“I like it when you talk with so much confidence,” she purred.

“Stop it!” He moved away. After weeks marching with the prisoners, he could not bear to even think about sex. “Or are you truly as cursed stupid as Tohon must think you are?”

“That was a mean thing to say.”

“Just because Tohon didn’t do the thing with you?”

“You jealous? Of his self-control, I mean.”

“You’re being an ass.”

“A horse’s ass, you mean, Shai. It’s from the tale of the Swift Horse. It’s a bedtime story. You know, before you get into . . . bed?”

“Leave me alone.”

“Great Lady,” said Yudit from within the tent. “Are you two arguing again?”

A soldier stumbled up toward the tent, obviously drunk. “Heya! You there! Outlander! I hear there’s lasses and lads for sale, eh? Nice and young and tasty. Celebrated their Youth’s Crowns and ready for a treat! Heh!”

Eridit ducked inside as Shai blocked the entrance. He wasn’t as tall as the soldier, but he knew how to brace as he shouldered the man back. “Mistress hasn’t opened yet for business, ver.”

“Sheh! You lot have sat here a week, eh? You’ve not fattened up that veal yet? I’ll bring a tey of rice every evening, you just let me in.” He pushed.

Shai sank to get his weight lower, and shoved hard back. The man staggered, unable to keep steady.

“Outlander bastard!” He turned around and shouted. “Divass! Avard! Get over here. About time we took a taste of what these cursed shut-holes are withholding from us, eh?”

A pair looked up from haggling with a man seated on a blanket who was selling white plums and heaps of cawl petals.

Nudged from behind, Shai glanced over his shoulder. Eridit thrust the hilt of a short sword into his back. “Here.”

“That won’t help me,” he muttered as the drunken man stumbled back to his friends and began gesticulating his complaints in a thready whine. Yah yah yah. Merciful God! How much longer Bai expected them to keep up this cursed pretense, Shai could not imagine. Men were coming around every cursed evening after drill, and so far Bai had managed to put them off with various plausible excuses delivered in her drawling, contemptuous style. “Hu! Take the children out the back if you have to. Here they come.”

The three swaggered with outraged privilege as they approached. Merciful One, act now!

A sergeant jogged through the ragged market street, pausing to grab men by the shoulders. “Heya! Heya! Three Circles cadre, report at once.”

A second sergeant followed, calling another group. Men turned from browsing the wares on offer: fried vegetables, hot noodles, goat’s milk, carved bowls and spoons, an old man repairing knife hilts, women skinny from the abuse they took to fetch a few vey.

“Avard! Divass! Kili! Get your cursed horses’ asses over here.”

“Assembly?” muttered the big one. “At dusk? After we’ve already been released from drill? The hells!” But he lumbered away.