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They were stopped by the Venyatux foreguard, and Dak lifted the missive that was from the Rising Wave to General Ru, and one of the guards accompanied them to the head of the column.

Dak and Massi had insisted on Luc arriving in disguise, in case an assassin lay in wait for him amongst the Venyatux. And he couldn't deny it was a possibility, not when there had been more than one assassination attempt on him from within his own column.

He had agreed, but this trip, as far as he was concerned, was more because he couldn't wait until tomorrow to learn if anyone amongst the Venyatu contingent had seen Ava.

A possible way for her to come to him would have been through Grimwalt and into Venyatu.

Given the dangers for her in Kassia, he thought it was a route she would prefer.

Someone may have seen her.

She may even—although he forced himself not to hope—be here. Among them.

The sun was low on the horizon, and the column had halted, setting up tents and lighting campfires.

The smell of cooking and the low murmurs of people talking was so similar to the Rising Wave, it felt as if they were back there.

Except for the yakkuna.

The beasts were quintessentially Venyatux, their gangly, spindly legs tucked under them as they sat, big teeth yanking at grass.

“Commander.” General Ru recognized him as soon as they dismounted, standing in front of her large tent with arms crossed.

“General.” Luc touched his forehead and bowed, and the general did the same.

“You come in disguise?”

Luc twisted his lips. “There have been a few attempts to assassinate me, and my lieutenants urged me to take precautions.”

General Ru barked out a laugh. “Ha! Yes. It is ever the same with lieutenants. What would we do without them, eh?” She gestured them toward the tent's entrance. “Let's talk.”

They stepped inside, and the general plucked the missive from Dak's hand.

“Does it have anything written on it at all?”

Luc smiled. “It does, but nothing important.”

Ru set it down and then gestured to the cushions on the floor so they could sit. “So, do I call you the Turncoat King? Or are you still Commander?”

Luc noticed Dak stiffen.

“The Turncoat King is a name our enemy has decided on for the Commander. We do not use the words of our enemy.”

Ru's eyes danced with mirth. “And yet, it has a ring to it.”

“The general is baiting you, Dak.” Luc tried to find a comfortable position on the cushion, and failed. “Let's talk about joining the columns.” Because while this lighthearted teasing from the general was all well and good, Luc could see the deeper meaning.

The general was not going to be subsumed by his own command structure.

He needed the Venyatux. There would be no victory without them. And the general knew it.

“Let's,” Ru said, giving a quick, decisive nod. “That will save time.”

“Moving forward together as a single column makes sense. It will be good for the soldiers on both sides to get to know each other. They'll need to have a sense of each other when we fight side by side.” Luc shifted and nearly slid off the cushion. “But we each command our own people, as if there are two columns, not one.”

Ru sat straight on her cushion, obviously completely at ease. “I like you, Commander. You are quick to grasp things, excellent at strategy. Agreed. We each control our own people. But we need to be clear on what each of us wants out of this war. We should think about what the best outcome is for both of us and discuss it over the next few weeks as we march toward Fernwell.”

Luc inclined his head. This was a delicate point he had been wondering how to raise. “Agreed.” He gave up on the cushion, and rose to his feet. “Have you had many people joining your column as you've crossed from Venyatu into Kassia?”