“I said yes!” Derk told her loudly on his way over to Shona.
The lady stopped and stared at him.
“You don’t listen, you know,” Derk said. “I said yes when you began. We’ll fight on foot. I’ve been worried about the way the Pilgrims treat horses for years. That’s why I’m breeding ones with wings. I thought they’d survive better.”
“Oh,” said the Horselady, almost faintly. “Thank you.” She went hurriedly away to the riverbank, where Pretty was making the bad mistake of trying to flirt with the camel. “Get away from it, you stupid little horse! Do you want your leg broken?”
“Now what’s the matter here?” Derk said wearily, shoving in beside Kit. Kit held the scroll out to him. Derk took it and frowned at it in the growing dusk. “Oh, dear. Oh, my poor Shona! This is ridiculous. I’ll speak to the Bardic president as soon as I can, I promise.” He sat down and put his hand on Shona’s back. “It’ll be all right. I won’t let this happen. Lords, I’m tired. Is someone seeing to the Wild Hunt tonight?”
“Me.” Kit sprang up, lashing his tail. He was still extremely angry. Derk stayed sitting beside Shona, saying comforting things, but it was fairly clear to him that Shona was not believing him.
Derk sighed. “I wish Mara could talk to her.”
“Shall I go and get her?” offered Callette.
“No, no. She’s busy.” Derk did not want Callette going all that way and seeing Mara refuse to come near him. He was fairly sure Mara had not even come near him when he was lying half dead from dragon smoke. But he did not want to think of this mystifying rift between himself and Mara just now. He was not sure he could face it. He sighed again.
“Eat something,” said Callette. “Do I sound like Lydda?”
Derk managed to laugh. “Not really. Let’s find some food. Barnabas ought to eat, too.”
“Everyone’s saying he put this camp in the wrong place,” Callette said severely.
“He did,” said Derk, “but it was where I wanted him to put it, so it doesn’t matter. Shona, will you get up and eat something, please?”
“No,” said Shona. “I couldn’t.”
She was still not eating next morning. She sat wrapped in a blanket, staring at nothing with her cheeks white and sucked inward, and did not seem to notice all the comings and goings around her. The Emperor and King Luther arrived back for a conference, and so did the Chief Werewolf. Derk thought for a moment and then put Kit in charge of everything to do with the battles. The Horselady and the man with the camel left, but the man from Chell City hung around anxiously, insisting that the Duke of Chell needed Derk, while Derk followed Barnabas about, arguing with him.
“I think you could have made an effort.”
“I did, Derk. I do. I’ve tried healers and I’ve tried spells, and none of it stops me breaking out and bingeing. But I did take care to set all the battle spells in the dome before I touched a drop this time. Those are important. You ought to let me activate them.”
“You know I hate spells that force people against their will!”
“Yes, but you’ll never get them to behave like real soldiers without. Look in that dome. They’re just lying about or beating one another up.”
“I know,” Derk said sadly. “I’d hoped to appeal to their reason, but I’m not sure they’ve got any. All right. Activate those spells then. Why are you shivering?”
“Withdrawal,” said Barnabas.
Derk looked at him closely and said, “Blade!”
They were standing right beside Shona while Blade took the cold spell off, but Shona did not seem to see or hear them. Kit’s head kept swiveling to her as he sat by the river with the Emperor and King Luther. Each time he shook with rage. Blade did not understand.
“Don’t be so dim!” Kit growled at him. “You know how you felt when Dad said you couldn’t go to the University.”
“Yes, but I feel better now, after the Oracle,” Blade said.
Kit glared. “Thickhead. Nobody took me to any oracle, did they? I feel for her. I know what it’s like not to have any future.”
Blade decided to go quietly missing after that. Kit had made him feel guilty, and he was not sure that was fair. Unfortunately Callette had noticed him slipping away among the Friendly Cows, and Derk easily caught up with him. “Don’t vanish, Blade. I need you. I’m leaving Kit in charge here while we do some translocating.”
“Where do you want to go?” Blade said rather sulkily.
“University first. I have to see Querida.”
Blade sighed and took them both there.