way to Musmahwa,\u201d he said, \u201cbut perhaps we should ride farther from the river. There will be fishing villages along the way. If they see us\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet them see us,\u201d she said. \u201cfishermen can\u2019t do anything to stop us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain, are we going to barge into Musmahwa the same way we did Shafinah? That did not work out well.\u201d<\/p>\n Behfa grumbled. \u201cIt\u2019s these uniforms. We need disguises. You\u2019re right: if we march into the town wearing the peach and black, they\u2019ll stand in our way. We need peasants\u2019 clothes.\u201d She rubbed her jaw. \u201cWe\u2019ll find them at one of your fishing villages.\u201d There may have been a sinister note in her voice, but she heeled her mount and sped off before the wizard could say anything.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The first village they found was not a village at all. It was a fortress, small but new, and well built. Its curtain wall was solid, and the watchtower at its pinnacle was pristine. They had been planning to ride around it, but as they got closer, they realized it was unmanned.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s full of children!\u201d Behfa said in disgust. A flock of five little girls was running out of the fortress and down to the river. As if in answer to their prayers, they were carrying loads of dirty laundry with them.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s full of people,\u201d the wizard corrected her. \u201cYena set up these fortresses all along the Great Bariad during the Crusade. I should have remembered.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe both should have.\u201d She shook her head. \u201cI heard my father talking about them often enough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was the only man to get past one,\u201d he nodded. \u201cFar to the north, yes. It was on the Bridge of Prian Al. He broke through and brought his company south. To Musmahwa.\u201d He and Behfa locked eyes. \u201cHe burned down their Mother\u2019s House.\u201d<\/p>\n Her face turned hard, and she looked away. \u201cI know. The Khan said it was our greatest victory. He told my father he had made the Crusade worthwhile, despite our losses.\u201d<\/p>\n The wizard grunted at that.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t let him down. Either of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Behfa dismounted and threw her reigns to the wizard. She approached the little girls, who were dunking their laundry in the shallows and drawing them across a washboard. Behfa\u2019s hand rested on the pommel of her blade.<\/p>\n \u201cHey! Who\u2019s that!?\u201d one of the girls shouted, pointing at her. She had a white ghast-mark above her right eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you a soldier?\u201d asked another one, wearing a blue skirt and an indigo wrap.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I hold your sword?\u201d asked a third, the only one in pants. She had her brown hair in tails and stood up to face against Behfa as she approached, but her smile was bright.<\/p>\n The girls all stared at her. She grabbed her sword handle.<\/p>\n \u201cGreetings!\u201d The wizard came up beside her, leading both the horses down to the shallows and the laundry. \u201cMy name is Dalsam. I am a traveling magician, and this is my assistant, Booboo.\u201d<\/p>\n The girls all giggled at that. Behfa shot him a milk-curdling glare.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were doing a little show down the river this morning, but Booboo tripped and knocked us both into the water. Our costumes are quite ruined. I don\u2019t suppose you girls have any old clothes you\u2019re looking to get rid of, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan we trade you for the sword?\u201d asked the girl in pants.<\/p>\n \u201cHow come your assistant has a sword anyway?\u201d asked the girl in the blue skirt.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, she is a sword-juggler,\u201d the wizard said.<\/p>\n \u201cShouldn\u2019t she have more than one, then?\u201d<\/p>\n He shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m afraid she isn\u2019t very good.\u201d<\/p>\n They giggled some more.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me,\u201d the wizard asked, \u201cI thought this was a great fortress. Are the soldiers out marching?\u201d<\/p>\n The girl with the ghast-mark pointed north. \u201cThey all went home after the war. The fort was just sitting here. There was a bad winter after that, so our mommies all moved us up here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey said it was safer,\u201d added the girl in pants.<\/p>\n Behfa put her fists on her hips and tried to look friendly. \u201cWhat did your daddies have to say about that?\u201d<\/p>\n They all grew silent.<\/p>\n The wizard pulled another crystal from his pocket, this one white. It looked like a big salt granule, nearly the size of his thumb. \u201cPlease,\u201d he said, \u201callow me to demonstrate one of my tricks. Perhaps you will consider it worth a few old rags of clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n He pulled some powder from his pouch and sprinkled a pinch onto the crystal, then he set it on the ground and gently pressed it into the earth. The children all sat watching, wide-eyed in wonder.<\/p>\n After a few seconds, a single green stalk began to grow from the ground. As it extended, it flushed fuchsia, and three tiny buds appeared on it. In less than a minute, the buds had grown and opened into three gorgeous purple flowers, each with a mane of five petals and a sort of tongue extending out beneath them.<\/p>\n The girls all went \u201cOoooooh.