“And if it works, do I have to carry all of you in on my back?”

“One step at a time.” Thero handed Alec the chicken, and he settled it under his arm.

Seregil walked with Alec down to Mika’s rock. From there they wandered up and down the road and riverbank as Alec looked for a portal in the gathering gloom. The first stars were pricking the sky overhead, and the edge of the moon was peeking over the eastern sea.

“Mika got in and out at the same place,” noted Alec as he climbed the small rise overlooking the river.

“You haven’t so far.” Seregil climbed up after him. Far in the distance they could see the twinkle of a watch fire.

“I wonder if those shepherd boys could tell us more about the city?”

“I’ll ride out tomorrow and talk with them again,” said Seregil.

Alec stood atop the ridge, looking around. “I don’t see anything up here. I’m going to try following the riverbank like Mika says he did and then I’m going to go give Thero back his chicken.” The unlucky hen struggled, then tucked her head under her wing.

Seregil chuckled. “You’re an unlikely-looking explorer.”

Alec walked to the riverbank and started downstream. Seregil remained at his side.

“You think you can get in this way?” asked Alec.

“It seems to be different from the portals in the palace. Just thought I’d give it a try.”

Alec shrugged and ambled along the bank beside him. “That was something, wasn’t it, the way Thero reacted to whatever it was that the arm ring showed him? I’ve never seen him like that.”

“I hope we never do again, talí,” Seregil said, putting an arm around Alec’s waist.

“Me, too. And thank you.”

“What for?”

“For not making a fuss about me going back in.”

Seregil just tightened his arm around Alec. Alec didn’t need to know what it cost him to watch him disappear time and again where Seregil could not follow.

Encumbered as he was with bag and bird, Alec leaned his head against Seregil’s for a moment, murmuring, “Aishutal, Seregil talí.”

“I love you, too, beloved Alec.” Seregil was surprised at how tight his throat suddenly felt.

They continued on in silence until the moment when the curve of Seregil’s arm was suddenly empty. Thrown off balance by Alec’s sudden disappearance, he staggered a little, almost tripping over the startled chicken, which hadn’t made the journey after all.

“Damnation!” he snarled, chasing it down the bank as it flapped away. He caught it at last and tucked it under his arm, then went back to Mika’s rock and sat down to keep watch for Alec.