Mirac, to her surprise, said, “Whoop,” as well, though with none of her enthusiasm or vigor, his hands still locked securely around her waist.

“That’s the spirit!” she hollered back. “Why did ye want to come, anyway?” She hoped he’d be able to hear the question over the wind rushing through their ears.

“I was bored,” he said, which made her laugh.

“New Dawn is a bit borin’ fer a young boy, innit?”

“The boringest. Sinna promised me grand adventures, not endless monotony.”

Not only was this conversation, with the forest flying past on all sides, the longest she’d had with the boy, but also the most enlightening. “Do ye want to go home?”

“Don’t have a home. Not anymore. Nowhere else to go.”

“We can be friends, if ye like?”

“I’d like that.”

“Then it’s settled. When we get back to New Dawn, ye can join Gruff an’ me on our daily walks.”

“Through the forest? Boring. And Gruff is a ripe bastard.”

Perfidy almost choked on her own tongue. “That’s whut I always say! But he’s not so bad once ye git used to him, promise. We happen to have a lil operation goin’. Bin huntin’ bloodsquirrels. Caught one too!”

“You did? Did you eat its heart and eyes?”

“Sure did. Then bounced ’round the forest fer a few hours.”

“That explains why you let Gruff cut your hair.”

Perfidy cringed. “Yep. Not my best decision.”

“Well, I like it.”

“Ye do?”

“Suits you.”

“Thanks, Mirac.”

“You’re welcome.”

You’re a good person, Corinthia said, in the silence that ensued. She was still running at speed, though it didn’t seem as fast now that Perfidy had grown accustomed to it.

’Cause I befriended a kid? That was nuthin’.

It wasn’t ‘nuthin’ to him, the panther said, imitating her accent.

Is that really how I sound?

Pretty much. It’s adorable.

I’m s’posed to be a fearsome spellcaster.

We can work on it.

Cainan, who of course didn’t know she was talking to Corinthia, interrupted. “When we make our approach to Comman Dur, I’ll dismount, and you can all wait for me to return.”

“Not happenin’,” Perfidy said.

“What?”

“Ye heard me. Whutever ye’re walkin’ into, we’re walkin’ into it with ye.”

“Why would you do that?”

“’Cause yer my friend.”

“You just met me.”

“Same fer ye. But ye helped me all the same when I was desperate an’ frustrated. Ain’t that whut friends do?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“Only butt I got is currently bein’ sat on, an’ I won’ discuss it further. We’re goin’ with ye all the way to the end.”

“It’ll be dangerous.”

“So was livin’ in Northpoint, ’parently. I think it’s jest the tax we hafta pay fer livin’. Riskin’ dyin’. Otherwise whut’s the point o’ livin’ at all?”

“That’s…wise.”