“Well, keep up the good work, both of you. We’re going to drive those damn Plenimarans into the sea before the summer’s out.” With that he strode off into the darkness with his escorts.

One of the sentries announced them, and Nyal heard Klia call for them to come inside.

Klia was alone. “You have something for me?”

“Finally,” Beka said softly as Nyal handed their commander the purloined letters.

“Let’s see what we have.”

They followed her into her private quarters at the back of the tent. Klia sat down at her field desk and spread out the three letters next to the candle. The first was a letter to Duke Reltheus, filled with news of battle and questions about family and life at home. The second, the one for Elani, was a love letter, full of protestations of affection, suggestions for places to hunt on his father’s land, and cautious mention of a possible life together.

“Seems pretty sure of himself,” Klia murmured as she set this one aside. Turning her attention to the third, she handed Beka a wax tablet and stylus. “I’ll count. You write.”

Slowly, letter by letter, Klia puzzled out the hidden message. “Let’s see. Here’s my name spelled backward. And T-O-O-K. Took …”

Her eyes widened with indignation as the message took form. “ ’Klia took east gate of town, led troops. Seen stealing gold from mayor house.”

“By the Flame, that’s an out-and-out lie!” Beka hissed.

“Yes, it is,” Klia said, frowning over the message. “Thero said nothing about Danos spreading lies, just reporting on our progress. This is troublesome.”

“May I see the two letters?”

Klia handed her the two sheets of cheap vellum. “What is it?”

Beka studied them for a moment. “I don’t think these were written by the same person. I know Danos’s hand; he wrote the letters. But the code looks like someone else’s handwriting.”

Klia took them back and scrutinized them. “By the Flame, I think you’re right. Or he was at pains to make it look that way.”

“If Danos did write the second one, then why go to all the trouble of having Caem put it in separately?” said Nyal. “It would have been safer to do it all at once.”

“Perhaps he was being doubly cautious?” Beka suggested. “We should get this to Thero. Shall I call your courier?”

“No,” said Klia. “Come with me.”

They met Myrhini outside and Klia motioned for her to come, as well. The four of them walked in silence through the camp toward the ruined town. Half the regiment was here, and it took some time to wend their way among the lanes between the tents, but at last they reached the shattered gates. The sentries saluted Klia and let them pass.