“Under God’s grace perhaps we can move a little faster. I’d like you to ask God’s grace to include thunderstorms over the southern Adnacrags, too.” He smiled, trying to coax a smile out of Gelfred.

Gelfred just looked at him—a mild enough rebuke. “I can see the whole of the day,” he allowed. “You are tired, my lord.”

“I am that. Beautiful job on the ambush, Gelfred. You are a craftsman.” He forced himself to smile through the fatigue, to work the magic that bound people to him in hard times.

Gelfred beamed. “They are, for the most part, merely animals,” he said. “Except the wardens.”

Gabriel nodded. Gelfred touched his elbow lightly and drifted off into the dark, his black clothing already invisible, and Gabriel had time to think that Gelfred was getting as little sleep as he and perhaps less, and never seemed to show temper.

Sukey came up. Toby gave him a tisane and he drank it.

“First light,” he said.

“Might as well roust ’em now,” she said. “They’re that tired, Cap’n.”

“Yes. Get your girls cooking now so they have a big meal. Then let the girls sleep on the wagons.”

“Only got six wagons, Cap’n. Rest is ahead—”

“We’ll catch them tomorrow—Gelfred knows where they are. Yes, Sukey, this is going to be hard as hell come to earth. Just keep moving.”

“Always the girls get the short end, Cap’n.” She shrugged.

“Five silver pennies per woman, paid at next pay parade.” He looked up, his eyelids so heavy he couldn’t really look at her. “Best I can do.”

“Fair. Girls have missed sleep for less,” Sukey said. “Best get some yersel’. Want someone to warm your bed?”

Gabriel had enough energy left to laugh. “No,” he said. “Or yes, but no. I need sleep.”

Sukey tittered. “I thought you had the Queen’s girl all sewn up. Too prissy?”

The captain shook his head. “I did something wrong,” he admitted. I had a command meeting over her hidden body, he thought sleepily.

Sukey came closer. “Tom says it helps him sleep,” she said.

“I’m not proposing to share you with Tom,” he said, and regretted it. Her face closed, and she exhaled.

“Sorry, Sukey, that was crude.” He was off in his timing—another evening she’d have laughed, perhaps if Tom was there.

Too tired.

“Never you mind,” she said. “We’ll be ready at first light.” She walked off into the darkness.

“Lady Blanche walked away a few minutes ago,” Toby reported primly. “Nell tried to reason with her…”

“Never mind,” the captain said. “I’m unfit for human company. I think…”

“He just fell asleep while talking,” Toby said to Nell. They had to fetch Robin and Diccon and two other big men to pick the captain up and carry him to his camp bed, and when there he muttered once or twice, and said, “Amicia,” out loud.