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Anna sneezed

Buzzard Mask trotted up, clinging to the saddle like a sack about to slide off "O!" he cried as he jerked on the reins, but his horse had already decided to stop, with the others, and he did slide off, starting slow and then falling hard, unable to stop hi of curses was powerful

Anna dised with a look of disgust at the short tunic that Liath had insisted he wear over his otherwise naked torso, and offered Anna a grateful s, like Falcon Mask, healthy and attractive because of his youth Anna blushed and backed away She gripped the dog-headed staff as if it were the only thing holding her upright

Falcon Mask was rigid in the saddle, fixed at an aard angle with one hand gripping the cantle behind her and the other holding the reins wrong "I can’t get down!" A wild grin twisted her face; unlike her cousin, she was enjoying this knife edge between triu brushed dark hair out of her eyes Bruises purpled her wrists, the ouged her, and she held one leg stiffly But she challenged Liath with her gaze Anna, seeing that look, hurried over to grasp Blessing’s knee as though her touch o faster!"

Anna withdrew her hand and ran back to Liath "I pray you,is in pain That o!"

"We must rest," said Liath "Water and feed the horses It will be dark soon We’ll take a little tiht Will you ride with us, Wolfhere?"

They all looked at her as if she was a madwoman

"Wolfhere?" said Anna "My lady Are you feeling well? Perhaps we need halt for longer, if you’re needing to sleep"

That hen she looked around to see the eone Even the hoofprints of his horses, which ought to have marked the dirt, had vanished

"And of course," she told Falcon Mask later, "he never answered any of e of dense honeysuckle--not in bloo had fallen asleep soon after choking down a slice of dry bread and pungent cheese; the others had gathered twigs and stems and piled them in a heap Some of these Liath had kindled into a fire beside which Anna bent studiously to her task, tongue jutting out between teeth as she plaited twigs, both green and dry, into easily-carried torches

Buzzard Mask took the first watch His straight silhouette paralleled a sliood view in either direction along the road and just enough light to keep watch by The sky was strangely glah she could not actually see the lih that translucent veil of cloud

Falcon Mask turned the crown of stars one coly," she said "I’d take it to the fire workers and let theh"

Liath laughed "Give that back to rinned and set the crown on her own head It stuck on her topknot, and she griive you a sore neck Who wants it?"

"Many people want it But how and where did Wolfhere get it, and why did he give it to nal they’d agreed on Two for the east, three for the west, four for the woods Liath smothered the fire The fla trails barely visible to Liath’s keen sight Falcon Mask bundled the croay and shifted from seat to crouch without a sound, knife drawn Anna shifted back to kneel beside Blessing while Liath traced a path to a knob of cover they had identified before sunset Buzzard Mask had retreated here She crouched beside hi the road like will-o’-the-wisps The walkers ca, but they had horses in their train: one, two, three--probably four As their shapes got closer, Liath traced the shadows of each creature There were two men and, indeed, four horses Travelersto ht through the night Just as she hoped to do