She laughed. “Queen is a misnomer, really. Claera took the title when she wed Ilian. But our bands don’t recognize royalty. Each band has its own leader, though there’s no election or crowning. It’s just whoever volunteers to take on the burden of leadership, for as long as they care to bear it. When they’ve decided they’re done, someone else steps up to fill their shoes.”

Vidal’s eyebrows rose. “Is it always so peaceful?”

“No,” she admitted. “But it’s usually more or less democratic.”

He grinned. “What happens when it isn’t?”

“Anyone in the band can challenge a leader they believe is making unfair or selfish choices.”

“Challenge them how?” Vidal blinked. “Combat?”

“Such a Talon.” She nudged his knee with hers. “No. To a testing.”

“What’s that?” Vidal propped his chin in his hand, balanced on one knee as he listened.

“Well, the Travelers started out as wisdom keepers. Back in the day when the First Six came over—you know, the first six ships that settled the Reaches?”

“I thought it was the First Five.”

Zofi snorted. “They always erase us. Even in history. Watch it, by the way, that’s burning.” She reached over to take the hare from him. Sheepishly, he released it, and their fingertips brushed as he handed it over. She flipped the meat. “There were six ships. Five settled the Reaches that exist now. The sixth was the Traveler ship, captained by Nova. She decided that rather than settling in any one Reach, her people would move among them all. In exchange for free passage, and support from the other Reaches—resources, food, water—the Travelers brought knowledge from Reach to Reach. Those first Travelers were menders, counselors, historians, storytellers who had memorized the histories of Genal, and priests of the old religion. The one that came before the Arts.”

“How do we not learn about any of this?” Vidal asked.

She shrugged a shoulder. It brushed against his. The heat from his arm sent the hairs at the back of her neck to attention. “Perhaps because your people devalue history now. Over time, our jobs changed. At first, we chronicled the new histories—the events and legends that sprang up in each Reach. We carried stories from one Reach to another, kept the Reaches united.… You might say Travelers were the bloodstream of this continent. Respected, revered even, for the knowledge we bore.”

“What happened?”