“What?” blurted Max. “The Canim tried to kill you?”

“About five minutes ago,” Tavi said.

“Then why the crows are we walking toward their camp?”

“Because I need to move fast before this becomes something bad,” Tavi said. “And because that’s where Varg is.”

“And if he did send them to kill you, what’s going to stop him from finishing the job when you get there?”

“You are,” Tavi said.

Max scowled. “Oh. I am.”

“Don’t be a hog about it,” Tavi said. “Crassus and Schultz deserve to contribute, too.”

Max let out a growling sound. “Bloody Legions,” he muttered, under his breath. “Bloody Canim. Bloody crazy First Lords.”

“If you want to stay here...” Tavi began.

Max glowered at him. “Of course not.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Schultz is competent. But it would all go to the crows if my little brother was in charge, and he outranks Schultz.”

“Technically speaking,” Crassus said, “I also outrank you.”

“Do not,” Max said. “We’re both Tribunes.”

“I got there first.”

“We got there at the same time. Besides, I got assigned to the First Aleran six months before it formed,” Max replied.

Crassus snorted. “As a centurion. A fake centurion.”

“Doesn’t matter. Seniority’s mine.”

“Children,” Tavi chided. “You don’t see Schultz bickering about such things, do you?”

“If it please the captain, sir,” the plain-faced Schultz said, “I am not a part of this.”

Kitai grinned, showing her canine teeth. “Schultz has the best sense among them. He merits command for that alone.”

Schultz ignored the comment with noncommissioned stoicism.

They strode out from the camp on the hill and went down toward the larger Canim encampment. The gate guards saw Tavi and the others coming. One of the guards, a Cane with whom Tavi was not familiar, held up a hand, signaling for Tavi to halt and be identified, standard procedure for the Canim camp.

Tavi took a deep breath and reminded himself that he was not making a standard visit.

Instead of halting, he called strength from the earth, leaned back, and kicked the wooden palisade gates open with a resounding crash. The two Canim on guard, caught behind the gates as they opened, were flung to the ground on either side—and every set of black and scarlet Canim eyes in view turned to focus on what had happened.

“I seek my gadara, Varg,” Tavi stated in the snarling tongue of the wolf-warriors, loudly enough to be heard by the watching Canim. “Let any who wish to stand in my way step forth now.”

The way toward the center of the Canim camp was abruptly vacated.