No. She wanted to run us around the woods to buy time for the Circle. She didnt know the Lady knew about the Limper. I thought I knew her, but I was wrong. Well benefit eventually, but there are going to be hard times till Whisper straightens out the east. I tried to rise, could not.

Take it easy, he suggested. First time with the Eye is always rough. Think you could eat something now?

Drag one of those horses over here.

Better go easy at first.

How bad is it? I was not quite sure what I was asking. He assumed I meant the strategic situation.

Hardens army is bigger than any weve yet faced up here. And its only one of the groups that are on the move. If Nightcrawler doesnt reach Lords first, well lose the city and kingdom. Which might give them the momentum to drive us out of the north entirely. Our forces at Wist, Jane, Wine, and so forth, arent up to a major campaign. The north has been a sideshow till now.

But.... After all weve been through? Were worse off than when we lost Roses? Damn! That isnt fair. I was tired of retreating.

Not to worry, Croaker. If Lords goes, well stop them at the Stair of Tear. Well hold them there while Whisper runs wild. They cant ignore her forever. If the east collapses, the rebellion will die. The east is their strength. He sounded like a man trying to convince himself. He had been through these oscillations before, during the last days of the Domination.

I buried my head in my hands, muttered, I thought we had them whipped. Why the hell had we left Beryl?

Soulcatcher prodded Raven with a toe. Raven did not stir. Come on! Catcher grumbled. They need me at Lords. Nightcrawler and I may end up trying to hold the city by ourselves.

Why didnt you just leave us if the situation is so critical?

He hemmed and hawed and slid around it, and before he finished I suspected that this one Taken had a sense of honor, a sense of duty toward those who had accepted his protection. He would not admit it, though. Never. That would not fit the image of the Taken.

I thought about another journey through the sky. I thought hard. I am as lazy as the next guy, but I could not take that. Not now. Not feeling the way I did. Id fall off for sure. Theres no point you hanging around. We wont be ready for days. Hell, we can walk out. I thought about the forest. Walking did not appeal to me either. Give us our badges back. So you can locate us again. Then you can pick us up if you get time.

He grumbled. We batted it back and forth. I kept on about how shaky I was, about how shaky Raven would be.