The further they travelled from Wales, the more complicated everything became. Lloyd said that it was expensive to bring the cows so far, because they must be fed along the road, and they could not be brought very quickly, because they would sicken and stop being fat and good to eat. That Majestatis had suggested the notion of borrowing cows in advance, and using the later ones to repay, had helped a great deal; but if they were always flying about snatching cows from the nearby farms, the French were sure to hear about it: Marshal Lefèbvre's forces were busy snatching cows themselves.

‘Maybe we oughtn't be having the cows driven to us,’ Moncey said. ‘We could always go and fetch them for ourselves, and then come back.’

‘That is no good at all,’ Perscitia said severely. ‘The longer we must fly to get to the supply, the more food we must eat to reach it and come back, which is a waste, and also it means more time flying back and forth, instead of fighting.’

‘Supply lines,’ Gentius said, dolefully, shaking his head. ‘War is all about supply lines; my third captain told me.’

He had insisted on coming along, although he could not really see well enough to fly anymore, and tired easily; but he had grown light enough that he could be carried along by any of the heavyweights, and it was very satisfying to everyone to think they had a Longwing with them.

Aside from the difficulty about the food, Temeraire was pleased with their progress. He and Perscitia had devised several manoeuvres, which even Ballista had allowed to be clever; and Moncey and the others had brought them a good deal of news about the French, although they could only sneak so close before it became too likely they should be caught. Temeraire was trying to think how they might better find a way to spy.

They had worked out how to organize their camp so it did not take over a great deal of room, by letting the smaller dragons sleep on top of the big, which was warmer anyway; and after the first awkward day they had learned to dig their necessary-pit far away from their water. That had been very unpleasant, and five of the dragons had become quite sick from being so thirsty they had drunk anyway, despite the smell.

A few others had grown bored and gone off on their own, all of them ferals who had never served, but some of those had come back when they had not been able to find easy food on their own, which brought them straight back to the question of supply.