Zandrue’s head hurt. Too much drink. Too much bloody drink. She sat up and the room spun around her, so she lay back down and closed her eyes again. Sleep would be very nice right about now, but alas, there was too much work to do. She opened one eye experimentally. The room was still spinning—or maybe her vision was just blurred. Yes, that was more likely. She opened her other eye, gathered her strength of will, and sat up again. Her head throbbed.

Rudiger stirred beside her, reaching for her waist. “Wh-where are you going?”

“Work to do.” Zandrue gently took his hands off her and slid out of the bed. She gathered up her clothes which lay scattered about the room and quickly dressed. She glanced back at Rudiger. He’d fallen back asleep again, and she felt a bit envious. He looked so peaceful, while she had to endure this horrendous headache.

With a sigh, she belted her sword to her waist and slung her pack over her shoulder. She glanced at her quiver of arrows and unstrung bow sitting in the corner of the room, but decided that she likely wouldn’t need them, so she could leave them behind. She reached for the door handle, but hesitated, looking back at Rudiger instead.

She’d let herself get far too close to him. It wasn’t the sex. She would have slept with him within a few days of meeting him if he’d let her, having done so often enough with others: Cerus, Drummor, the list went on.

When it came down to it, people were creatures of habit and instinct. They were capable of thought, capable of overriding their habits when necessary, but the vast majority of the time, they just did whatever came naturally to them. Zandrue was certainly no exception. Her habits had been guided, programmed. She had tried to escape them, but she was slave to them nonetheless.

“The single, greatest weapon you possess is not a sword or an axe. It is not a bow or spear or dagger. It is nothing with a blade or point, nor anything manufactured. Your greatest weapon is nothing other than your body. For nothing else you possess is so versatile. Be it for pounding your enemy with your fists or feet, or holding him in place. Be it for seducing him with your sex, or outwitting him with your mind, nothing—absolutely nothing—will ever be a superior weapon than what you were born possessing.”

Habit. All just habit.

Except Rudiger.

If only she could just lump Rudiger in with everything else. But she couldn’t. He had to bloody well be different, the bastard! He dared to lie there on that bed, tall, muscular, handsome, and playing with her feelings without even knowing he was doing it. In the past, she’d avoided anything like this happening by simply not spending enough time around any man she felt close to. With Rudiger, she’d spent far too much time around him, far too much time getting to know him, and now all she wanted to do was climb back in that bed with him and lie there in his arms forever.

Gods, what would her mother think? Horror. Sheer horror and revulsion. She would go on about unhealthy fetishes and blame Zandrue’s father for insisting on putting her in the arcraime in the first place. As for her father himself...well, her father had other reasons to want her dead. Falling in love with Rudiger would make little impact when mixed with everything else.

With a shake of her head and a groan from the resulting pain, Zandrue reached for the door handle again and headed out.

Getting in to see the people she wanted to see wasn’t difficult. Getavin hadn’t changed much since she’d last been here. None of the hideouts had moved, and none of the people had changed.

A girl wearing nothing more than a transparent shift offered her some wine. Zandrue took the crystal goblet from the tray and gave the girl a small smile. “Thank you.”

The girl curtsied and slid off, closing the door behind her.

Zandrue pretended to admire the goblet and then took a sip of the wine.

“A fine vintage, isn’t it?” her hostess said. “From the Orwin vineyards by the Bay of Ras, twenty-three oh nine. A magnificent year.”

Zandrue looked over at Luana, spread out on her chaise longue with its red velvet cushions, and also sipping from a crystal goblet. Despite her advancing age, the woman was still undeniably majestic, and she flaunted it, too, in her slinky silk gown that tightly hugged her voluptuous figure. The Ninifin-style tattoos on her shoulder looked out of place on her pale, not-even-tanned Folith skin.

“You start them very young,” Zandrue commented.

Luana looked momentarily surprised. “Oh, you mean Alusha there. It keeps them off the streets.”

“She looks barely sixteen,” Zandrue said.

Luana shrugged. “I offer the girls a haven from a far worse life. It’s either here or death on the streets—or worse, Ninifin.”

“I didn’t think things were so bad here in Getavin. People here seem happy. Even the poor ones.”

Luana nodded. “Oh they are, for the most part. But nowhere is a perfect paradise, Sonna.”

“Zandrue.”

“Of course, my apologies. I deal with people changing their names all the time. I should know better.” She took a sip of her wine. “But as I was saying, nowhere is a paradise. There are always a few unfortunates. I offer them a life away from that. Here, they need only pleasure a few horny men, and in return make more money than they ever thought possible. Alusha, I’m quite sure, is far richer than you are, Zandrue. Far richer than you ever will be, I’d hazard a guess.”

