They would be useful. They must be. He had said that they were a mixture of writings, imagery and even maps, and she needed them. It was still a moon away, but the closer they came to the Great Divide, the more serious Ramus's theft would become.

She saw Beko fall back from the lead, waiting for her to draw level with him. She offered a smile and he nodded in return.

“Noon just came in from scouting ahead,” he said. “He's found evidence of marauder activity.”

“Volkain said there was none this close.”

“Volkain sits in his border post and listens to stories told to him by travelers and traders,” Beko said, his distaste evident. “We're our own eyes and ears now. And Noon saw the results of an attack.”

“What results?”

“Bodies. Not fresh. West of here, close to an old building.”

Nomi nodded and scanned the horizon, expecting to see dark shadows rolling in to overwhelm them at any second. The idea chilled her, as if touching on a forgotten nightmare.

“We'll move in closer formation,” Beko said. “Noon and Konrad will ride ahead and report back with anything troubling.” He looked up at the sun. “We'll make camp earlier tonight.”

“No!” Nomi said.

“Nomi, we can't rush on regardless.”

“We have to catch up with Ramus.”

Beko shook his head. “He's taken his own path in this.”

“You think he's right to do what he's done?” The suspicion had been burning at Nomi, a burrowing paranoia sinking from the blush of her embarrassment to the guilty core of her.

“Steal your parchments?” Beko said. “Or leave because of what you did to each other?”

“You have no idea about me and Ramus,” she said.

He nodded. “And I'm just a simple soldier. I don't need complications.”

But I need to talk to someone, Nomi thought of saying, trying to ignore Beko's sarcasm. But that would sound too much like begging. And she would not beg anything of Beko.

“We need those pages,” she said instead. “I've been trying to remember them since last night, but I can't. The more I try, the more unclear they become.”

“You said you can't read.”

“They contain more than words.”

Beko sighed. He looked away and Nomi examined his strong profile, appreciated the ease and grace of his movements on the horse. “Let's talk about it when we camp,” he said.

“You'll send someone?” she asked, surprised. She had been considering going after Ramus herself, but if Beko agreed to send the Serians after him . . .

“I said when we camp.”

“You could track him? You could follow?”

Beko only glared at Nomi this time, before urging his horse ahead to catch up with Rhiana. Noon and Konrad joined him at a signal, and beats later they galloped ahead together, disappearing into the landscape to scout their route.