Wellbefore dark, Onua lef them out of sight of the road and into a grassy hollow sheltered by trees. It was plain other travelers stopped here: the fire pit was lined with stones, and a lean-to kept stacks of firewood dry.
"Toss you to give the ponies a going-over," Onua suggested. "For ticks, stones, whatever. Winner gets to dig the latrine trench and catch fish."
Daine considered. "I druther check the ponies."
Onua grinned. "Wonderful— I feel like a bit of fishing just now. Lily, could you get the camp set up and a fire going?"
"ok, have a preference for how its set up or just go off of what we did last night?"
"Girl child, you can set it up any way you like" Onua said, smiling down at the shorter girl. Her hair seemed to be unchanged from the traveling they had done for the day. It struck Onua as odd but she shrugged the thought away before heading to fish.
Smiling, the girls went to work. It made no sense to give the ponies a thorough grooming while they were on the road, but Daine got rid of the worst tangles and checked the animals' hooves. The strawberry's ear mites had to be treated again, and Cloud and Tahoi had picked up ticks in forays off the road.
Lily had started a fire and prepared a pot of rice to go with the fish that she had found in one of the packs. She also set out the bed rolls, dug the latrine, and had gathered some of the usable herbs that were growing around the camp. Her mother had taught her well, even if she hadn't been blessed with the Gift. Everything had a use, even if it wasn't known yet.
The girls were finished when Onua returned with three fat trout. "Think this'll feed us?" the K'mir asked, holding them up. "More than. I'm so tired I couldn't eat but a mouthful." Daine saw that Onua's hair was wet and her face pink from scrubbing. "It's safe to wash?"
"If you make it fast."
"It's too cold to be slow." She hesitated. "Need my help with supper?"
Onua waved the girls away. "Tahoi'll keep watch for you both." T
he water was very cold. Daine scrubbed quickly and jumped out, feeling deep respect for Onua's courage. Lily had put her hair up with a hair tie before jumping in. Her hair was too long to wash quickly.
Supper— fish and a pot of spiced white cereal grains Onua called "rice" that Lily had prepared— was hot and filling. They ate without talking, but the silence was a comfortable one.
After the meal, Daine washed up while Lily helped dry the dishes. The fire was banked; their beds lay on the ground, ready for slumber, when she finished. She got into hers with a sigh. It was warm, and the heavy pad underneath eased the day's aches. As she watched, Onua got several pouches out and tied them to her belt.
"I told you I had the Gift, right? Well, I'm going to place the wards now. Last call for the latrine." Daine yawned. "I'm set, thanks." Lily shook her head in the negative. They watched as Onua drew a circle around the camp, ponies and all, first in salt, then in water. Soft chanting came from the woman as she walked the circle a third time, calling on magic powers to guard its contents. Red fire spilled from her hand to follow the circle and complete it.
"Ma did that," Lily commented sleepily when Onua finished. "She wasn't very good with it, though." It was easier to speak of their mother when they were so tired. Daine continued where her little sister left off. "Maybe she'd be alive now if she'd'a been better."
"Or not," Onua said, sliding between her blankets. "There's always somebody with stronger magic. Lots of raiders have their own witch or mage. That's why every Rider group has at least one member with the Gift."
"Tell us about the Riders please. I only know they take girls. Aren't they like the regular soldiers?"
"Not exactly. The fancy name is 'irregulars.' Tortall has a bad time with bandits, and the army's too big and too slow. Bandits hit and run. To fight 'em you need to move the same way. The queen, Thayet, she started the Riders seven years back. The groups run six or eight Riders each, male and female, mounted on ponies. Right now, there are six groups, posted all over Tortall. They live off the land, protecting the small villages from raiders."
"Who runs it" Lily asked, joining in on the conversation once again.
"Queen Thayet is commander in chief. Her guard, Buri, handles day-to-day affairs, so she has the title 'Commander.' A black man, Sarge, comes just under them. The king's champion you heard of, Alanna, she helps out." Onua looked over and saw that the girl was fast asleep. Smiling, she pulled up her covers and closed her own eyes. She hadn't noticed that Lily was only pretending to be asleep. Once Onua settled in and her breathing evened out, Lily opened her eyes to look into the sky and up at the stars.
