“Then we eat.” She turned to the children, both of whom were still glaring at Valyn. “Peekwi. Sari. Slap your sister awake and put the pot on the fire. I need my furs.” She turned, ducking back into the api without a word, and abruptly Valyn found himself standing in the center of an Urghul camp in which people went about their early morning routine—pissing behind the api, checking horses, rubbing chilled hands by the fire—as though nothing amiss had occurred, as though half a dozen soldiers hadn’t just dropped out of the sky on a giant bird to murder one of their number. Even the pair disposing of the bodies appeared indifferent to the manner of their death, bickering incomprehensibly as they stripped the few ornaments, tossed aside the weapons, and hauled the corpses into the high grass.

“This makes me nervous,” Talal murmured.

Valyn nodded. “Annick, keep your bow handy.”

“Maybe we got lucky,” Laith said, vaulting off the back of the bird. “Nothing wrong with a little good luck every now and then.”

Valyn allowed himself a moment of hope, then crushed it. “Optimism kills soldiers,” he replied, quoting Hendran.

“Steel in the guts kills soldiers,” the flier countered. “Or steel in the leg,” he added, glancing significantly at Talal. “Or the shoulder.”

“We’re getting there,” Valyn growled. He hardly needed to be reminded of the searing pain of the flatbow bolt grating against his scapula. “Talal, Laith—gather their weapons.”

“I need to look over ’Ra,” Laith said. “Something is really wrong with her.”

“The Urghul first,” Valyn said. “Then we patch up our people. Then the bird. Annick, cover them. Pyrre . . .”

“Just a gentle but firm reminder,” she replied, “that I am not on your Wing.”

“How unfortunate. Do you think I could prevail upon you to watch a hostage or two?”

“I don’t know—I might kill them.”

“That,” Valyn replied, gritting his teeth, “would miss the point of taking hostages.” He scanned the group, picking two Urghul at random. “Him and her.” He turned to Talal. “Can you tell them—”

“I’ll tell them,” Huutsuu replied, stepping out through the flap to her api, a massive bison hide draped over her shoulders and belted around her waist. The thing made her look larger, but slower. Had Valyn not witnessed her stabbing a man in the neck moments ago, had he not seen the sinew shifting beneath her bare skin, he would have underestimated this woman. It was a good lesson.

Huutsuu gestured to the two Urghul Valyn had selected, barking something rough as she gestured to a patch of ground a little space off from the fire. They hesitated, anger and doubt scrawled across their faces, but they went.

“Tie them if you want,” she said, crossing to the fire without a second glance, prodding with her finger at something in the large pot.