‘And there are only a couple of old Chevaliers to guard them,’ Minnow said. ‘They are big, but lazy, and they were fast asleep when we saw them.’

‘Very good,’ Temeraire said, attempting to sound cool and serene, although his tail wanted to thump the ground. 'Lloyd, you and your men will go with Moncey and the Winchesters. You will wait until we have attacked, and drawn everyone off, and then you will go and take the pigs and bring them along here.

‘Now,’ he said, turning, and swept a patch of earth smooth with the tip of his tail. ‘Minnow, show me what the camp looks like.’

They set off a couple of hours before evening: Minnow and Reedly were very sure there was no Fleur de Nuit with the company, and so they would attack at night, when everyone would be asleep and most surprised, and have the most difficulty in chasing after them when the pigs had been seized. The little dragons would come behind, that much was decided; and Temeraire, after some thinking, put one of their Chequered Nettles, Armatius, in front, carrying Gentius upon his back. Ballista and Majestatis went on either side of him and Requiescat came behind them, and to either side of him a couple of Yellow Reapers carrying their flags.

They were not very elegant, only some velvet curtains tied on to saplings, but every real army had flags, and red was an auspicious colour. Streaming out, they made a fine show, especially when carried by the Yellow Reapers to either side of Requiescat's orange and red. Everyone brightened as they billowed out; the Reapers were especially pleased, and held themselves proudly. Even Requiescat turned his head as they flew and said, ‘Well, those are something like, anyway,’ to Temeraire, who only inclined his head, stiffly; he did not by then trust himself to speak.

They came near the camp with the sun already down behind them, and small cooking-fires alight among the tents. ‘Gentius,’ Temeraire said, ‘when I roar, you will go in first, only show them your wings, spit somewhere near the guns, and then fly back to Armatius and go back to camp. You cannot see well enough to be spitting once we have flown in, but they will not know that, and I dare say it will alarm them greatly.’

‘Ha ha!’ Gentius said, ‘Fighting again, at my age; I feel like a hatchling,’ and he fluttered out his wings a little, making ready.