“Ladies.” Reginald said as they rode up to him.

  “Good afternoon, Reginald.” Triss replied. “Ready to set out?”

  He glared at her. “I said you were staying.”

  “Reginald, I am Pervical’s apprentice. It’s my duty to help him if he’s in trouble. I have to go.”

  “You’re his apprentice?” Naiela asked in surprise. “I thought you were a wizard.”

  “I am a wizard. I can be both, you know.”

  “Enough. If you two are going to argue for the entire trip, I’ll gag you both.” Reginald snapped.

  Triss blinked. “You mean you’re going to let us come?”

  “Do I have a choice? I don’t want to, but it seems nothing short of physical violence will stop you.” He said. “If you slow me down, I’ll leave you behind. That’s a promise, not a threat.”

  Triss couldn’t hold back her smile. “We won’t slow you down, I promise.”

  “And you.” Reginald turned to Naiela. “You will behave yourself. The only reason I’m letting you come is because Triss would whine for days if I killed you. Don’t give me a reason.” Naiela opened her mouth to reply, but Reginald held up a hand to stop her. “I consider rudeness a valid reason. Pretend, at least, to be polite. No dark wizard nonesense.”

  Naiela sat back in her saddle. “Fine.” She said. “So long as you don’t perform any forbidden spells. And no coffee! I refuse to smell that vile brew.”

  “Hah! Yeah right.” Triss snorted. “Coffee is essential.”

  “Coffee is an abomination.” Naiela said flatly.

  Reginald sighed. “This is going to be one hell of a trip.” He turned and began walking down the road, splashing through the innumerable puddles with his clawed feet. Triss urged Buttercup to follow, and they set out. Reginald walked quickly, and the horses had to trot to keep up. Though the sun was still hidden behind the clouds Triss knew it was well past midday. She wondered how far Reginald planned to travel before stopping. They only had a few hours until it got dark. They travelled down the road, past fields of tall green grass that rolled in the gentle breeze. The odour of wet grass and mud permeated the air, though it wasn’t an unpleasant smell. Small farmhouses dotted the distant hillsides, with worn dirt paths running away from the main road to each one. Thick white smoke rose from the chimneys of most of them, and Triss occasionally caught the sweet smell of distant wood smoke.

  It turned out that Reginald planned to travel until the last vestiges of muted sunlight began to fail. Reginald suddenly stopped, and Triss had to pull hard on the reins to avoid running into him. “I could keep going, but the horses will break a leg if we continue. We stop here.” He turned off the road into a small grassy spot. Naiela hopped off her tall black horse immediately, leading him to a thin stream that burbled nearby. Triss was much slower getting down, her back and legs suddenly protesting. The ride had not been easy on her, and now that she was moving her body was letting her know.

  Reginald appeared by her side as she tried in vain to stretch the kinks out of her lower back. “The horse needs to be taken care of first.” He said. “Always care for the animals before caring for yourself.” He began to lead Buttercup to the stream beside Naiela. “Come along.” He called over his shoulder. “This is your horse, so it’s your job.”

  Triss groaned, but dutifully trudged along behind. Naiela already had her horse’s saddle off, and was brushing him down. Reginald showed Triss how to remove the saddle, and then handed her a brush as well. “I picked it up from Master Port.” He explained. “I knew you’d need it.” He showed her how to properly brush the horse down, then left her to her work.

  Triss and Naiela worked in silence for several minutes. Neither said had said a word to each other since leaving the town hours ago. Triss didn’t like the other woman, but she decided she liked the silence less. “Your horse is really pretty.” She said. “What’s his name?”

  Naiela smiled, and it was the first genuine smile Triss had seen on the council wizard. “Nightfang.” She said, a hint of pride in her voice.

  “Nightfang? Really?” Triss replied.

  “What’s wrong with Nightfang? It’s better than Buttercup.” Naiela sneered.

  “It’s a little bit edgelord, don’t you think? Like, you’re an assassin, and you name your horse Nightfang?” Triss shrugged. “I’d have named him Midnight, or Ebony, or something like that.”

  “Unimaginative.” Naiela said. “Nightfang is a much better name.”

  “Whatever.” Triss finished brushing down Buttercup. The horse seemed to enjoy being brushed down, and gave Triss a reproachful glance when she stopped. Triss shrugged at the horse, then left her to graze and went back to Reginald. He’d already made a fire pit out of stones he’d gathered from somewhere and was busy stacking bits of wood in the center. “All done.” She reported.

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  “Did you tie her off for the night?” He asked, not looking up from his work.

  “Uh, no? Where do I tie her?”

  He stood and brushed the bits of wood off his hands before heading over to the horses. Naiela was pounding a stake into the ground with a hammer she’d gotten from somewhere. Reginald produced a similar stake that had been tucked into his belt. He handed it to Triss. “Got anything to hammer it in with?” He asked. She didn’t. “Maybe Naiela can lend you her hammer.” He said, giving the council wizard a firm look. Naiela handed over the hammer with a glare, and Triss quickly hammered the stake into the ground.

  She knotted Buttercup’s lead to the stake, and Naiela let out a short laugh. “That won’t hold.” She said.

  “Why not?” Triss snapped. “It’s tied tight.”

  “As soon as she lifts her head it’ll slide right off.”

  “No it won’t.” Triss replied. “I know how to tie a knot.”

