Author's Note: The following song is another which is practically perfect for the character and circumstances. Give it a listen, though I'm sure you've all heard it many times before. :)

36.

I hitched a ride with a vending machine repair man

He says he's been down this road more than twice

He was high on intellectualism

I've never been there, but the brochure looks nice

Jump in, let's go

Lay back, enjoy the show

Everybody gets high, everybody gets low,

These are the days when anything goes

Every day is a winding road

I get a little bit closer

Every day is a faded sign

I get a little bit closer to feeling fine

- Sheryl Crow, "Every Day Is a Winding Road"

The Bedine bid us a polite but nevertheless firm farewell the following morning.

Ali did the honors. Nadiya was nowhere to be seen. I was a little disappointed. I would've liked to say goodbye to her. I liked that girl's attitude.

"It is our hope that you will spread word to the other caravans about what has happened here," Ali told Katriana, bowing gracefully. His robes fluttered around him in an errant breeze. The wind hadn't completely died down since the storm, and it still blew intermittently over the wadi. "The danger is passed, and we are always willing to trade."

Katriana raised an eyebrow. "Really?" she asked. "Because it was our hope you could spare us a guide. We're without one, if you recall – which you likely should, seeing as how it was your little lich problem that killed him."

I saw Torias wince and put his hand over his eyes.

Ali's lips tightened for a moment. I saw him take a deep breath before answering. "I apologize, caravan mistress," he said smoothly. "But we have no one to spare. Our riders are needed to bring our women and children back to the oasis, and what few warriors remain who are whole in body are needed for the rebuilding-"

"So we're to go it alone, is that it?" Katriana demanded.

"Come, now, cousin. Stop haranging the poor man," Torias spoke up, his tone conciliatory. "We have maps, and we even have water now, which is a fair sight better than before-"

She rounded on him. "And are you volunteering to scout ahead for stingers, or quicksand, or fire spouts, or Zhentarim slavers, or asabi raiders, or whatever else might be along our path?" she retorted. "You won't find those on any maps, me boyo!"

Deekin cleared his throat. "Er," he said. "Deekin not mean to interrupt, but…"

Katriana turned to pin him with a glare. "Oh, by Brandobaris's left buttock…now what?"

Deekin blinked at Katriana uncertainly. He huddled a little closer to my leg and pointed to something behind her. "What be that?"

As one, we all turned to look.

There was a falcon perched on a sandstone outcropping. It was watching us with the kind of calm detachment that comes from lots of fresh air, a healthy all-protein diet, and the knowledge that you've got talons like a set of meathooks.

"It's just a bird," Katriana said in exasperation. "Gods' Eyes, kobold, why are you wasting my time with this nonsense?"

"It not just a bird," Deekin insisted stubbornly. He peered up at me. "It be a falcon. Remember, Boss? Like we saw over the oasis?"

Xanos's hand went to his chin. "Another falcon, hmm? Fascinating. And it seems to want something," he rumbled thoughtfully. He smirked at Deekin. "Perhaps it is looking for a tasty lizard to snack on?"

"Hey!" Deekin scuttled a little further behind me. "That not nice! Deekin not be a snack!"

Xanos snorted. "No, indeed," he drawled, sounding bored. "You are far too stringy. Even the vultures would choke on you." Then he gave me a speculative sidelong glance. "No. This creature's presence may be mere coincidence – but Xanos is not certain that he believes in coincidences when the gods are involved. If Xanos and his stunning intellect were in your position," he advised me, in his oblique way, "He would investigate the matter further."

The falcon looked at him, the feathers around its neck ruffling. Then it turned its fierce black eyes back to me.

My blood went cold. "Don't tell me," I said, not taking my eyes off of the bird. "This is another one of those signs you read about, isn't it, Deeks?"

"Er. Yeah. Probably so, Boss."

