the heat of the dragon’s body

warming his face, his chest,

the front of his legs.

The world below him charcoal on charcoal.

Remote. Unreal.

The dragon opened one eye,

a faint golden glow.

“Do you plan,” she asked Li,

“on staying awake all night?”

“I do.”

That eye considered him.

“Good. He chose his captain well.”

The eye closed.

Li stood,

watching over his king,

as the stars swept out the hours.

ALLIES

Then to the horse country

rode Donal the Red King,

ruler of Innis,

to meet with the man

once his enemy, now his ally,

who had slain a demon

and saved both their kingdoms.

King Donal was still thirty miles from Xau

when the scouts announced themselves,

requested, politely enough,

that Donal and his men

accompany them.

Thirty miles later,

in a valley so green

it might have been stitched

on a princess’s tapestry,

Donal found King Xau herding sheep.

Or trying to herd them:

half the sheep scattered

at Donal’s approach.

“I thought,” said Donal,

“you were training more cavalry,

not minding sheep.”

“General Qiang is training our cavalry.”

“Why Qiang? Why not you?”

Xau the one with horse magic,

the one that the horses were besotted by—

“We worked with Qiang for one day.”

“One day? That’s all?”

“Yes.” Xau’s tone flat.

Li, captain of Xau’s guards,

looked to his king for permission

before saying, “When King Xau was there,

the horses did whatever he wished.

It served no purpose

except to accustom the riders

to their mounts maneuvering

at the king’s will.”

“Best that our cavalry learn

to operate without us,” said Xau.

Donal heard what Xau didn’t say,

that he was planning for a time

when he was wounded,

or dead.

“So,” said Donal,

“you still think war’s coming?

None of my spies think so.”

“Our source was persuasive.”

“Persuasive? They didn’t even name the enemy!”

“Someone who profited

from the Hidden Queen’s death.”

“Which could be anyone or no one.

It’s fucking little to go on.”

“It’s all we have,” said Xau.

“And based on that knowledge,

we will double our cavalry

over the next year,

and increase our foot soldiers

by one quarter.”

“And bankrupt your treasury.”

Xau raised his eyebrows, then nodded.

“There has been... lively debate

among our ministers.”

“Fuck.”

If Xau had been any other man,

Donal might have offered

several observations about his judgment,

then ridden back to Innis.

If Xau had been any other man,

Donal wouldn’t have come

in the first place.

Shadow and darkness behind them

and a debt Donal couldn’t repay.

He took a breath,

said with considerable restraint,

“All right. You wanted me.

I came. What next?”

“Tonight you meet the horse lords.

Tomorrow we discuss tactics.”

“And until tonight? Do we mind the sheep?”

“If you like. It’s harder than it looks.”

“It’s not hard at all.

This is a perfectly good valley.

Let the sheep go where they want.”

Xau gazed ruefully

after the scattered sheep.

“We need to get them back