Tyrus stared, but Dalain shook his head. "He's teasing you, Tyrus. As he has been since he first rode up here. Or not so much teasing
as performing. He is the Gray Wolf--he cannot come gamboling to your side like an eager pup. He must be fierce and proud and fearsome, and you must tremble and stammer and then woo him to your side."
"With a wolf," Lord Okami said. "There's one in the mountains. A legendary she-wolf. You'll bring me one of her next litter as a living representative of my totem. Like that." He pointed at Zuri.
"All right," Tyrus said slowly. "I owe you a wolf."
"Good." He slapped Tyrus on the back. "You have explained yourself to me, convinced me of your innocence, and bought my forgiveness with a wolf cub, to be delivered at some future time." He glanced at Gavril. "If you ever wanted your own nine-tailed fox, this is the time to ask."
"That one would be slightly more difficult to deliver," Gavril said.
Lord Okami winked at him. "Which is the point of making the demand. Come then, children. Let us march on the imperial city while you tell me your plan, so I may fix it for you."
FORTY-SEVEN
"I can do this," Tyrus said, sitting atop his steed, his cloak hood pulled up. Moria had just rejoined him, after riding with Ashyn. They'd been snatching what time they could together, talking about everything they'd been unable to speak of until now. Over a fortnight had passed and they had been separated. There had been much to discuss. Now, though, it was time for Tyrus, because the city gates drew near.
They waited on the same side road that Moria, Gavril, and Ashyn had used to approach the city the first time. They were almost in the exact spot where Ronan had left them to sneak in a back way. From the look on Tyrus's face, he was seriously contemplating asking Ronan to point that route out.
"What's the worst thing that can happen?" Tyrus said. "The dungeons. That's not so bad. I hear they're relatively nice in the springtime. Not too cold. Not too damp. They'd be quiet and peaceful." Tyrus looked at Gavril. "Tell me I can do this."
"Why? There's no doubt you can. The question is simply whether you'll survive it."
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
"We have not heard that your father has reinstituted capital punishment. Of course, we haven't heard news from the city in many days."
"You are not helping."
Gavril shot him a quirk of a smile. Tyrus laughed, which was as good to see as Gavril's smile. As tense as Tyrus was, Moria knew his show of anxiety was partly for the benefit of Gavril, who seemed almost to hope that the goddess herself would smite him before he reached the gate. Of course, Gavril would say no such thing. Or even show it. So Tyrus did the fretting for him.
"Are you ready?" Moria murmured as she moved her horse closer to Gavril's.
He nodded.
"Then turn." She motioned, and he twisted in his saddle. She reached over and undid his cloak. He let her push it off his head and shoulders. Then he removed it. She took it and laid it over the back of his horse.
"You want this," she whispered. "As hard as it is. You want to face the emperor. To face the city. To say that you made a mistake. I would gladly sneak you in the back and spare you that. But this is what you want. What you need."
He dipped his chin. "It is." He hesitated, then looked toward the back of the caravan. "Perhaps, though, I ought to ride farther away from--"
"No, you are Tyrus's friend, not his captive. If it makes you uncomfortable having me here, given the rumors, I'll ride back with Ash and--"
"No, stay." He lowered his voice. "Tyrus needs you." Another hesitation. "And I . . ." He trailed off and straightened. "You'll ride with us. Anything else would be hiding."
"And none of us need to hide." Tyrus passed Moria a strained smile. "I'll just keep telling myself that."
She moved her horse to him and leaned in to remove his cloak.
"I think I'm going to vomit," he whispered.
"Which is why you had no breakfast."
"Hmm. I still might."
"If you're serious, then we'd best step aside."
"I think I'll be all right. But I would not mind a moment to check on the children, perhaps settle my stomach."