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“Oh,” was all Fergal said

Karigan pursed her lips They were not off to a good start For so way Maybe she resented his eagerness, or maybe she just wasn’tTy was good at, not her

She took a deep breath “This is the Kingway,” she said, indicating the road ahead, “and we’ll follow it all the way to Selium”

“Wahoo!” Fergal cried, and he and Sunny were off in a cloud of dust

Karigan rolled her eyes and decided she would sit and wait until he realized she hadn’t followed him

It was quite a while before Fergal realized he was alone, for the bells in the city rang off two cycles before he returned at a trot, Sunny’s neck all lathered Karigan sat beside the road chewing on a stalk of grass, her back against a s stretched out before her She had loosened Condor’s girth and replaced his bridle with a halter so he could graze

Fergal’s cheeks were flushed, but that could have been from the exertion of the ride and not contrition

“Where were you?” he sputtered

No, not contrition

“Why weren’t you with me?” he demanded “I had to come all the way back”

Karigan pushed herself up froround “Dismount”

“What?”

“Dismount,” she said evenly, “and that’s an order”

Perplexed, Fergal obeyed

“Loosen Sunny’s girth”

“But—”

“That’s an order, too”

He complied, but still did not understand “Why?”

“All I can figure is that you’ve ignored everything Horse- aoff into the horizon Yes, it’s about the efficient delivery of the king’s es, but not at the expense of your steed You’ve already spent Sunny Look at the lather on her neck! Now you must walk her to cool her off”

“But—”