Tova looked shocked by her language. She smiled and patted his head.
"I know, but he deserved it."
"Who deserved what?" Moria asked behind her.
Ashyn turned as Moria and Tyrus caught up. Sweat streaked through the road dust on their faces and both were in desperate need of fresh tunics, but the jaunty gleam in Moria's eye kept Ashyn from moving farther downwind.
There was an extra bounce in Tyrus's step, too, and a light in his face when he looked Moria's way. She was happy, so he was happy.
He cares for her. He truly does.
"Who deserved what?" Moria repeated as they continued through the camp.
"Oh, just . . ." Ashyn fluttered her hand. "That young man who joined the caravan mistook me for a serving girl."
Moria snorted. "Idiot. You corrected him, of course."
"I tried. First, he told me not to give my name, because it's inconsequential. Then he lectured me on not furthering the intellectual stereotypes of Northerners with dim-witted tricks. I am to bring his tea and honey cakes at once. He may be waiting a while."
Tyrus laughed. Moria turned on her heel, her glare sweeping across the camp.
"That tent over there? The one we saw you exiting?"
"Yes, but--"
"Tea and honey cakes, you said?"
"Yes, but--"
Moria started toward the rations wagon. "We wouldn't want the poor boy to go hungry."
"Moria, don't--"
Tyrus caught her arm. "Let her." He leaned to her ear and whispered. "You know you want her to. And if a prince insists, you have no choice."
Ashyn and Tyrus caught up as Moria strode into the young man's tent, tea in hand.
"Finally," they heard him say. "You can put that right--"
"Here, my lord?"
The gurgle of rushing water. A shriek. Ashyn raced into the tent, thinking Moria had poured it on him. Of course, she had not. The water was boiling. She had poured it, though . . . onto the paper he'd been writing on.
"You stupid, clumsy--!"
"Oh, I'm sorry." She picked up a soaked page. "This wasn't important, was it?"
"You foolish girl," the young man said. "I ought to--"
"Teach me a lesson?" Moria opened her cloak, hand falling to one of her daggers. "Shall we take this outside? I'd rather a fair fight, dagger to dagger, but if you prefer a sword, I suppose that would . . ." Her gaze moved to his empty sash. "You've removed your blades? A warrior must never . . ." Her eyes widened in mock surprise. "Are you not a warrior?"
As Ashyn moved closer, Daigo reached Moria and settled in beside her. The young man looked at the wildcat.
"That is . . . You are . . ." He struggled for words, then said, "You claimed you were a Seeker," as if that erased the issue.
"I claimed nothing." Moria waved at Ashyn. "She said she was a Seeker."
He turned and saw Ashyn and gaped. Then his gaze went to the third person in the tent and he fell forward into the deepest bow one could manage without toppling.