She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Well, that’s good, because it’s not like you were going to have a choice in the matter anyway.”

“Excellent. So tonight?”

“Why so eager?”

“Like I said, there’s something I wish to teach you.”

“If this is some sort of a trick…”

“It’s not.”

“Of course not. But if it is…I’ll have more than just your tongue. There are Wastelanders in Stormeye that are said to wear necklaces of teeth.”

With that, she grabbed his shackles, spun him around, and shoved him back toward the wagon. Ludo hoped he wasn’t about to make a grave mistake.

They ate first. The fare was far from fancy, but it was plentiful and filling. Though Ludo understood the reason for it—to keep them fit and strong in order to fetch the highest possible price when they were sold in Nal Eston—he wasn’t shy about filling his belly. Dahlia was oddly silent to the point where Mister Rose asked if she was feeling ill. She answered with a single word, ‘no’, before suggesting they watch a ‘fight’.

“Not tonight,” Mister Rose said.

“Yes. Tonight,” she insisted.

“I said ‘not tonight’.”

“I don’t care if you slammed your fist onto a rock and shouted it. We’re having a godsdamn fight. The boy can fight first. He needs to prove he’s worth the effort.”

“The other two can fight. He should watch first. He’s not ready. He’s too soft. They’ll break him and then he’ll be worthless to us.”

“I want to fight,” Ludo said, having waited for just the right time to raise his voice.

“Don’t be more of a fool than you’ve already proven yourself to be, boy,” Mister Rose said. “Let the men show you how it’s done.”

“I could fight you or Dahlia, if you prefer?”

“Watch your tongue,” he spat back. “Dahlia already told me you don’t seem to care if we cut it out. Fine, you want to fight? You can fight. Min is twice your size, so he’ll be a worthy opponent.”

“Why not throw us all in together?” Ludo suggested. “I can fight them both at the same time. Garwin’s just a big lump of bearded meat anyway.”

“What did you call me?” Gar demanded, just as they’d rehearsed. “I’ll kill you, boy!”

Ludo gave the man credit for his little performance; it was convincing even to one who knew it was all an act.

“I’ll admit, the boy has a death wish,” Mister Rose said. “Beat him senseless. Bloody him. Bruise him. But do not kill him, you understand? I can’t sell a corpse.”

“Yes, Mister Rose,” Gar said.

When the man fired a look in Min’s direction, he echoed the same response in cold monotone.

“Then let’s get to it, should be fun.”

While Dahlia held a knife to each of their throats in turn, Mister Rose unshackled and then reshackled them at the front, so they’d have limited use of their hands during the fight. Then he said, “Have at it, boys, let’s see what the lad’s made of.”