The falon didn't seem to be inclined to show me anything enlightening. It was just sitting there, watching me. "Okay," I said slowly. "Just so I'm aware, is there anything else in those books of yours that I need to know at this point in time?"

"Er. Not really, but Boss should probably go say hi or something, if the bird was sent by Boss's boss. It only polite." Deekin looked at the falcon warily. "Um. Deekin will stay here and watch your back," he added. Evidently, that comment about lizards and snacks had made an impression.

"Right. Thanks for the support, Deeks. I appreciate it." I looked at the falcon and took a few cautious steps forward. It looked back at me, turning its head to watch my approach.

Its feathers ranged anywhere from storm grey to snowy white. I'd never been so close to an animal like this before, and I could see all sorts of details that I'd never seen before, from the fine, soft feathers around its liquid black eyes to the delicate and deadly curve of its talons.

"My fierce little falcon," Shaundakul had called me. Was this his idea of a hint?

Those magnificent black eyes kept watching me until I'd gotten to within a couple feet of the bird. Then the falcon opened its beak and let out a shriek that sounded like a warning, and I stopped.

I studied it. "What do you want?" I muttered. It stared back. "A sign? Shit, aren't you a sign? Since when do signs want signs?" I realized that I wasn't making any sense, and even if I was, it didn't matter, because I was talking to a goddamned bird.

"Er. Boss?" I heard a scratchy voice call.

I didn't turn around. "You want something, Deeks?" I asked.

"Why don't you show it your holy symbol?"

I blinked. "You know, that's an awfully good idea," I murmured. Moving slowly, because the last thing I wanted to do was to startle something with a beak that sharp, I reached into my hip pocket and fished out Shaundakul's amulet. I hadn't thrown it away again after the storm. Neither had I given it back to Deekin. I figured I'd just keep it on me, since it was just going to keep turning up and giving me grief regardless.

I leaned on Silent Partner with one hand and extended the other towards the falcon. The heavy silver chain dangled over my knuckles as I held out the symbol for the bird's inspection. I felt more than a little ridiculous. "See this?" I asked the falcon. "Is this what you were looking for?"

It cocked its head and studied the holy symbol's face. Then it bobbed its head, flared its wings, and hopped onto my outstretched arm.

I froze in shock. This was a good thing, because if I hadn't frozen, I'd probably have screamed and dropped the bird, and I couldn't see how that would have ended well.

Behind me, I heard Torias start to laugh. "Hey, Legs!" he called mockingly. "I think it likes you!"

The falcon looked at me. It fanned its tailfeathers.

Then it shat all over my boots.

I looked down at the speckled white-and-black splotch on my nice, clean suede. "Okay," I said loudly. "I know that had to be Shaundakul's idea."

"Why you say that, Boss?" Deekin asked curiously.

"Because it's got that bastard's sense of humor written all over it, that's why." I glared at the bird. "Well?" I asked. "Are you going to actually do anything useful, or are you just going to stand there and ruin my shoes?"

The falcon's feathery ruff stood up. Then it spread its wings and leapt into the air.

I flinched reflexively, but the bird didn't seem interested in a fight. It landed a little ways away, alighting with breathtaking grace on the branches of a stunted tree, and looked back almost expectantly, as if waiting for me to do something.

"Now there's a sight you don't see every day," Furtan marveled.

I turned around. The others, even Ali, were all staring at me as if I'd sprouted a second head.

Katriana in particular was giving me a penetrating, narrow-eyed stare. "Is that bird doing what I think it's doing?" she asked.

"Uh. That depends." I looked over my shoulder at the falcon. It was still waiting. "If you're thinking that it wants us to follow it…I don't know." I shrugged. "I guess so?" I offered uncertainly.

She stared at me for a couple of moments longer. Then she gave a crisp nod, as if she'd just reached a decision. "Well, I suppose it's better than nothing," she muttered. She turned. "All right, you louts!" she called. "Looks like we've got a guide after all! Mount up! Nolan, get those damned oxen in line! Birgan! Damn it, where's Birgan run off to now? I hope he hasn't happened to anybody. That's going to cost us. Boy, you're on security detail, so I'd better see your bright, shining face up here on the double!"

