“Politics.” He said the word as if it tasted rancid. “I’ve had my fill. Besides, she has plenty of help. Master Jewelrose is with her and I’m sure Valek will appear if she gets into trouble.” He huffed in amusement. “When she gets into trouble. Actually I’m looking forward to the trip. It’ll be like a vacation for me.”

“Leif, those men could—”

“Don’t worry. The road to Booruby hugs the western border of the Avibian Plains. If we’re outnumbered, we can detour into the plains. No shame in outrunning the bad guys.”

“Outrunning?”

“Have you taken Quartz into the plains yet?”

“No.”

Leif grinned. “Then you’re in for a treat. These Sandseed-bred horses fly like the wind in the plains.”

Our first day on the road passed without incident. With only a few weeks left of the cooling season, the temperatures hovered near freezing during the day and dropped at night. Since Booruby was five days south of the Citadel, it would be a little warmer.

There weren’t many towns along the main road. Farm fields dominated the landscape to the west and the plains stretched to the east.

We stopped for the night in a roadside shelter. A crude wooden building with bare bunks, a fireplace and a large, fenced pen for the horses, it could house up to twenty people. Six fellow travelers were already inside. A fire blazed in the hearth. Lanterns were also lit outside the building to light the way for any late-night travelers.

Leif cooked our dinner, while I tended the horses. As we ate, Leif reminisced over the various meals he had eaten at my house.

“Do you think your mother will tell me the recipe for her bread pudding?” he asked.

“I’m beginning to wonder if your interest in Mara is just for my mother’s cooking.”

He faked being insulted, then said, “Oh no, I love Mara’s cooking, too.”

I swatted him on the shoulder.

After we settled in our bunks, I listened to the quiet murmur of the others, the popping of the fire and the rustling of horses, straining to hear any sounds out of the ordinary. I touched my sais, checking they were within reach. “Leif?”

“Hmm?”

“Should we take turns keeping watch?”

“No. Rusalka will whinny if someone approaches the shelter.”

“What if you don’t hear it?”

“There’s no sleeping through that racket. And if I don’t come out to see what the matter is, she’ll break the door down trying to come inside.”

“What if the person is disguised by magic?”

“Magic fools the eyes, not the nose. She’ll smell a…wrongness. I’ll smell it, too. It’s hard to explain.” He paused. “Opal, go to sleep. You’re safe here.”

“Thank you for coming with me.”

“Anytime.”

Leif was right about Rusalka. The high-pitched and loud neighing woke everyone in the shelter. Leif bolted from his bunk with his sword in one hand and his machete in the other. I followed, holding my sais.

The outside lanterns cast a weak yellow light. My relief at seeing the cause of the trouble didn’t last long. A pack of wild dogs surrounded the horses. Low growls emanated from bared teeth as they circled Quartz and Rusalka. From time to time, one would brave the horses’ hooves and dash in to bite a leg.

Leif shouted and waved his sword, but there were a dozen black dogs. They were smart enough to stay out of range of his weapons. Too smart, in fact. The dogs widened their circle to include Leif, moving as if one intelligence directed them.

“Open the gate so the horses can get out,” Leif called.

I rushed to comply. When the way was clear, he told the horses to go to the plains where they could outdistance the dogs. A good plan, except Rusalka wasn’t going to leave without Leif.

The other travelers joined me by the fence.

“Rocks,” one man yelled.

We scurried around, finding and throwing rocks at the dogs. My aim was horrible, so I passed my rocks to the man.

Eventually, we drove the dogs off. Two lay dead, kicked and killed by the horses. Leif checked the horses for injuries, while I dragged the dogs’ bodies out of the enclosure. The man helped and the others kept watch, still clutching their rocks.

I knelt beside one dog. Its clean coat was free of fleas. I checked the other. Well fed. These weren’t wild dogs. I reviewed their behavior during the attack. Yelena could communicate with horses. If the pack’s owner was a magician, perhaps he directed the dogs’ actions. He might try again.

Leif joined me. Besides a few cuts, the horses were fine.

“Guess we should have scheduled a watch,” Leif said. “I didn’t think we needed to protect the horses.”

The man who had helped us frowned. “We never had a problem with dogs before,” he said. “I’ll talk to the locals, get a hunt organized or maybe set up a few traps with poisoned bait.”

I kept my suspicions to myself. We thanked the man and his friends. They filed back inside.

“Go back to sleep,” Leif said. “I’ll take the first watch.”

The attack bothered me. “Do you think the dogs were sent as a distraction?”

“It’s possible. I thought I smelled magic. But why didn’t they take advantage of the situation?”

“The horses didn’t panic. Besides Rusalka’s horrible squealing, they were calm. And she woke everyone. Perhaps the magician didn’t want to try anything with six other witnesses around.”