Giln had a crooked grin on his face as if to say, "I'm waiting—when's the punch line?" Sheleck broke his gaze at me and looked down at the grass, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"It starts at the camp, I said, "and then afterwards, on the way to the Far North, and while we're fighting there.  I needed to tell you now so you could prepare for it.  I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner."

"Is he saying," Zurn said to Sheleck, and, apparently thinking better of it, turned to me.  "Are you saying you're not still mad at me?"

"Oh, Zurn," I said, "I never was mad at you.  I was never mad at any of you, although I can see how you might think that.  It's just that we've grown close to each other over a very short period of time."  I turned my eyes to Sheleck.  "I mean, you can't get much closer than when a person saves your life.  I don't think I ever even said thank you, Sheleck."

"No, you'd have done the same for me."

"But, I didn't and you did.  And that makes all the difference."

"Well …" He shrugged and reddened.

"So, just let me say it, okay?  Sheleck, no matter how they'll want me to act toward you and talk to you—and I'm sure I'll have to yield to what I'll be told is the way to act and talk to people of lower rank—I want you to know—I want all three of you to know that there is truly a brotherhood among us.  I won't forget that you would have given your life for me that day."

"No I wouldn't.  Not if I knew I was going to take the knife."

"See," Giln said, "I told you.  You're trying to make him into a hero.  He won't let you."

“Well, no matter what you say, I won't forget it."

"And, you're not mad at me?" Zurn asked again.

I smiled over at him.  "No, I'm not.  But, when I get to the camp you might begin to think I'm mad at you all over again.  I probably won't be able to talk to you like I am now.  I'll let your brothers explain that to you later.  I think they can do a better job of it than I can."

"They're not really my brothers, you know.  But they look after me like a brother would."

"If they take care of you, they're your brothers."

"So," Giln said, "suppose we pass each other in the camp.  Does this mean you won't say 'hi Giln,' but you'll just salute me?”

"I'm afraid so.  But, I think you'll have to salute me first."

"Or, you won't salute me back?"

"No, or you'll be in trouble."

Giln smiled, but there was a trace of challenge in his eyes.

"It's just the way it is, Giln.  It's called the chain of command."

"So, if one of your betters—" Giln said this word with inflection— "meets you on the street, you'd have to make sure you're paying attention and salute him first."

"I think they call them superiors."

"Well!  That's even better than betters!  So, you have to make sure you salute your superior first."

"If there w—were a superior," I stammered.  "But, Kabeez has a very small army.  So, I've been told I'm him.  I am the superior.

"No one higher."  Giln said it as an emphatic statement.

"That's what I'm told."

"Well.  Okay, then."

"We'd better water our crossans," said Sheleck.  "We've still got a ways to go.”

"That's right," I said.

While I was sitting on the grass with my weight on my left hip and outer thigh and my lower legs angled to the right, I noticed a slight discomfort, a tightness, in the muscles of my buttocks.  Trying to ignore it, I rolled to a hands-and-knees position to push up to my feet.  That was when a massive cramp seized my buttocks and the backs of my thighs.  I let out a yelp and fell back to the ground, writhing, trying to stretch my legs out.

Zurn was the first to run to me.

"Are you okay, Doctrex, sir?"

Sheleck was right behind him.  He kneeled at my side.  I was trying to massage the pain out of the backs of my thighs.  He watched me in silence, and then looked over at Giln.

Both erupted in laughter.

"I'm sorry, sir," said Giln, the grin still on his face.  "Is it a cramp you have?"

I moaned, feeling the question didn't need answering.

Sheleck helped me to my feet.  With my arm across his shoulder he guided me, limping across the grass to the spot where I had Rain Spirit tethered to a low hanging limb of the tree.

"It's been a while since you've been on a crossan?" Sheleck asked me.

I took a breath.  "Forever," I said.

"What?" said Giln.  "I don't believe it!  With all due respect, sir, no one can get on a crossan like Rain Spirit and ride her like you did unless you'd been riding for years."

The cramp was fading.  "I was brand new at it."

Giln shook his head, not making eye contact.  "I'm sorry, sir.  I don't—"

"I guess I'm a quick learner.  And, I had a good teacher."

"I don't know …."  He went over to Freckles, removed his reins from the tree limb and walked him over to the stream.  "But, that would explain your butt cramps," he said over his shoulder."

I laughed.  "Klynch predicted it.  He told me he wished he could be here to see it."  I led Rain Spirit to the stream, beside Freckles.  The others followed with their crossans.  All four, side-by-side, tails twitching, necks hung down to the stream.

I remembered Klynch's injunction not to let her drink too much.  I pulled her back from the stream and while her head was turned, looking longingly at the other three crossans, I tightened her cinch, making sure there wasn't a fold of skin underneath.  I didn't want a grouchy sorrel under me for the duration of the journey.  I tested the give for the saddle.  Satisfied, I mounted her and turned to the others, still with their crossans at the stream.  "I suppose I'll leave, then.  If I get to Kabeez before you do, I'll wait for you at the outskirts."  I stayed a moment for their responce and then finally I made the clucking sound that Rain Spirit acted on, now, without any pressure to her side.

I estimated it was about an hour and a half before I arrived at the outskirts of Kabeez.  There was a low, stone wall that Klasco said went around the perimeter of the city, save this road that marked the entrance and the exit road at the other end of Kabeez.  The wall could never have been conceived as protection to the tender belly of the capital.  One could stand at the wall at the outside of the city and spit into it.  It raised the question in my mind of what its purpose was.  Even the lowly field mice could find easy access to Kabeez.  How easy it would be for an invasion.

I sat on the wall in a shaded spot near the roadway and considered what worldly use such a low wall would have.  Time and again, I was brought round to the same conclusion.  The wall must be symbolic of the physically and spiritually passive life of the citizens.  Given their vulnerability, was there any wonder that the Council of Twelve would conclude their only means of survival against Glnot Rhuether was to have their army engage the enemy in the Far Northern Province? 

Rain Spirit chewed the tender grasses that grew lusher next to the wall.  She was content. I let the reins drape across my lap.  After a quarter hour I was beginning to wonder what was keeping them.  We had made our way at a leisurely amble-trot-gallop, then reversing back to a trot and amble.  Not only was that keeping crossan and rider fresher, but it was also reinforcing in Rain's pliant memory the sound and timbre of my voice along with the slackness and tension of the reins and the pressure of my feet against her sides.  There was no reason, though, for their not being here by now.

I ran the words back through my mind of where I said I would wait for them.  There was one road, one entrance.  No room for misunderstanding there.

"What do you think, Rain, should we go back and see if we can find them?  It's not likely, but it's possible they could have been ambushed, right?"  Rain lifted her rich chocolate eyes to mine and blinked lazily.  I was about to ask her what that meant when I heard the hoof beats and looked to see the dust raising a little over a quarter mile away.  I could now make out the crossans and the faces of the riders.

As they approached, I raised my hand to wave.

Only Zurn returned the greeting.