Zandrue shrugged, thinking of her own lost childhood. Her career had started the day she’d learned to walk. “There are pleasures other than money.”

Luana smiled. “On that, my dear, we can agree. However, money is a nice pleasure, too.” She gestured to the room around them, to the rich paintings on the gilded walls, and the statuary in the corners, to the giant chandelier hanging from the ceiling above. The room would not have been out of place in the Royal Palace. “Now, tell me, what brings you back to Getavin? Not to take up my offer of employment, I suspect.”

“Not this time,” Zandrue said with a forced smile, her hangover flaring up again. “What brings me here is a bit of a long story. However, now I’m here, I wouldn’t mind a little information.”

“Now, now, Zandrue,” Luana said. “You know as well as I do that information doesn’t come free. What sort of information were you looking for?”

“Darkers,” Zandrue said, placing her goblet down on the table in front of her and leaning back in her cushioned chair. “A little bit about Ninifin would be nice, too.”

Luana smirked. “That sort of information doesn’t come cheaply either, dear. What can you offer me in return?”

“Secrets,” Zandrue answered, rubbing her temples.

“What sort of secrets?”

“Royal ones.”

Luana laughed. “Come now, Zandrue, do you expect me to believe you’ve ferreted out any royal secrets that I wouldn’t already know?”

Zandrue looked at her with a straight and serious face. “Of course. You, of all people, should know that people can be made to talk in bed. Even princes.”

Luana’s eyes widened and she smiled.

“Your establishment may cater to the nobles of Nallin, Luana,” Zandrue said, “but I’ve catered to the nobles of Arnor.”

Luana chuckled and took a sip of her wine. “You have grown, Zandrue, my dear. Perhaps we can reach an arrangement.”

* * * * *

Rain was falling and the wind was blowing heavily as they made their way along the trail. The tops of the trees swayed back and forth, adding cascading leaves to the falling water. Up ahead of them, their guide, Ervin, trudged through the rapidly expanding mud, only occasionally looking back to see if they were still following him. Numerous times, Rudiger wondered if they just stopped and turned around, would the boy even notice?

Zandrue had found the boy through one of her contacts, someone named Luana. He was leading them to a group of people that could supposedly help them get into Ninifin.

Tell me why we’re doing this again, Borisin complained.

“You want to go back to the stables in Getavin?”

Hell, no. In protest, Borisin kicked at the ground.

Rudiger didn’t bother wiping the splashed mud away. The rain would wash it away soon enough. Besides, he was already drenched and muddy. A little more hardly made any difference. “Well, if that’s how you feel.” He let go of the reins and rushed forward as quickly as he could to where Zandrue was leading Lucinda. Borisin only snorted in response.

“Blasted weather,” Zandrue commented.

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“Tell me why we’re doing this again,” Rudiger said.

I heard that! Borisin yelled. Rudiger ignored him.

“You want to get into Ninifin, don’t you?” Zandrue replied.

Rudiger shrugged. “Yeah, but I didn’t expect to be joining some sort of resistance group. I figured we’d sneak in.”

“It’s always good to have allies, Rudiger.”

“I suppose, but are you sure we can trust this Luana woman?”

“Maybe. I certainly trust her more than I do the Darker who told us the Dusk Supreme was shipping things to Ninifin. And we trusted him enough to rush off there.”

“Hurry!” their guide called back. “We’re almost there!”

The trail began to widen out and soon opened into a large clearing. With the parting of trees, the real strength of the wind and rain came bearing down, and Rudiger almost slipped. Zandrue grabbed his arm to help steady him. “Careful.”

“Thanks,” Rudiger mumbled. He looked away so she couldn’t see his embarrassment.

There were several people in the clearing. Most were loading barrels and boxes into a covered wagon. Others held loaded crossbows aimed at the group coming out of the woods.

“Eleuia!” Ervin called, dashing across the clearing. The crossbow holders lowered their weapons and went back to their watches. “Eleuia! This is them!”

A woman broke away from the group loading boxes and met with the boy. She spoke briefly to him before crossing the clearing to Rudiger, Zandrue, and Jorvan. She was not a big woman, but she was athletic and muscular. Her short, black hair glistened in the rain, in contrast to her copper skin and dark eyes. She wore a sleeveless leather jerkin and coarse pants. One arm had a tattoo that looked something like a snake with wings, although it was in that abstract, blocky style he had seen on people in Getavin, so it was difficult to know what it was supposed to represent. Her other arm had a smaller tattoo near her shoulder of a some sort of cat. A jaguar, maybe? A slim sword hung from her belt.

