Raven nodded, surrendered his badge, strung his bow, nocked an arrow, pulled back, relaxed. I did the same. It settled my nerves.

I was so grateful to be on the ground I could have kissed it.

The bole on the big oak. Raven pointed across the river. He let fly. His shaft struck a few inches off center. I took a deep, relaxing breath, followed suite. My shaft struck an inch nearer center. Should have bet me that time, he remarked. To Catcher, Were ready.

I added, Well need more specific directions.

Follow the river bank. There are plenty of game trails. The going shouldnt be hard. No need to hurry anyway. Whisper shouldnt be there for hours yet.

The river heads west, I observed.

It loops back. Follow it for three miles, then turn a point west of north and go straight through the woods. Catcher crouched and cleared the leaves and twigs off some bare earth, used a stick to sketch a map. If you reach this bend, youve gone too far.

Then Catcher froze. For a long minute he listened to something only he could hear. Then he resumed, The Lady says youll know youre close when you reach a grove of huge evergreens. It was the holy place of a people who died out before the Domination. The Limper is waiting at the center of the grove.

Good enough, Raven said.

I asked, Youll wait here?

Have no fear, Croaker.

I took another of my relaxing breaths. Lets go, Raven.

One second, Croaker, Soulcatcher said. He retrieved something from his bundle. It proved to be an arrow. Use this.

I eyed it uncertainly, then placed it in my quiver.

Raven insisted on leading. I did not argue. I was a city boy before I joined the Company. I cannot become comfortable with forests. Especially not woods the size of the Forest of Cloud. Too much quiet. Too much solitude. Too easy to get lost. For the first two miles I worried more about finding my way back than I did about the coming encounter. I spent a lot of time memorizing landmarks.

Raven did not speak for an hour. I was busy thinking myself. I did not mind.

He raised a hand. I stopped. Far enough, I think, he said. We go that way now.

Uhm.

Lets rest. He settled on a huge tree root, his back against a trunk. Awful quiet today, Croaker.

Things on my mind.

Yeah. He smiled. Like what kind of reward were set up for?

Among other things. I drew out the arrow Catcher had given me. You see this?

A blunt head? He felt it. Soft, almost. What the hell?

Exactly. Means Im not supposed to kill her.

There was no question of who would let fly at whom. The Limper was Ravens all the way.

Maybe. But Im not going to get killed trying to take her alive.