Petr answered. "Lady Mari, the daughter, doesn't have an army you can see. She doesn't have a lot of soldiers standing around. But she has the biggest army in the world. After the war, the men and women who fought alongside her went home, but they all vowed that if she ever called again, they would come. Mechanics and Mages and us regular people. The daughter didn't ask that of us. We did it because we wanted to. And because we trusted her to call only if there was injustice that must be fought. Since then, others have sworn to answer the call as well if it ever comes. Every president and minister and even the great big emperor there to the east knows that if they do great enough wrong, the daughter can call her army to her and no one will be able to stand against it." He winked at Jason. "So they listen to her, eh? The daughter has no power, but she is the most powerful one in this world. Her word can make the mighty tremble, and give hope to the smallest. She is a great person, Jason, though Kira doesn't like to talk about that."

Kira gave Petr a cross look. "My mother is a great person. She's also my mother. I love my mother. It's just that sometimes I can't stand her."

"That's hard, eh? My daughters say that of my wife Signy, who is a gentle lamb!"

One of Petr's daughters called out as she rode by. "No, she isn't!"

"I guess being a daughter is hard," Petr said.

"So is being a son," Jason said.

"What does your father do?"

"He cheats people," Jason told Petr. "That's what he says he does. He's proud of it. He thinks that makes him the smartest guy around."

Petr gave Jason a long look. "How smart are you?"

"Smart enough to know I never want to do that with my life," Jason said. "If the daughter called, could anybody come? Even somebody from somewhere else?"

Kira stared at him. "Jason? Are you serious?"

"He is," Petr said. "You'd be welcome. The daughter can always use another good man, eh? But you'll have to learn to ride better than that."

"A horse has a mind of its own, doesn't it?" Jason said. "Horses don't just do what you tell them to do."

"Yeah, like people. But in a horse way. You have to think like a horse. Speaking of which, I'm hungry. Good thing we'll be stopping for the night soon."

When they stopped the herd for the night, Petr had to help settle the horses. Kira turned to Jason. "Why did you say that? About my mother's army?"

He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the horses. "Because I meant it."

"But if you leave this world, go back to Urth—"