Jicks just grinned. “What I said. You, me and Abi. When we track these bastards down and put a hole in the priest, there’s going to be a very big reward for me. A nice reward from your King, I’m sure, because your King is pretty generous, and an even nicer one from Menmellith, because they have a standing bounty on these Mage-priests. Between the two, I’ll have enough to buy that pub I want to retire to.”

“Huh,” was all Stev said.

She’s never going to retire—oh wait. A pub. Where she can have a nice bar fight every evening if she wants, just to remind her of old times.

“All right, then,” Abi agreed. “So, we send the Masters back with your boys?”

“And the caravan and one of the wagons.” Jicks nodded. “With only three of us we won’t need all the supplies, and the three of us can fit in the wagon to sleep.”

Abi thought regretfully of that nice, comfortable bunk in the caravan, but had to agree. They didn’t need any of those things . . . And, oh, gods, I cannot believe I am about to say this but . . . “We don’t actually need the wagon either,” she said, cringing a little. “And we’d be faster without it. You remember what the Stablemaster said: the hinnies can eat just about anything. We could take all the riding hinnies, use two of them for pack animals, and . . .”

“Personal opinion, bad idea,” Jicks countered. “One, that leaves someone with no experience driving a wagon. Two, I want the supplies. In fact, I want most of the supplies—Master Vance has money enough to buy meals at inns all the way back home. Three, thunderstorms around here can be deadly; I want something we can shelter in.”

“I agree on all counts,” Stev said. “Remember, we may be encountering hostile locals, and I’d rather know we have food we can trust, and not eat a plate of mushrooms that has me curling up and rolling around like a hoop.”

Abi gulped a little. She knew just enough about poisons to know he was absolutely right.

“Right!” Stev continued. “Step one: Get the footings done, because we’ll never get them out of here until the Masters are happy with what they’re leaving behind. Step two: get them on their way.”

“That’ll be a lot faster than getting down here,” Abi pointed out. “They’re used to riding all day now.”

“Step three: figure out which way those bastards went. Step four: make sure we’re all outfitted as closely as possible to the locals. We’re going to say we’re from Ellistown from now on. Then—”

“No plan survives contact with the enemy,” Jicks interrupted. “That’s good enough for now.”