Zandrue held out her hand to the woman. “Zandromeda Armida.” When the woman just glared, her heavy eyelids narrow, Zandrue turned to Rudiger and Jorvan. “This is Rudiger Fonivan and Jorvanultumn. You’re Eleuia, I take it.”

The woman shrugged. “That’s what they’re calling me these days. My real name’s Ses-Izel. Somebody started the Eleuia thing as a joke, but now, disturbingly, some people have actually come to believe I’m the reincarnation of Eleuia. I don’t like it, but I put up with it. What I like even less, however, are last minute arrangements. I don’t know what Luana’s thinking, sending you out here. I smuggle people and goods out of Ninifin, not in.”

“Yes, but surely if you can get them out, you can get them back in,” Zandrue said.

“That depends.” Eleuia crossed her arms. “Look, I’ll do this, but only because Luana is a major source of funding. I can’t risk offending her. I don’t do this for any of you, got it?”

“As you say,” Zandrue said.

“Once you’re on the other side, our association is at an end until it’s time to get you back out again. I don’t know why you’d want to do something so stupid as go into Ninifin—with an Isyar—and I don’t want to know. My people will have nothing to do with it. Got it?”

Zandrue nodded. “Got it. Luana’s given us some names to make contact with.”

“Yeah, they’re not going to like it either.” Eleuia turned and strode towards the wagon. “Follow me.”

“So, how do we get over the wall?” Rudiger asked.

Eleuia reached down, picked up a box, and held it out to him. “First, you make yourself useful.”

Rudiger chuckled, and took the box.

“Something funny?” she asked.

Rudiger shook his head briskly. “No.” He handed the box to the man standing in the wagon.

Jorvan reached for a box, but Eleuia placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve never met an Isyar before, so I might be way off, but you don’t look well.”

“The weather here is too warm,” Jorvan replied.

“Do you have any idea what the Ninifins will do to you if they catch you?”

“He knows,” Zandrue said. “I’ll see to it that he’s fine.”

Eleuia shrugged and let go of Jorvan. “Suit yourself.”

Rudiger placed his hands on either side of a barrel and heaved. It was difficult to get a good grip on the wet wood, especially with the weight. “What have you got in these things, anyway?” He placed it on its side on the floor of the wagon, where the young man simply rolled it back into place.

“In the barrels,” Eleuia said, “coffee beans. In the boxes, various assorted artwork.”

“What sort of artwork?” Rudiger asked.

Eleuia shrugged. “I only just got the shipment. Haven’t looked at it yet. Ervin! Get the horses ready. The rest of you load up. Speaking of horses...” She looked over to where Lucinda and Borisin were grazing.

“What about them?” Rudiger asked. He knew what she would answer though. Zandrue had said that Luana had brought up the same concerns.

Eleuia’s eyes narrowed. “Why the hell did you bring them? Surely Luana told you to bring only what you can carry. That includes animals.”

Borisin looked up, chewing slowly on the muddy grass in his mouth.

Zandrue stepped between Rudiger and Eleuia. “The horses come with us.”

Eleuia raised her eyebrows and laughed. “No, they don’t. Not unless you can carry them or they’re capable of climbing the wall themselves.”

“This isn’t a matter for negotiation,” Zandrue said.

“Damn right, it’s not! They’re not coming and that’s that.” Eleuia turned away from them and walked over to where Ervin was tending the wagon’s horses. “Ervin, hitch those three horses up. We’ll take them back to Getavin.”

“Now, wait a minute!” Rudiger marched up and grabbed Ervin before the boy could reach the horses. He glared at Eleuia. “I’m not leaving Borisin behind.”

The boy struggled in his grasp. “Let me go!”

Eleuia didn’t flinch. “Consider them payment for our services.” She crossed her arms and returned his gaze equally.

Zandrue approached and placed a hand on Eleuia’s shoulder. “Look, at the very least, the stallion has to go over the wall. He’s very important. Luana said it could be done.”

Eleuia slipped away from Zandrue’s touch. “And what the hell does Luana know? Just because she gives us money makes her think she knows what goes on out here? She’s never been within a mile of the wall! She takes in any pretty young girls we bring over, but other than that, she has no idea what it’s like. No idea what those refugees have been through! No idea what I and my people have been through. Her sending you to me now is proof enough of that. If you want over the wall, the horses stay. I don’t have the means to get them over too. Now, let Ervin go, or I end this deal right now.”

Zandrue lowered her face and sighed.

“Zandrue!” Rudiger protested.

“Let him go,” Eleuia said.

“Let me go!” the boy echoed.