She strode away, still shouting instructions. I watched her go, open-mouthed.

Chaos went on in front of me as I stood there, flabbergasted. Halflings rushed back and forth. Nolan argued with the oxen. "Liver and onions!" he shouted in the lead ox's ear. It shifted aimlessly sideways and tried to step on his feet. "Whoa! Liver and onions, boy, mark my words!"

Eventually, one of the halflings detached from the crowd and sidled up to me. It was Furtan. He was looking at me as if he'd never seen me before. "Would you like to take my place on the head wagon, m'lady?" he asked diffidently. "I mean, seeing as how you're our new guide and all."

Had the Bedine put something in the water? Opiates, maybe? I'd heard that some types of cactus had hallucinogenic properties. Only a drastically altered state of consciousness could explain why anyone would decide to put me in charge of anything. "I'm not-" I began.

I heard a merry chuckle. Torias stepped out of the shadow of the nearest wagon. "Oh, yes you are, Legs," he said. "Cousin Blackheart has spoken." He peered after the falcon, who was still waiting patiently on its branch, occasionally preening its feathers. "As have the gods, apparently." He turned a cheeky, slightly salacious grin on me. "Tell me, my pretty wayfinder…is there anything I can do to ease your burden?" He waggled his eyebrows. "Anything at all?"

I stared down at him. I was wearing my best icy, forbidding expression, but it didn't seem to faze him one bit. "Make sure that Katriana hasn't moved my bunk from her wagon," I said at last. "And then make sure nobody disturbs me for the foreseeable future. Yes, Torias…this includes you."

Torias pouted a little and then trotted off, presumably to see to my request. At least, I hoped that was what he was doing. With Torias, you never really knew. "What do you plan to do in the wagon, m'lady?" Furtan asked hopefully. "Some sort of divination?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "No," I said evenly. "I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up whenever we get to where we're going."

"But, m'lady…" He scratched his head, confused. "We're at least a fortnight away from the Aoist camp!"

I drew in a deep, blissful breath and smiled. "Yeah," I said. "That sounds about right."

Then Katriana called for Furtan, and with an apologetic smile and deferential tug of his forelock, he scurried off, leaving me alone.

I looked around, taking in the sparkle of the water in the oasis and lush scent of new growth in the air. The acacia trees were a riot of green leaves and little puffball clusters of white flowers, and stands of desert jasmine nodded at the water's edge, filling the air with their sweetness. Sagebrush and verbena, poppy and primrose...I had taken what the plants could spare, trimming where I hoped it would help rather than hinder, and left the rest alone, hopefully to flourish. It was about damn time this place saw a little greenery.

The morning sun was pleasantly warm, and the scent of death was fading, washed away by the rain. I doubt I'll be back here anytime soon, I thought, and felt an unexpected little twinge of sadness. It wasn't a bad place, after all, even if the people could use a little hospitality training.

I had just turned to go when I caught a glimpse of a small, black-robed figure, standing at the top of the rise just beyond the oasis. It had long, dark hair and held a scimitar in its right hand, and, when I looked its way, it raised the weapon high over its head. An arc of sunlight gleamed along the blade's curving edge.

Nadiya, I thought, grinning suddenly, and I lifted Silent Partner in response to her salute, the zalantar as quiet and dark as a shadow in the sun.

The girl held the salute a moment longer. Then she spun her scimitar back into its scabbard, turned, and vanished into the wadi.

I watched her go. Another goodbye, and then I'm back on the road, I thought. Story of my life these days. The thought was bittersweet.

Then, humming a tune I'd heard in a tavern somewhere in Silverymoon – or had it been Yartar? – I strolled back to the wagons in search of a nice, long nap.