“First Dedicate Dokyi took her away for a talk,” Briar said, leaning against the wall. “In that room.” He pointed to the door.

“There’s some kind of magic going on in there, but it’s behind a wall,” Evvy offered. “We can’t even get a peek.”

“Far be it from me to try to peek at mages,” Parahan said. Then he frowned. “Is she all right?”

“Dokyi’s our friend,” Evvy told him. “He wouldn’t hurt her.”

“He’s her, I don’t know, he’s the First Dedicate of First Circle Temple,” Briar explained. “That means he’s sort of the head of all the Living Circle temples in the world. And Rosethorn is a Living Circle dedicate.”

Parahan nodded. “I understand.”

“Maybe he’s telling her that she doesn’t really have to fight the emperor,” Evvy suggested. She sighed. “I would like that.”

“Prince Parahan,” General Sayrugo called.

“Excuse me,” Parahan told them. He went to the table and bowed. “Please, General, here I am only Parahan, a soldier.”

Sayrugo looked him over. “Well, only Parahan with one hundred of Soudamini’s troops to his name, the God-King sent me a message about you.”

“But the God-King doesn’t know me,” Parahan said, unnerved.

“In all my years of service to Gyongxe, I have learned never to try to guess what the God-King does and does not know,” the general replied. “The answer to your question, he says, is yes, you have a job. You may begin here in the south. Soudamini and you are to go west with two of my captains. Move as many villagers as possible into the fortresses between here and the Temple of the Serpents on the Tom Sho River.” Evvy saw that General Sayrugo was showing the road to Parahan on a map on the table. “With those same troops you may then proceed north. You have my permission to cut down every unsanctified piece of Yanjingyi worm bait that gets between you and the capital.”

“Where does that leave us?” Evvy asked Briar in a whisper.

“Wherever Rosethorn says we go,” he replied comfortably.

Evvy wasn’t comfortable. Dokyi had plans for Rosethorn. What if they didn’t include her or Briar? And now that they were indoors, with thick walls between her and danger, she was suddenly too tired to get up. She felt as if she had been pulling rocks out from under the feet of killers for months. She had been sleeping cold at night for years. She’d been hungry again, and terrified. This was a comfortable place. The mountains sang even through the walls. Why did they have to leave? Let soldiers deal with the emperor.

They slept most of that day, and bathed, and put on clean clothes. Evvy introduced the cats to Soudamini. Parahan introduced his rough-voiced twin to the people who had been his companions on the road to Gyongxe. When Souda learned that Evvy and Briar had freed him from his shackles, she insisted on pressing her forehead to their hands, which flustered both Evvy and Briar, though for different reasons. She was fascinated by the tale of their journey and their battles along the Snow Serpent River.

Serious conversation came over that night’s supper with Dokyi, the twins, and General Sayrugo. The discussion about the imperial soldiers in the Snow Serpent Pass, and plans to get villagers to safety along the Snow Serpent River, went smoothly. Then Rosethorn began to explain her plans.

“No!” Briar cried. “This is the most bleat-brained idea you’ve ever come up with! You can’t!” He glared at Dokyi. “Find someone else. Look at her! She’s worn-out! I won’t let you do it!”

“Such an ill-behaved child,” Sayrugo commented, looking at her pakoras — ball-shaped dumplings — with a suspicious eye. The Kombanpur cooks who had come with Souda and her troops had provided the meal to welcome Parahan.

“I am not a child!” Briar snapped.

Dokyi tried, unsuccessfully, to hide a smile behind his finger. “Such a bad student, then.”

“I’m not a student, either! Exactly! I’m certified in my own right, and she can’t tell me to go or stay anymore. She has trouble breathing up here!”

“Actually, I feel better,” Rosethorn said. She took a deep breath and raised her eyebrows. “Much better.” She had eaten all that was put before her and was taking seconds.

“There are benefits to the burden I passed to you,” Dokyi said, though his eyes were on Briar. “I will not tell you my age, because I am vain. I am older than I seem, however, and stronger, due to its influence. She is healthy enough for whatever trials the land may put before her, young man. And it is not your place to question a duty for which her vows have fitted her.”

“Enough,” Rosethorn said when Briar opened his mouth again. “Not one more word, understand me?”

For a long moment there was silence and tea drinking. Then Evvy said, “My cats can’t take any more travel. Between sleeping herbs and galloping along they’re not looking so good. I am a bit tired myself.” She rubbed her thumb along the table’s edge. “Might we stay here? I could help defend this fort and the cats would be all right. It’s a mountain fort. There are rocks I can use here, big ones. Maybe Rosethorn and Briar could do more thorns and bar the road to the pass.”

“That is a splendid idea,” the general said unexpectedly.

Everyone looked at her in shock. “It is?” Rosethorn asked.

Sayrugo smiled. “I am taking troops northeast along the Drimbakang Sharlog,” she explained. “Parahan and Souda will have two companies of my people as well as their own two hundred to ride along the Snow Serpent Road going west. We all have to move villagers to safety and fight any imperials that have come so far south. But Captain Rana’s company will remain in charge here to defend the pass and the local villagers. A barrier of thorns on the pass will make Rana’s work easier. There will be no more Yanjingyi soldiers to come through that way.”