Rudiger pushed the boy aside. “Fine, we’ll find another way past the wall.”

Ervin climbed to his feet, brushing mud from his face and eyes. He glared briefly at Rudiger before trudging across the grass towards the horses.

Eleuia shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Across the clearing, Borisin whinnied loudly. The stallion was rearing and Ervin was lying flat on his back, dangerously close to Borisin’s dangling feet.

“Damn it!” Eleuia swore. “Manik! Ses-Abet! Help Ervin!”

“Borisin, that’s enough!” Rudiger yelled.

With a snort, Borisin lowered his front feet to the ground and backed up. Ervin crawled across the grass until two men from the wagon reached him and helped him to his feet.

Eleuia pointed a finger at Rudiger. “You keep that horse of yours under control until we’re out of here.” She wheeled around and climbed into the driver’s seat of the wagon. “Have a nice trip. Don’t blame me when they catch you and kill you.”

Rudiger looked away, not wanting anything more to do with this discussion. He looked over at Borisin who was now just standing idly in the clearing looking back at him. Lucinda stood next to the roan, and Jorvan’s mare was wandering a short distance away. Stupid woman! They didn’t need her help anyway. They could do it alone. As Jorvan’s horse reached down and began pulling at some roots, Rudiger sighed. The worst part of the situation was, he completely understood Eleuia’s reaction.

“Look,” Zandrue said, “can you at least give us some advice or suggestions?”

“Yeah,” Eleuia replied. “Don’t go to Ninifin.”

“I wish that were an option,” Zandrue said.

You look awful, Borisin said.

“No worse than you,” Rudiger replied.

Nah, I look good in the rain. As for you...

“Huh! You wish!”

“What’s he doing?” Eleuia asked.

“Oh that,” Zandrue replied. “He’s…well…he’s talking to his horse. They do that sometimes. Borisin talks to Rudiger in his head. That’s kind of why we can’t leave him behind.”

“Okay, now I know you’re all crazy,” Eleuia said.

She doesn’t believe.

“Few do, buddy,” Rudiger said. “Few do.”

Borisin shook his head and then looked past Rudiger, staring at something.

“What?” Rudiger asked. “What is it?” He turned to look.

Zandrue and Jorvan backed away from the wagon, as Eleuia took the reins.

“Look,” Eleuia said, “I don’t bear you any ill will, but there’s nothing I can do for you. I don’t have the equipment to get a horse over the wall. A few barrels and boxes is the best I can manage. Even those I can only do a couple at a time. I suppose you could try bluffing your way through the gate if you really insist on taking the horse, but the chances of you pulling that off are slim, at best. Sorry I couldn’t be of more...” She turned her head and looked out across the field at Borisin. “...help. I...”

Rudiger looked back at Borisin, who was just standing there. The horse turned his head slightly to meet Rudiger’s gaze.

What’s going on? Rudiger asked.

“Of course...I suppose, maybe,” Eleuia stuttered. “With better equipment...Even then, it would...it would take...too...long.”

What are you doing? Rudiger said.

Who, me? Borisin replied.

“That might work, I guess,” Eleuia said. “It would take a lot of planning...a lot of time. Yeah, I could do that instead. It’ll take time, too. But it wouldn’t be difficult.”

“You did something!” Rudiger said. Borisin turned around and began grazing. “You did something!”

“What did he do?” Zandrue asked, coming up beside Rudiger.

Rudiger shrugged. “He won’t say.”

“Ervin,” Eleuia said, “take the wagon back to Getavin. Manik, Ses-Abet, come with me. I, uh, guess we’re going back to the wall, after all.”

“Why do you change your mind?” Jorvan asked.

“He spoke to me.”

Rudiger turned around and stared in surprise at Eleuia as she climbed down from the driver’s seat. “That’s impossible.”

“Why impossible?” Jorvan asked. “He speaks to you.”

“Yeah, well, he’s only ever spoken to me. I always assumed that there was some special connection between the two of us, that he couldn’t speak to anyone else.”

“He spoke to me.” Eleuia was staring across the clearing at Borisin, her gaze unwavering.

“He never speaks to anybody else,” Rudiger said.

Says you.

“Interesting,” Jorvan said.

“I...I can’t get the horses across now,” Eleuia said, still staring at Borisin. “However, there’s a way I can maybe do it later. It’ll be a few months though. I’ll...uh...I’ll look after them until then.”

Borisin snorted. We’ll see about that. More likely I’ll look after her.

Rudiger stared at his horse. In all the time he’d had Borisin, the horse had never done anything like this. Rudiger hadn’t even known it was possible. How much more was Borisin holding out on him?