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They had all traveled together, but they had planned to split up a little way ahead, with one group staying in this area, the others heading for the massive Bartolo River to check the Kassian ambush spots there, one on each side of it.

Catja passed a piece of flatbread to Deni and he broke some off, then threw the last bit to Luc.

“The group that was going to stay here obviously can’t do that anymore.” Luc rose up in his saddle and waved, and Ava realized he could see far enough ahead to hail the others. “Not with the Kassian right here. They won’t use this as their ambush spot if they know we’ve already identified it.”

They rode the rest of the way in silence.

One of the Rising Wave scouts, Oscar, had noticed an outcrop around the back of one of the hills, which had a waterfall nearby, and they urged their mounts up the gentle slope until they found a place flat enough for the tents.

“They can’t see us, but that means we can’t see them, either,” Deni said. “I don’t like them behind us.”

“Neither do I, but we have to let them think we’re just stopping for the night on our way somewhere else.”

“Are we going to try find out how many of them there are?” Varik, one of the Funabi faction of the Rising Wave, swung off his horse and began untying his tent.

“Ava and I will go later, when it’s dark.” Luc took the tent he’d brought for both of them, and set it up in quick, economical movements.

“You and Ava?” Hector, another Cervantes soldier, didn’t hide his surprise.

“Ava’s worked as a spy for General Ru.” Deni’s defence of her was edged in annoyance. “She’s proven her abilities.”

“A spy?” One of the women from the Funabi army, Talura, tilted her head. “I hadn’t heard that.”

“That’s how she and the Commander met.” Catja dropped to the ground herself. “They were imprisoned together.”

“I’ve heard the tale.” Oscar suddenly grinned. “Aren’t you one of the Venyatu’s sparring champions?”

Ava nodded, then flicked a smiling, sidelong look at her lover. “When Luc isn’t whisking me away from the fights.”

“I’ve lost some money because of that.” Deni shook his head, and started setting up his tent.

Oscar chuckled, and gave him a commiserating thump on his shoulder as he walked past.

No one said anything more, but Ava thought the mood shifted a little, became less edgy.

Because they were stopping so much earlier than they’d planned, there was still plenty of light, and Ava settled down to embroider her cloak.

She had given the thin scarves she’d worked to Deni and Catja this morning, as a gift of good luck, she’d called it, and both had seemed delighted, exclaiming over the Venyatu designs.

The two of them made up the Venyatu faction, Hector and Oscar were Cervantes and Varik and Talura were Funabi. A nice even representation of the columns.

Ava and Luc had skewed that dynamic, and she understood they needed to readjust.

At least everyone had some protection.

The stores master, Pearl, had given out the vests to the four scouts from the Rising Wave and Ava was glad to see them wearing them.

She pulled out her small sewing pouch and threaded her needle.

She had managed to fit her knitting into her saddle bag, but her first priority was to work on her cloak. She felt naked without all the protections she’d once had.

“Why are you stitching on the inside where no one can see?” Catja sat beside her and started setting up the campfire.

“I’m practicing new stitches.” Ava looked up from her work, hoping the lie sounded natural. “I don’t have the right colors, either, and all the traders say they won’t have what I’m looking for until they get to a big town. So I’m playing around where no one will see it.”

Catja peered closer. “Your practice stitches look better than anything I’ve ever seen for sale.”

Ava lifted her shoulders. “Thank you. I want it to be colorful, though. Oranges, blues, greens. Flowers, birds, leaves. The dark gray of the cloak will be a good background for it. So I’ll play around until I can buy the thread I need.”