Evie hears Lariat approaching before she ever lays eyes on him, as loud and brash and exulting as ever. She’s barely turned around before he scoops her up in a bear’s hug, squeezing the life out of her. She can feel the blade-encumbered leather straps encircling his body threatening her flesh.

“I ’aven’t felt this since I knocked my first man cold in the prize ring!” Lariat announces directly into her ear. “Ya surely were sent by the God Stars themselves, little Sparrow!”

“Put her down before you crush our godsend, Lariat,” Mother Manai bids him.

He does, laughing all the while.

“She’s tougher’n she looks by miles,” he says, gripping her shoulder and shaking her in that way he does.

Evie is too tired to protest, and in a strange way his levity makes the killing normal and tolerable for her.

Lariat is joined by Bam, who has already replaced his deep hood, and is flicking bits of entrails from the face of his mallet, and another Savage Evie has never seen before. He may be even older than Lariat, but his physique is that of a much younger, fitter man. He’s more slender than Lariat, right down to his graying mustache, which is thinner by half, and almost a head taller. He’s swinging the haft of a lengthy mace in one hand, its head a fist-size knot of hard, polished wood.

“Sparrow!” Lariat announces, grandly. “I want ya ta meet a foundin’ member of the Elder Company! This is Diggs! He’s markin’ thirty-one battles, countin’ this’n here.”

“This is the little girl Lariat speaks of like she could topple the Spectrum with her bare hands?” Diggs marvels, scrutinizing Evie up and down.

“This is the young woman whose plan just made you a free man,” Mother Manai corrects him.

Diggs bows, deeply. “Meaning no offense.”

“Thank you for joining us,” Evie says gratefully, the rest mattering little to her.

Diggs laughs, reaching up and grasping the back of Lariat’s neck as if collecting the scruff of a misbehaving pup.

“I had little choice! It was that or I would’ve had to kill this crude old gasbag. And I’ve never cared for the killing of friends.”

Lariat laughs and presses his forehead against Diggs’, the two of them growling nose-to-nose like feral boys.

“Pay ’em no mind, love,” Mother Manai says. “It’s my belief they were parted at birth. Diggs just learnt to talk prettier, that’s all.”

Lariat turns back toward Evie. “You make one helluva general, little Sparrow,” he declares. “This is a night fer celebratin’!”

“This is only the beginning,” Sirach interjects. “And this is the last time we’ll surprise them, I promise you.”

Lariat stares down at the Sicclunan captain distastefully, lips tightening beneath his mustache.