Nuliyaa wrapped her heavier littiichaangs tighter around her shoulders as she trudged alongside the wagon. It was much chillier here in Nengmek than she was used to at this time of year.

Even Miyt had decided to walk so she could keep herself warm. The Nengmekians in their crew, however, seemed delighted by the cold. Except Sinchach, who had muttered something about maybe a job in Keeyl not being so bad if it meant he never had to be cold again.

It was possible traveling through Nengmek was even more boring than riding the barge up the river had been. Well, the river before the pirates.

The road rolled up and down hills, slashing through greening grass. The woods around the river had thinned until they found themselves in the grasslands. Singmij had explained that everything to the right of the road was the Dragon’s territory.

“How large is the territory?” Cheeyt had asked.

“Must be a very large Dragon to have so much territory,” Tseetsaa had commented. She turned her head as Cheeyt paled, hiding a grin, and Nuliyaa had to fight her own expression to politely curious. It had been so long since they’d been able to tease their older sister together.

“Just enough territory to keep him a happy Dragon,” Singmij had replied, scowling at Tseetsaa, then Nuliyaa.

The conversation hadn’t been enough to stop the anxiety that still churned in Nuliyaa’s gut. She was sure the others felt it, too. They all seemed determined to force themselves to relax.

Sinchach had assigned Tseetsaa more sigils to learn. When she wasn’t walking, Miyt returned to her embroidery, asking Singmij as she stitched about the markets in the Nengmekian cities they would be traveling through.

Only Nuttulch and Saknuu were unusually quiet.

And every morning Nuliyaa watched them choke down the potion Sinchach made while Cheeyt pretended not to notice.

“That’s Urnik Tew post up there,” Singmij said, nodding to a smudge on the horizon. “I don’t know if anyone will be there at this time of year. Do you know the trade routes this way?” she asked Chesfi.

“No.” The Malk stood in the wagon, lifting her nose.

“What is it?” Cheeyt asked, her crossbow creaking as her hand tightened around it.

“I don’t know.” Chesfi seemed hesitant.

“Kachaark?”

The Minotaur had his nose lifted, too. He looked as bewildered as Chesfi.

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“Stop the wagon.”

Sinchach touched the sigil and did whatever it was he did to make the wagon stop.

Both Kachaark and Chesfi still focused on the area ahead that Singmij had said was the trading post. “It smells—empty,” Chesfi said, nose twitching.

Sinchach lifted his head up and sniffed. “I smell dust.”

“She means, we are not getting scents from that area, not that there are no scents at all.” Kachaark nodded at the trading post.

“Is it because no one’s there?” Nuliyaa asked.

“There should be some kind of scent.” Chesfi wove from side to side, straining to lift herself higher.

Singmij looked from the trading post to the land to their right. Then she looked at Chesfi, who said, “It is probably our best option.”

“You want to go through the Dragon’s territory?” Sinchach looked pale. Tajak didn’t look much happier.

“I would rather ask for forgiveness from the Dragon than face another fight,” Singmij said. Then she looked at Cheeyt, then Nuliyaa. “Though it is you choice.”

It was nice of her to remember she was not in charge.

“You think someone is over there,” Nuliyaa said, wanting to be clear what the issue was.

“Yes.” Though Singmij spoke, both she and Chesfi nodded.

“Why? Wouldn’t we be able to see them from here? There’s no shelter.” Now that they were stopped and Nuliyaa was focused on the area, she could just barely make out there was some type of stele on the flattened area with no other buildings or markers. “Or Kachaark and Chesfi would smell them.”

Singmij looked at Sinchach, who was digging in his pocket and paying no attention to the conversation. “Sinchach!” Cheeyt barked. The young man jumped.

“Could they be using magic to hide themselves?” Singmij asked.

“Oh, certainly.” He returned to his search.

“How’ll they know that’s Dragon territory and to stay away?” Nuttulch asked. He nodded at the rolling hills. “Seems no different than over there.”

“If they’re Nengmekian bandits, they’ll know not to go there.” Singmij’s tone was grim. “Any being that hoards is particularly vicious toward thieves.”

“And if they’re not Nengmekian bandits?” Miyt asked.

“We try to attract the Dragon’s attention and hope he is in an understanding mood.”

“What’s to stop him from eating all of us?” Cheeyt demanded, her voice almost squeaking.

“He is kinder to those who are friends of non-humans,” Chesfi said. “I will tell him you are with me.” But Chesfi’s words weren’t as reassuring as they could have been—they lacked her usual arrogance.

“If you’re wrong? If no one is there?”

“Then we return to the road.” Singmij tried a smile. “Crossing the territory shortens our travels by several days.”

Cheeyt was staring hard at the seemingly empty trading post. There must have been something that made her think Singmij was right, because she said, “I vote we cross the territory. Nuliyaa?”

Nuliyaa hadn’t been the one most opposed to traveling through the territory. “I agree.”

Cheeyt pulled out her map and called Sinchach over to her side. She conferred with Singmij while Chesfi leaned over the edge of the wagon to look at the map. Sinchach did whatever magic it was that showed directions while Cheeyt scowled at different points of the horizon. Nuttulch looked like he was considering jumping in with his opinion a couple of times, but an elbow from Saknuu kept him from speaking up.

Finally they had a route. Kachaark muscled the wagon into the new direction while Sinchach prepared it for motion again. They struck off across the grasslands.

“What if the Dragon finds us before the others reveal themselves?” Nuliyaa asked.

Chesfi settled on the edge of the wagon nearest him. “Then we will know for certain if there are others,” she said. “The Dragon will be able to see through whatever magic they have hidden themselves with.”

Then Nuliyaa hoped they would be able to convince the Dragon to ignore their trespass. She was so tired of not knowing.