Once the captives stood in marching order, the soldiers led packhorses and mounts into line. The lord appeared from out of the forest cover, the watchful boy following three paces behind him with head bowed.

“We must move quickly through the Aua Gap.” The lord had to work to make his voice carry; he did not have natural authority, but it was evident by the averted gazes and cringing stances that everyone there was frightened of him. “The Horn militia will have an eye open for armed companies traveling out of Olo’osson. They’ll fight any small groups they see, like ours. So we make haste. Show no mercy to those who could talk about us if they fell into the hands of our enemies. Kill anyone who falls behind.”

He walked into the trees as the watchful boy sidled into the line of captives. Ignored by the other prisoners, he stood beside Shai.

“Where did you go?” Shai asked him. “You just vanished last night. Did he—uh—hurt you?”

“Neh. There’s two of us, that he likes to braid our hair.” Indeed, the boy’s hair was neatly combed and braided, not a strand out of place; his braid fell to his lower back, glossy hair cleaner than the rest of him. “The rest don’t like me and Dena because of the attention he gives us, not that we asked for it! Maybe you’ll scorn me now, too.” He squared his shoulders, ready to move away.

“Can you help me with her?” Shai asked. “What’s your name? I’m Shai.”

“Vali.” With a pleased smile, the boy slipped an arm around the girl’s back. The order was called down the line and the ranks moved along a path cut through woodland. It was slow going, them in a narrow file never more than two abreast, but the pace remained steady and any captive who, by faltering, made the person behind cut their steps, got a whip slash across the back to chivvy her on. As dawn brightened into day, the ghost, her face set in a determined grimace, appeared as a wisp walking alongside a young lad who did not see her.

Under the cover of trees the light had a hazy glamour, and the smells seemed as thick as the muggy heat. Pockets of mud slurped under Shai’s bare feet. Water dripped from leaves, and if he tilted his head back, he caught drops to moisten his parched mouth. Now and again the canopy opened into a clearing. Clouds glowed overhead, as if the sun was about to break through. Once, he saw a noble mountain blocking half of the northern sky, but the path twisted and trees rose, and the mountain vanished from view.

He got a better look at his companions. The youngest seemed to be ten or eleven—small enough!—and Shai was the only one with the heft of full growth. Vali slogged along in front of Shai, but soon enough one of the younger ones began to lag, so Vali put his arm around the littler girl’s waist and kept her moving. Captives helped each other as well as they could. Even the ghost tried to aid that boy, maybe her kin, whenever he stumbled. But of course, she had no substance.