\u201d Behfa rolled her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cThis flower is called an Orckid bloom,\u201d the wizard said, glancing at the girl with the ghast-mark. \u201cIt is found in the grasslands of Orckid, far to the north of here, though with the right care and attention, they can thrive in Yena as well.\u201d<\/p>\n A girl with a green vest over her blouse knelt down for a closer look. \u201cWhat kind of magic is that?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cLesser earth, one of the six elemental magics, and my personal favorite.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought there was only four elements,\u201d she said, still transfixed by the bloom.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are four elements, yes,\u201d he said sagely, \u201cbut six magics. Greater and lesser earth, greater and lesser fire, and water and air magics.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan we see them too?\u201d<\/p>\n The wizard chuckled at that. \u201cIsn\u2019t this enough? I\u2019ll bet you an Orckid bloom has never grown on the Great Bariad before, except maybe in the Gardens of East Gate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to ask our mothers first,\u201d said the girl in pants.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. Perhaps we can set up camp in the shadow of this proud fortress while we wait.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t stay here,\u201d Behfa insisted. \u201cThere\u2019s a good three hours\u2019 more light, and another two hours riding after that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re making good pace,\u201d the wizard said. \u201cIt might be good to enjoy some company for a night. Perhaps someone can tell us if there is any news from Musmahwa.\u201d<\/p>\n Behfa shook her head, grabbing a fistful of her ruined shirt. \u201cSomeone here will recognize us.\u201d<\/p>\n The wizard nodded at that, crestfallen. \u201cAhh. Of course. Ladies, if you agree to hand us a few castoffs now, I will show you one more trick.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShow us the fire!\u201d the girl in pants said, her concern for their mothers quickly forgotten.<\/p>\n After a moment\u2019s pause, he pulled his glowstone from his pouch and held it up for all to see. \u201cBehold, this perfectly normal, unassuming purple rock.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust do it already!\u201d the girl shouted.<\/p>\n After a brief moment of shock, the wizard tossed the lesser fire from hand to hand, kissed it, then held it tight in his palms for a moment. When he opened his hands, a little gout of flame shot up into the air.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoa!\u201d the girl in pants screamed. The others were impressed as well.<\/p>\n \u201cGirls!\u201d came a voice from within the curtain wall. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on out there?\u201d<\/p>\n Behfa hurried over to the laundry. \u201cWe have to go. Just give us some clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan I have your sword?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome on,\u201d the wizard said. \u201cWhat will we need a sword for, once we\u2019re peasants?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll need the sword,\u201d she said darkly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sunset found them riding along the north side of the Great Bariad. The wizard was wearing a long brown tunic of cambric, with short sleeves, lined in yellow, with a white shirt underneath, and baggy white pants, belted with an undyed rope; all of it one size too large, worn thin in several places, and of course unwashed. Behfa had pulled a shirt of deep green that was probably too valuable to take, along with a leather jack that was old and worn, but still of great worth; the girls would likely pay for that. Her white pantaloons cuffed at the knees, so she still wore her own black stocks and her Zaljan boots, confident those alone would not awake suspicion. Her hair was bound up in an undyed scarf that had been washed already, and the moisture was welcome during their ride. The wizard eschewed any headgear, and his dark grey hair swept out as if windblown from the riding.<\/p>\n They began to slow slightly as the golden sky went dark, and it became easier to talk. \u201cI think I\u2019m getting saddle sores,\u201d the wizard moaned. \u201cHow embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s these peasants\u2019 clothes,\u201d Behfa said. \u201cThey\u2019re so thin. Everything in this country is garbage!\u201d She could feel the beginning of sores as well, but kept that to herself.<\/p>\n They had passed two villages that day, both of them abandoned. \u201cI suppose we\u2019ll cross another fortress tomorrow,\u201d the wizard said when they finally started making camp. He was digging a small fire pit, having exhausted his glowstone entertaining the children earlier. \u201cPerhaps they\u2019ll have friendly villagers in them too. We may finally get some news about Musmahwa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you worried?\u201d asked Behfa. She was sharpening her sword with a chunk of bone gem the wizard had lent her; the chalky substance was powdering off onto her hands as much as the blade, but it would only make them both harder. Stronger.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no,\u201d he answered. \u201cWe\u2019ve been making great time. They\u2019d need a company of Yaalkese unicorns to outpace us. Besides, I think they\u2019ll go to East Gate first.\u201d<\/p>\n Behfa kept watching her sword. \u201cDo you think they\u2019ve made it to East Gate?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely. The Big Bolt is wild in some places, but I\u2019m sure Shafinah has plenty of experienced pole boaters. They probably sent a courier down the river the next morning.