The animals were watered and fed. They said their goodbyes to T’Shawn and Makkani, who stood on the porch, arms wrapped around each other. Goll worked on Ula’s mi’owa, adjusting the radius so he could make the journey without unfortunate side effects. Ula hadn’t seen one kill a person, but he had heard they could, and guessed the silent tem’ondri was a bodyguard for hire. Goll forced a low grunt, rising when she’d finished. She walked away without a word.

The red sun was no more than a chink in the sky when they left the farmhouse, the tem’ondri riding mita dragons, Ula his best equine beast. Horses were imported generations ago, had grown to an average size of twenty-five hands, three and a half hands bigger than the largest recorded Earth horse. Although they were strong and nimble, Mon’dra horses were still no match for dragons, who were ten feet of muscle and twenty pairs of legs stronger, formidable close up. Their bodies were thick bands of segmented power, their legs hardened talons that could shatter rock. The tem’ondri kept pace for the first few miles, raising a subdued patter and little dust, but soon the beasts were surging forward. Vrawn said they would meet at the rendezvous point, just before they were gone in a fine purple mist that caused Ula to veer to one side. For the rest of the journey he was alone, watching the cloud move closer to the horizon and beyond. He kicked his heels against the horse’s flank, leaning forward.

That afternoon Ula stopped for lunch beside a stream. A dark shape had grown on the edge of barren land. He would arrive in Daar Orr by nightfall.

His horse was bathed in sweat when he reached the city outskirts. The darkness was thin, the silence of the wasteland beaten into retreat. He steered towards the rendezvous point, a bar and eatery, to find the tem’ondri drinking fermented dew, finishing a lavish dinner. They insisted that he eat. When he’d finished a rich broth of bugs, grasses and hot peppers bought and paid for by the hosts, it was agreed they should catch a taxi carriage for the rest of their journey to let their beasts rest. The tem’ondri made the arrangements with the bar owner. Ula closed his eyes, lips tingling from the chilli, thinking of T’Shawn, Makkani, of home. He was tired before he’d reached his destination.