Tseetsaa was bored.

The wagon bounced along the road. She winced at another bump, grabbing onto the side rail to keep herself from lurching into Miyt. Chesfi hissed.

“I want out,” the malk whined.

“Not now.” Cheeyt didn’t quite snap the words, but Nuliyaa’s head jerked up from the accounts ledger and the two sisters glared at each other.

“Once we reach Grove, it will be safer for you outside the wagon,” Singmij said.

“At least you are allowed in the wagon,” Sinchach muttered.

Tseetsaa would have liked to get out of the wagon, too, but Cheeyt had everyone jogging around it. She, Singmij, Kachaark, and Tajak kept up the pace easily. Sinchach had pulled out a narrow board that he glided on directly behind the wagon using a combination of two sigils. Mages had such fascinating things.

She scooted back in the wagon, almost lurching off the side at another bump, until she could directly with Sinchach. Tajak smiled at her as she approached and she smiled back before she caught herself. Sinchach was sneaking glances at a book he had tucked in his waistband under his coat.

“Is there anything else you would like for me to help draw?” she asked, trying to keep down the eagerness in her voice.

The fight with the pirates was horrible to think about, so she distracted herself by focusing on how it had felt to be needed for her drawing. Her drawing had never been anything more than entertainment before. Occasionally, Nuliyaa had paid her to draw out designs for Maltangku, things Nuliyaa had thought would sell well, but that hadn’t happened often enough for Tseetsaa to see it as anything other than a way to spend an afternoon.

And she was tired of being the little sister who Cheeyt and Nuliyaa felt compelled to support. Here was a way to contribute to their precious company, something neither of them could do.

“Sinchach,” Tajak hissed and the other young man’s head jerked up. He almost fell off the glide-board.

“What’s happened?” he asked, looking around wildly.

“I was wondering if there is anything else you would like for me to draw,” Tseetsaa asked. “Sigils, I mean.”

She jerked as the wheels caught in another bump.

“How can you possibly draw sitting in that?” Sinchach eyed the wagon with a curled lip. “You will just waste my paper.”

She pressed her lips together. That was true.

“These roads are atrocious. I cannot wait to return to Nengmekian soil. Our people know how to maintain roads. Here, whatever passes for government seems more interested in lining their purses than doing that which improves their economy overall.”

Tseetsaa flopped against the rail of the wagon as Sinchach continued to rant over the city-states’ economic policies. She could understand how Chesfi felt. Her only option for keeping her hands busy seemed to be helping Miyt with her embroidery.

At least they would have a nice stack of embroidered items to sell at some point. Miyt had brought along strips of fabric that could be stitched along the hems of other items. After her embroidery was added, they would be beautiful additions to tunics or littiichangs (wait, did Nengmekians even carry littiichangs?).

“Perhaps this is a good time to discuss your question.” Tajak’s voice broke through Tseetsaa’s thoughts and Sinchach’s rant. They both turned to stare at him.

“Question?” Sinchach asked. “What question?” When Tajak tilted his head toward Tseetsaa—which is he did without breaking his jog—his expression brightened. “Oh, yes! That question!”

“You have a question for me?”

“Yes.” Sinchach drew himself up straighter. Impressive, considering his arrogance already had him looking down on everyone. “As a fully trained mage, I am now allowed to take on an assistant.”

“That must be very helpful.”

“Oh, yes. Having assistants allows mages the freedom to continue research—”

Tajak cleared his throat.

“Ah. Right. I was wondering if you would be interested in working as my assistant.”

“Oh.” Tseetsaa didn’t know what else to say. Could she do it? But how could she be a mage’s assistant without training?

Nuliyaa scooted over. “And what would Tseetsaa be expected to do as your assistant? What will be her compensation?”

She had never been so happy for how overbearing her sisters could be.

“Well—” Sinchach looked flustered. “I will need to discuss that with my parents—”

“Ah. So the employment would not begin until you are returned to Nengmek.”

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Now he looked confused. “But I would like for her to work as my assistant now.”

“You expect her to work without pay?”

“No?”

“What is the average pay for mage assistants?” Nuliyaa continued.

“The contract?” Tajak prompted.

“Oh! Yes!” Sinchach scrambled in his pocket, almost knocking himself from the glide-board. He pulled out a scroll. “This is the sample contract provided by the academy.” He passed it to Nuliyaa, who took the scroll and started reading. Tseetsaa crowded her shoulder.

Her eyes nearly crossed when she reached the pay scale. So much money! And it would all be hers?

Nuliyaa flicked a glance at her. “She would certainly be interested in hearing your offer once you have discussed the details with your parents.” She rolled up the contract and passed it back to Sinchach.

“Oh. Excellent.” The confusion hadn’t left his face. “But will she help me with the sigils?” He twisted to look directly at Tseetsaa again. “You will help me with the sigils, yes?”

“If she wants to and if the sigils are directly related to this job.” Nuliyaa’s eyes narrowed. “And you should share the pay we gave you with her until a contract is in place.”

Sinchach fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a worn canvas purse that Tseetsaa vaguely recognized as one Nuliyaa used to carry. He held it out to Tseetsaa.

“Is this everything my sisters paid you?” she asked, trying to push it back. He tossed it into her lap.

“I don’t need it. Please keep helping me.”

Nuliyaa flashed a self-satisfied smile at Tseetsaa and slid back to the front of the wagon.

Tseetsaa turned to Tajak, certain he was a large part of the reason why Sinchach was making this offer.