  Naiela crossed her arms and stared at triss, an amused expression on her face. Triss glared back. Buttercup lifted her head then, and the rope slid off the stake. Triss cursed and untied the knot, looping it around the stake a few times before tying it this time. Several seconds later, the loop lifted off the stake when Buttercup raised her head again. Naiela laughed, but then came over and grabbed the rope. “You need to loop it like this.” She said, demonstrating. “That way when she lifts her head it’ll grip the stake and not come off.” She looped the rope around the stake and tied a more complex knot. Triss tried her best to follow the motions, but was sure she couldn’t repeat it if she tried.

  “Thanks.” Triss grumped.

  “I’m not doing it for you.” Naiela replied. “I don’t want Buttercup to wander off and get lost. It’s not her fault you’re incompetent.”

  Triss bit her tongue. She wasn’t going to get drawn into an argument. At least, not one where she was already down a point or two. “Still. Thanks.” Triss handed the hammer back to Naiela, stood and put it in her saddlebags.

  Reginald had a fire blazing by the time the two women reached him. He’d jammed a stick into the ground on each side of the pit, each with a Y shape at the top. Another sturdy stick ran across the fire and he was just hanging an iron pot from it over the blaze. He handed Naiela a leather waterskin. “Go fill this in the stream.” He ordered. She glared at him for a second before snatching it out of his hands and stomping to the stream. “The attitude on that one.” He muttered once she was out of earshot.

  “You’re telling me.” Triss replied. “Arrogant and stubborn.”

  Reginald nodded. “Yes. She’s much like you.” He replied, a twinkle in his eye.

  Triss pushed the lizard’s shoulder. “Not nice.”

  “I am not nice.” He replied with a grin.

  “Yeah, you are.” Triss said. “Hey. Thanks for letting me come.”

  “Could I have stopped you?”

  “Yeah, probably.”

  They sat in silence as the flames crackled. Naiela returned with the waterskin, and she handed it to Reginald. Triss could see from her expression she wanted to throw it at the draconic, but restrained herself. She plopped down on the wet grass with a sigh. No one spoke as Reginald poured some water into the pot and began adding bits of vegetable and meat from a bag. It took about half an hour for the food to be ready, and Reginald ladled it out into bowls, passing first to Triss and then to Naiela before taking a bowl for himself. Naiela accepted the food without comment, so Triss loudly thanked Reginald when he handed her a bowl. Naiela rolled her eyes and muttered a thanks.

  After supper Reginald set up two small white canvas tents, one for triss and one for himself. Naiela had her own tent, slightly larger and made of black dyed canvas. She gave them a final glare before crawling inside.

  Reginald ended up pulling Triss out of her tent by her ankles the next morning. She cursed at him, but was too sore to try and make him pay. “I did try to wake you.” He said before handing her a mug of steaming coffee. “Drink it quick, we need to get back onto the road.”

  They rode all day, and Triss tried her best not to complain. She was pretty sure that whenever she dismounted she’d find blood on the saddle with how worn her thighs were now. They passed out of fields and into deep forests early on in the day, and the road ran in a curving line through the verdant monochrome of the woods. The wind was steady and chilly, biting through her damp clothing. “How far til we reach a town or something?” Triss asked.

  “We might reach Stonebrook before nightfall.” Reginald replied. “We’ll ride through and camp outside.”

  “They don’t have like an inn or something? Triss asked.

  “They do, but we’re in a hurry.” Reginald replied.

  “And I’m cold.” She complained. “If we stop for the night in an inn, I can get my clothes dry.”

  “We’ll lose time.”

  “Not that much. Please?” Triss pleaded.

  “Life on the road is not for the faint of heart.” Naiela said. “If you can’t handle a little damp and cold, maybe you should head back.”

  “I can handle it fine.” Snapped Triss. “Better than you.”

  “I’m not the one asking to sleep in an inn tonight.” Naiela replied.

  “I’m not the one asking to sleep in an inn.” Triss muttered in a mocking tone. “Bitch.”

  “Excuse me, what did you call me?” Naiela said, turning Nightfang so she could look at Triss.

  “You heard me!” Triss snapped back.

  “Enough!” Reginald ordered. “We’re not sleeping in an inn.” He said to Triss. “And no more insults.” He spun to face Naiela, who had a smug expression on her face. “You will keep your comments to yourself.” He said darkly. Her expression darkened, and she quickly turned Nightfang back down the road.

  “I find the company here to be lacking. I’m riding ahead.” She replied coldly, then spurred her horse forward.

  “Good.” Triss muttered.

  Reginald sighed, and started walking faster. “Come on, lets catch up to her.” He said.

  “Why? It’s much nicer without her.” Triss replied, though she did urge Buttercup to move a little faster.

  “There’s no such thing as a safe road,” he replied. “And while she’s annoying, I am hoping to glean a bit more information from her about these murders you mentioned. I don’t know exactly what is going on right now, and more information might be invaluable.”

  Naiela had already disappeared around a bend in the road, her horse moving at a near gallop. Triss and Reginald didn’t quite match her pace, deciding that Nightfang would tire long before the village and they would have plenty of time to catch up.

  Then a piercing scream echoed through the trees. “What was that?” Triss asked.

  Reginald broke into a run. “That’s a wounded horse. Hurry!”