LULAH RAN ON ahead and left Ramus to guide her horse. She would be more silent on foot, she said, and more in control. She knew how Beko and the others worked, and she was confident of being able to track them without being seen. Ramus remained a mile behind, always keeping a fold in the land between him and them, until dusk began to draw shadows from hiding and Nomi's group stopped moving for the night.

Lulah returned, panting hard and her face slick with sweat. “They're camping by a stream,” she said. “The stream's between us and them. It's wide, but shallow enough to cross on foot. The land's lightly wooded, so there's plenty of cover, and they've already lit a fire. They don't feel threatened.”

“Nomi probably thinks we've ridden on ahead.”

Lulah nodded, catching her breath. “How far are we from the border?” she asked.

Ramus had already consulted the map while she was away, using the last of the sunlight to try to place their position. “About twenty miles,” he said. “Southeast are the Pavissia Mountains, and directly south the Steppes begin.”

Lulah nodded, catching her breath. “You know you'll only get one chance to do this?”

“We'll only need one chance.”

Lulah mounted her horse and led them off.

THEY GAVE THE camp a wide berth, and by the time they stopped again the moons were high and the sun long gone. They tethered the horses and each took a drink. It was going to be a long night.

Ramus handed Lulah the pouch. “Don't scatter them too far or they'll get lost. We only need to get three or four horses, not all of them.”

“What will your distraction be?”

“A noise. It'll draw them long enough.”

“You're sure you can do this in the dark?”

“I'm not completely blind.”

“Not yet.” She stripped her weapon belt and slung it on her saddle.

Ramus raised an eyebrow.

“I'm not fighting anyone,” Lulah said. “I'm sorry for your illness, but they're my friends. They catch me, that's it.”

Ramus remained silent, but he could not help thinking to the future. There was a long ride ahead, and at the end of it, if they climbed the Divide and found that a Sleeping God really was there, such petty conceits as friendship would cease to matter.

“Go well,” he said, holding out his hands. Lulah glanced down, nodded once and vanished like a shadow. He did not even hear her leave.

_____