But he was looking over his shoulder. When she followed his gaze, she saw the dust. “Do you see them, Charchee Etskauu?’ he asked.

Cheeyt was looking as well. “Yes.” Her expression was grim. “I don’t think those are other travelers.”

“Bandits?” Nuliyaa asked. Her sister had paled.

“No.” Singmij’s face was grim as she pulled out her crossbow.

“We can’t outrun them,” Cheeyt said. “Stop the wagon. We have to fight them off.” She turned to Sinchach. “Ward the wagon. You three, stay inside.” That was aimed at Miyt, Nuliyaa, and Tseetsaa. Chesfi started to growl and Cheeyt stepped closer. “Protect them. Please. They are my pounce.” The Malk huffed and dipped her muzzle.

“But—” Tseetsaa looked from her sister to Sinchach and Tajak. “I can help!”

“This is different from the pirates.” Kachaark had already loaded his own crossbow, one larger than what Singmij and Cheeyt carried. The big thing from the barge that he’d called a bolt-thrower was in its box. Why didn’t he use that? “Closer.”

Sinchach passed over papers. Tseetsaa recognized the sigils for the ward. “You can maintain the ward. It might not last as long while it’s being hit.” He looked pale, too.

Tseetsaa grabbed the sigils and started laying out the sigils, slapping them against the wood of the wagon as she activated the magic so they stuck to the surfaces. She felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest.

“Going stalker,” Chesfi said. She seemed to disappear. Tseetsaa had to focus to make out her outline. “Stop looking at me!” the Malk hissed. “They’ll know I’m here.”

Nuliyaa reached behind her and grabbed something. Was that their cooking spoon?

Seven people approached on horses. Tseetsaa swallowed as the first rider lifted an axe as long as Singmij’s.

“No explosions,” Singmij was saying to Sinchach as she aimed her own crossbow. “You’ll get us as bad as you get them.”

Sinchach tossed a haughty look her way. “I passed Fight Tactics with very high marks.” But his hand trembled as he held out a sigil.

“Now,” Cheeyt said and she, Singmij, and Kachaark fired as Sinchach threw his sigil. They reloaded. Only one rider had fallen and Tseetsaa saw that one get back up.

Sincach’s sigil landed on the road, almost under the lead horses’s hooves. The paper tore and nothing happened. Sinchach cursed.

Then the attackers were on them. The crossbows were dropped as Cheeyt and Singmij reached for other weapons. Kachaark simply rammed into one of the horses, reaching up to pull the rider down.

Nuliyaa yanked Miyt further back on the wagon as a rider passed, reaching out to grab their mother. The rider’s hands bounced off the ward and the rider howled, pulling back her burned hand.

Then the wagon rocked. “Mage!” Kachaark barked. Tseetsaa could see someone standing behind the fighters, papers in hand. The wagon rocked again.

Tseetsaa crouched, ready to jump to whatever side of the wagon she was needed. “Let me hold these for you,” Miyt said, reaching out. She was pale and shaking, her lips pressed together, but she looked determined. Tseetsaa handed her the stack as Kachaark shouted. He staggered away from both his opponent and the wagon, blood dripping. The wagon rocked again as another blast from the mage hit.

Chesfi growled. Tseetsaa looked down, trying not to step on her. Another blast hit and she toppled. She scrambled, but another blast made her fall again as the sigils scattered from Miyt’s hand. Tseetsaa and Nuliyaa both reached for the papers. Another thud from the other mage sent a crack through the ward that rattled Tseetsaa’s bones. She rushed to the side and slapped another sigil to replace the one she was fairly certain had just broken.

Another sigil broke then and she threw herself across the wagon to replace it. One of the attackers reached for her and Nuliyaa darted over to whack the man’s hand with the spoon. He snarled and sliced at them with his sword. Chesfi slashed at his sword hand. He screamed. His hand looked far more shredded than what Tseetsaa would have expected from a house cat’s claws.

More of the attackers came from behind them, bringing their number up to eleven. The wagon rocked again and this time Tseetsaa felt three of the sigils snap. Cheeyt was calling orders, but Tseetsaa couldn’t understand her over the ringing in her ears.

Suddenly, Tajak was there, reaching in the wagon as Sinchach stood with his back to Tajak’s, throwing sigils that sliced at their attackers. “Come!” Tajak ordered. He lifted Miyt out of the wagon. Someone rushed the other side of the wagon as Nuliyaa jumped down next to Miyt. Tseetsaa saw the flash of Chesfi’s claws as she fended off that attacker. Tseetsaa dove out of the wagon after her mother and sister.

She landed and scrambled away toward the warded area Sinchach was setting up between throwing magic at their attackers. Tseetsaa spun to see the attacking mage throw another sigil against the back of the wagon. And then she was on the ground, blinking up at the sky. Another blink and sensations rushed in. She hurt everywhere.

The first thing she saw when she sat up was the wagon. It lay upside down, looking broken. “Chesfi!” she screamed. The Malk had still been on the wagon, going after that one attacker.

“No,” Nuliyaa moaned. She and Miyt were crouched together, the incomplete ward having given them some protection against whatever that sigil had done to the wagon.

“Crows eat you, Vonli,” one of the attackers said. “What use is the Malk if it’s damaged?”

They were there for Chesfi? How did they know about her?

The air was rent by a snarl. Then a massive, silver-furred creature shouldered out from under the wagon. “I am very tired of hurting,” Chesfi growled. Then she attacked.