\u201d<\/p>\n They both worked in silence for a while after that. \u201cWhat\u2019ll they do?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n The wizard shrugged. \u201cThe senator from Shafinah called us criminals. So they probably don\u2019t think this is an invasion or anything.\u201d He finished bordering the pit with rocks, and pulled another raw piece of lesser fire out. \u201cMay I borrow your sword, Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an instrument of war, not a fire-starter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMore\u2019s the pity,\u201d he said, then drew a second piece of lesser fire out and began striking them together delicately.<\/p>\n Behfa looked up from her sword and watched him work. Tiny pieces of gem chipped off as the two magics struck together, but it was not long before they sparked and started a warm, merry flame. She tossed the bone gem over near the fire pit, and the wizard put all his magics back into his pouch. Behfa\u2019s fingers strayed to her own pouch briefly, and the oily yellow rock that sat within it. \u201cWhy did you even come with me?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cBehfa, I\u2019ve been teaching you since you were seven years old. I couldn\u2019t let you just run off to Yena by yourself.\u201d From his bags, the wizard produced a smelly mackerel that had already been scaled, impaled it on a nearby stick, and held it over the fire. \u201cI am sure your friends felt the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere did you get that fish?\u201d asked Behfa.<\/p>\n \u201cThat girl gave it to us, the one who wanted your sword.\u201d<\/p>\n She shoved her blade back into its wooden scabbard with a satisfying snick. \u201cOh? Did you give her something in return? You\u2019re awfully free with the magics lately, considering how far we are from any mines.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI taught her a few magic words.\u201d<\/p>\n She rolled her eyes at that. \u201cHow many more days \u2018til Musmahwa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFour, if we keep our pace.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFour days!?\u201d She buried her face in her hands. \u201cAnd you say they\u2019ve already reached East Gate? They\u2019ll put out searches in all directions! They\u2019ll send an ambassador to Tsen Ikha! The Khan\u2019s going hear about this! My father\u2019s<\/em> going to hear about this!\u201d<\/p>\n The wizard put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. \u201cThey will,\u201d he agreed, \u201cbut unless the Yenai have discovered the secret of flight, they cannot be traveling much faster than we are. Probably slower, armored and in formation. We will reach Musmahwa before them, no question.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen it\u2019s north along the Lesser Bariad, and west to Gharqah.\u201d He smiled and waggled his fingers. \u201cThe Town of Wizards!\u201d he laughed. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to shop around and compare notes. Did you know the Yenai have only one magic mine? Yet it contains all six magics in its veins. What luck.\u201d<\/p>\n Behfa groaned and lied down on some grass she had already flattened. \u201cWhat about after Gharqah?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWest to Mu May!\u201d he answered, unruffled. \u201cThe Red Forest is supposedly home to vulpeys, spirit foxes that try to deceive unwary peasants. I hear some appear in the guise of beautiful women. Sounds exciting, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n Behfa pounded her fist against the ground and tore up some of the grass. \u201cWon\u2019t they catch up to us by then?\u201d<\/p>\n The wizard sniffed at his fish. \u201cYes. By Mu May, yes. They will send out searchers in all directions, and we cannot hope to complete our journey before they have visited all the major towns.\u201d<\/p>\n She held the grasses up in her hands. Six long stalks of pale green were wavering lightly in her grip. \u201cSo what\u2019ll we do at Mu May?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMu May is ages away,\u201d he shrugged. \u201cWould you like to share my fish, Captain?\u201d When she didn\u2019t answer, he tore it roughly in half and handed a piece to her. \u201cWe thank you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thank you,\u201d she muttered automatically.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s worry about Musmahwa for now,\u201d he said after a hearty first bite. \u201cThen we can worry about Gharqah. Then Mu May.\u201d<\/p>\n Behfa grunted while chewing, spitting a pair of split bones out into the dark. She sat up, the wave-grass still in her hand. \u201cBut what will<\/em> we do at Mu May?\u201d<\/p>\n The wizard took another full bite before saying, \u201cI suppose our disguises will get their first real test.\u201d He finished his fish, licked his fingers, and lied down to rest.<\/p>\n Behfa was still eating, fish in one hand and grass in the other. She tossed the grass into the flames. As she finished her last bite and threw the bones out into the evening, she looked down at the wizard, eyes closed, already dead to the world. She could feel words rising up her gullet and into her mouth, but in the end she merely swallowed her fish and lied down. \u201cWe thank you,\u201d she muttered quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thank you,\u201d the wizard echoed, smiling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cThis is pointless!\u201d Behfa shouted. \u201cWe could crawl up and down this river for weeks and never find them.\u201d \u201cAnd yet we must look,\u201d said the wizard. He was crouched by the riverbed, rooting around in the loose dirt and … Continue reading