She wondered once again how she had come to be here, and if her beloved father was still alive. She knew that Daine wished she had known who her father was as well, but their mother refused to give any information away. Eventually, she drifted into a light slumber, plagued by her memories. The thick pad she used under her did nothing to help with her tossing and turning.
The badger crawled in with Daine soon after that. Although he was big, he didn't wake her: she was used to nighttime visitors. Without waking, she caressed the animal's head. He sighed gratefully and slept too, his muzzle pressed into her palm. She did notice him when she woke later and was careful as she sat up.
"I tell ye, I saw 'em. Two strings of ponies— gold on the hoof down in Tortall." The speaker's voice was rough and country bred. Reaching for the crossbow beside her, Daine saw that Onua, Lily, and Tahoi were also awake. The dog's hackles were up, his teeth bared in a snarl, but he made no sound. Seeing her, the K'mir put a finger to her lips.
Daine nodded, easing the bow onto her lap. Her sister had her daggers out and was in a low crouch, ready to dart should she need to at their unwelcomed visitors.
Inside her bed her guest shifted nervously, quieting only when she rested a hand on his head. "If ye saw 'em, then where'd they go?" Leaves rustled as men prowled the hollow around their campsite.
"I'm no witch, to guess such things! It's like they vanished off the face of the world."
"Shut up. They prob'ly found a farm or kept movin'. Let's get back t' the rest." The new voice held authority; the others grumbled but obeyed.
They had been gone some minutes before Daine relaxed enough to put down her weapon. Tahoi licked Onua's face, his tail wagging.
"It's all right," Onua whispered. "Nobody can hear us if we're quiet."
"That's some protection," Daine breathed. "With Ma's circles, you couldn't get in, but you knew it was there."
The K'mir grinned. "Now you know how I can take the road with just my assistant and Tahoi." She curled up in her blankets. "' Night."
The badger grumbled as Daine settled and walked in her dreams.
"It's about time I found you," he said. "Do you know how long I've been looking? I actually had to come into the Human Realms to get a scent of you!"
"I don't wish to seem rude," she apologized, "but why were you looking for me? I don't believe we've met— have we?"
"Not exactly," he admitted with an embarrassed snort. "You see, I promised your father I'd keep an eye on you. So I looked in on you when you were a kit, pink and noisy. Then when I looked for you again, you were gone. I forgot time passes differently in the Human Realms."
If she had been her waking self, his saying he knew her father would have made her unbearably excited. Now, though, her dream self asked— as if it weren't too important—" Have you met my da, then?"
"Yes, yes, of course. Now, see here— I'm not coming to the Human Realms any more than I have to. If you're going to wander, we must be connected in some way." He looked at a paw and sighed. "I know it barely hurts and it grows back and all, but I still hate it. So messy." He began to chew at the base of one of his claws.
"No, don't— please!" she protested. "I can't think—"
The claw came off. He spat it into her lap. "There. Hang on to it no matter what. This way I won't lose track of time, and I'll be able to find you. Understand?"
She nodded, then gulped. A silvery mist gathered around his paw and vanished. A new claw had appeared in the bed of the old one.
" Keep a good eye on your little sister. I know you don't understand anything right now, but you're both important. Now go back to sleep."
Cold air on her feet woke Daine in the morning. Her guest, working earlier to leave the bedroll, had pulled it apart entirely. She sat up with a yawn and a smile. To think she'd dreamed of a badger who knew her father . . . Her hand was locked around something— a large animal's claw, or a semblance of one. Complete and perfect, it was made of shiny silver.
"Goddess," she whispered.
"Daine?" Onua was dressed and was looking over their camp while Lily was cooking breakfast. "Let's go."
No time to think about it now, she told herself, and scrambled out of her bedroll. Because if I do, I won't know what to think.
Later that day, she wove a thong to grip the base of the claw tightly and hung it around her neck. Just because she wasn't entirely sure of where it came from was no reason not to keep it close by— just in case. She debated telling her sister but decided now wasn't the time. She would worry and Daine didn't know enough to answer her little sister's questions.