Still chewing, the Hawk rolled her eyes, but Anji went on, “I saw you all together once, walking a pair of prisoners through the Water Gate. You had them chained on top of a cart so everyone could see. And the Bear … I’ve never seen a woman so tall, so … regal. Like she was cut right out of a story.” Anji glanced at the Hawk. “One of Gale Summering’s, maybe. Anyway, I’d never seen even one of you before, apart from the dolls some of the other kids had, and there you all were, right in the middle of Mudtown.”

“Dolls,” said the Hawk under her breath.

Anji continued, brushing a difficult knot from Molli’s mane. “The crowd was so thick I could hardly see, all cheering and shoving. The Bear called the Ox over and they stopped and waved and tossed out a handfuls of Celdia. Then the Goat and the Lynx and … and you. You all waved and even though you were wearing masks I swore I could see you smiling.”

“Likely Goat was,” said the Hawk, leaning back on her palms. “He loves bringing prisoners in. Like a parade, every time we came home.”

“You were out catching murderers,” said Anji, as though she were explaining the concept to a child. “And rapists and corrupt politicians. Why wouldn’t you be happy to bring them to justice?”

“Do you even know what that word means, girl?”

That caught Anji short. She narrowed her eyes and said, “It means someone gets what was coming to them.”

The Hawk rubbed at the bridge of her nose.

“You’re a fool if you believe they’re in it for anything but the cruelty they’re allowed. We followed our tenets, for a time … but they’ve been twisted as the Wardens have gained power.” The Hawk measured out another sliver of meat, portioned a hunk of bread, and set them on a bare rock at her side, gesturing for Anji to eat. “Does your song mention Lynx’s affinity for skinning children? What about the Bear? Any lyrics about her boiling debtors alive?”

As grisly as the words were, Anji chose not to believe them. What did this woman know? She’d likely been thrown out for being a crochety old bitch. “And what do you do it for?”

“I did it … for the money, of course. Assuming the price was right.”