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Dak sent him a dark, forbidding look, but Luc ignored him.

“I wouldn't be informed of something like that unless my lieutenants were concerned about the individual, but I'm sure we have had some late-comers. Why do you ask?” Ru had gone still for a moment, and then rose to her feet, eyes narrowed.

Luc hesitated, then chose to go with the truth. “Because I am expecting a friend to join me, and she was coming from your direction. I'm worried about her, and was hoping she had found the safety of your column.”

Ru stared at his face for a moment and then gave a nod. “Apologies for my suspicious nature. We did have someone join our column today, and I wondered if that was who you were referring to, and how you could know about it without having a spy amongst us.”

“Who joined the column?” Dak asked.

“A warrior from Skäddar, with a message. I asked the Skäddar to watch the border with Jatan for us, and tell us what was happening between them and the Kassian. The warrior they sent with the answer has agreed to stay to meet with you tomorrow. Would you like to talk to him now?”

“We could greet him, at least, and make a time to meet tomorrow,” Dak said.

Luc knew he should be interested in this information. At least energized by the idea of the Skäddar agreeing to assist them, even just as spies, but all he could think of was he was no closer to knowing where Ava was.

“You are worried for your friend?” Ru had been watching him, Luc realized.

He nodded. “She is taking longer to reach me than I thought she would.”

“Ah, well. Perhaps she has joined us. If so, you will find out about it tomorrow, when our columns merge.” Ru walked them out of the tent and looked like she was going to join them in meeting the Skäddar, when she was approached by a lieutenant, who whispered something urgently in her ear.

“I'm afraid I have something to attend to, Commander. Senca here will take you to the Skäddar warrior, and find you a place to sleep if you wish to spend tonight with us.”

“Thank you.” Did they want to stay here overnight, Luc wondered? It was a three hour ride back to the Rising Wave, and here he could keep his eye out for Ava.

“You want to stay?” Dak asked, and he sounded resigned.

“Let's see,” Luc said, trying to fight the compulsion. He knew it made no sense, and yet, he couldn't let it go.

The guard assigned to lead them to the Skäddar warrior paused to speak to someone in low tones. When he turned back to Luc and Dak, he was grinning.

“The Skäddar warrior is this way. He's sparring with one of our best fighters and we're hoping he wins.” His smile widened as he led the way.

“Why are you hoping he defeats one of your own?” Dak asked.

“Because she's from the mountain border with Skäddar, and has been teasing us steppe-dwellers about how the highlanders are superior. It will be very good to see someone land her on her arse.”

“None of you have been able to?” Dak lifted his brows.

The guard gave a grunt. “Not yet.”

Luc could tell they were close to the sparring match. The sound of cheers and whistles started up, and ahead of them was a circle of soldiers, all looking inward.

The guard led them around the side, to where the crowd wasn't as thick.

The sun had almost completely set, so two torches had been driven into the ground to illuminate the fighting ring, and the opponents were already circling each other.

The man was obviously Skäddar. Luc had met only a few of the northern dwellers before, but they all had markings on their faces like this one.

The Venyatux highlander was much smaller than her opponent, and had her back to them.

Luc felt the air freeze in his chest and throat as he recognized her hair first—a little longer than it had been since he'd last seen her a month ago but still much shorter than everyone else's.

Ava.

She ducked as the Skäddar swung his fighting stick at her head, and the vicious, no-holds-barred move forced a sound out of the back of Luc's throat. Shock and anger seemed to deafen him, a roaring in his ears.

Ava spun, but her attention was on keeping from being struck down, and she never looked his way as she grabbed the bottom of the Skäddar's jacket, twisting it in her hand and using it as leverage as she kicked up her legs and swung herself behind him.