“I have been doing it since I was in my mother’s belly,” she replied with a wisp of a smile. “When my little niña is born, she will ride with me, and she will be just as strong as I am. Stronger, perhaps.”

“What if it’s a boy?” Neville asked, clutching at the saddle.

“It won’t be a boy.”

Neville stared at her for a few moments without speaking, his eyes lingering on her belly.

“You are wondering about the father,” she said, unsmiling. Neville stammered an incoherent denial, his blush destroying his credibility.

“There is no father,” Adelia said. “There is a man who gave me the child I wanted from him.”

Neville stared hard at his hands. “Alright ma’am,” he whispered, mortified. She grinned at his embarrassment.

“I am not ashamed, boy. I have no need of a husband. This girl will have no need of a father. Perhaps a second mother, someday—but if not?” She shrugged. “It makes no difference.”

A sharp whistle sounded from behind them, where Archie rode her diamond-white Rosa. Neville twisted in the saddle to look at her, then caught himself on the pommel as he nearly tipped out of the saddle. Adelia whistled back without looking away from the water ahead. Archie’s rich, deep laugh carried over the sound of the hippos’ splashing progress through the shallows of the swamp.

Ahead of them, Cal, Houndstooth, and Hero rode abreast. Ruby slid through the water like a shadow between runty brown Betsy and Hero’s grey Abigail. Shy, sweet Betsy bumped out of the way with a sidelong glance at the sleek black hippo, but Abigail didn’t seem to notice her. Ruby came close enough to Abigail that Houndstooth’s leg brushed against Hero’s. Hero startled.

“I didn’t—I didn’t hear her get so close,” they said, holding their hat on with one hand.

“Well, you wouldn’t, would you?” Houndstooth said. “Some things just sneak up on you like that.”

Hero tried to stop the smile that spread across their face, but it was too late; Houndstooth was already grinning back.

* * *

As dusk settled over the marsh, the hoppers clustered closer together. Houndstooth rode in front. Behind him, Adelia, Archie, and Neville clustered together. Hero and Cal rode behind, occasionally shooting wary glances at each other.

“So, I’ve been wondering,” Adelia said. “What is that for?” She pointed at the coiled chain that Archie wore on her hip. “It looks like the strangest bola I’ve ever seen. I can’t imagine using it to disable a man, much less a charging hippo.”

Archie smiled. “I adore your idea of small talk, Adelia. This is my meteor ’ammer.” She patted the smooth metal ball that swung beside her thigh. “I will show you ’ow it is used sometime. I think you will like it.”