Their small company broke their fast in short order. Sadia’s eyebrows climbed towards the pale morning sky when the girl spotted the fresh bloodstains on Oak’s clothes as they gathered around the remains of the campfire. The girl did not say a word. Her puffy eyes gave away why she wasn’t interested in talking.

  Sadia had cried in her sleep.

  The questions would come later, Oak was sure of it. The little spellsinger was nothing if not curious.

  By the time the sun had fully climbed over the hills in the East, they had been walking along the old road snaking through the woods for a good while. The rucksack on Oak’s back felt light. In other circumstances, that could have been a positive development, but right now, it presented a slight problem. They did not have enough food to reach the next settlement. Tomorrow he would have to wake before the sun.

  Hunting for game was best done before dawn.

  “Hey, Sadia?” Oak asked.

  “Yes?”

  “Have you ever gone hunting?”

  The girl pursed her thin lips. “No, and I have no desire to do so,” she said. “Why do you ask?”

  “No reason, just making conversation,” Oak replied. There was no need to hide his growing grin since Sadia walked behind him and could not see it. “Few opportunities for it in the city, I guess? What city did you grow up in, again?”

  “The coastal city of Hafa,” Sadia said with some clear pride in her voice. “The second largest city in the entire Caliphate, in fact. And no, the only thing worth hunting would have been the rats.”

  “Rats make for a fine meal when properly prepared,” Ur-Namma said, interjecting himself in the conversation. “A fat rat roasted on an open flame and seasoned appropriately is a delicacy.”

  Oak stopped in his tracks and turned around to stare at the old elf, once again utterly flabbergasted by the words coming out of his mouth. Sadia’s expression of disgust would have made for a funny painting if an artist had been there to capture it.

  Ur-Namma grinned and showed his sharp teeth. “Their tiny bones crunch so sweetly when you take a bite.” The elf sighed wishfully and licked his lips. “The palace cook used to make some for me every time I returned from a campaign.”

  “I…I don’t even know what to say.” Sadia shuddered. “That is so disgusting.”

  Geezer trotted into view from amidst the trees with a gigantic mouse between his jaws and a doggy smile on his face. Sadia lost a bit of color from her cheeks and hid behind Ur-Namma’s thin frame. The skittishness wouldn’t do her any good, but Oak allowed it, for now. In any case, she would have to get used to the hellhound before they reached the next town, or it could become an issue.

  He did not want to draw unneeded attention towards Geezer’s demonic nature, and it would not help matters if the girl screamed every time the two ran into each other.

  The dog brought over his prize and Oak scratched the proud hunter behind the ears, just the way he liked it. Geezer wagged his tail, enjoying the praise.

  “Unlike Geezer here, I have to concur with the lady on this one,” Oak said. “Why on earth would someone of your status eat vermin by choice?”

  “Please, Northerner. You wouldn’t recognise fine dining even if a plate of it smashed you in the face and cracked that thick skull of yours,” Ur-Namma replied. “I would sooner die than accept culinary advice from the likes of you.”

  Sadia giggled nervously, eyes flipping between the two of them. The girl probably thought he might knock the elf unconscious for such comments. Based on his own conduct thus far, Oak could not blame the girl. It’s hard to trust someone to be reasonable when they have a penchant for punching people in the face, and when they mysteriously get covered in blood during the night while you are asleep.

  Not his best showing, but not his worst either. Not by a long shot.

  “At least your insults are still as sophisticated as ever, knife-ear,” Oak said. “Otherwise, I might have feared something nefarious, but low-class, had replaced you during the night while we slept.”

  “Ugh, the horror. Now, I am going to have nightmares about some serf living my life as if they were me, gallivanting around and destroying any remaining legacy I might possess.”

  “No need to thank me.”

  Ur-Namma snorted in an undignified manner. A comfortable silence descended, and the four of them soldiered on in the heat, leaving a tiny dust cloud behind them. If this was spring, Oak had no intention of facing the wrath of summer in these parts of the continent. The sun had dried and cracked even the old dirt road, leaving fissures and clefts on the parched ground.

  At least the woods are not as thick as they had been the day before. The increased visibility does wonders to make their embrace less suffocating.

  Sadia broke the silence with a question: “Um, so where are we headed to, exactly?”

  Oak looked at Ur-Namma and lifted an eyebrow. The ancient elf gave a tiny nod.

  “First, Kesh. Then Chadash Merkavah.”

  ***

  “Time to wake up, sleepyhead,” Oak whispered. He nudged Sadia’s side with a boot. “We are going hunting.”

  The spellsinger sprang onto all fours and hissed like a startled cat, a spell on her lips and red lightning crawling down her left arm.

  “By the Chariot, girl.” Oak said and took a step back. “No need to fry me.”

  Sadia blinked and looked around the campsite. The sun had not yet risen and thick clouds hid away the moon and the stars. It was about as dark as it could get in spring in this part of the world. The only light came from their dwindling campfire, which threw the occasional spark into the air. Ur-Namma sat next to the fire, hiding inside his large cloak. Only the elf’s eyes were visible, but the twinkle of mirth was unmistakable.

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  “What?” Sadia asked and ended her spell. The red lightning crawling down her right arm disappeared, leaving smoking spots on her robes.

  “We are going hunting,” Oak replied. “Food supplies are running low, and as far as I know, even spellsingers have to eat, yes?”

  “But…but why do I have to go?” Sadia asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “Can’t you take the hellhound?”

  “Oh, he's coming too.”

  Sadia swallowed. “What about him?” The girl pointed a finger at Ur-Namma. “Surely he knows much more about hunting than I do.”

  “Are you a geriatric cripple?” Oak asked.

  “Um. No?”

  “Well, he is. There you have it.”

  Ur-Namma clicked his teeth together in annoyance. “I am staying behind to preserve my strength for the road. And I need to sort out my sanctum. Some housecleaning is in order.”

  “You are a theurgist?” Sadia asked. The sleepy look of confusion in the girl's eyes vanished and a spark of excitement replaced it.

  “We both are,” Oak replied in the elf’s place. Ur-Namma had already closed his eyes and left this world behind.

  A huge yawn escaped from Sadia’s mouth and the girl stretched her thin frame towards the heavens. She closed her jaw with a click and shook herself, just like a cat. It was uncanny how much the girl sometimes resembled a feline trapped inside a human body.

  It is decided. When we get to Chadash Merkavah, I am getting her a kitten. Destiny requires it.

  “You have to teach me!” Sadia demanded. “I only know the basics of theurgy.”

  “I’m sure we can give you some pointers, but I would caution you against undue excitement.” Oak slung the quiver over his shoulder, next to his backpack, and started walking out of the campsite, bow in hand. Sadia stumbled after him, having no choice but to follow.

  “Why?”

  “Because a person can only focus on so many things. You are a spellsinger,” Oak replied. He let out a low whistle and scanned the treeline for any sign of Geezer. “As I understand it, learning magic is a tremendous undertaking. Mastering it is a feat worthy of legend. In a contest of ghosts and memories under the glimmering waves of the Waking Dream, a dedicated theurgist will always triumph over you.”

  Sadia blew air through her nose. “Spoilsport.”

  “There is a reason archmages tend to go into battle with a cadre of veteran spooks to protect them. None of us can conquer all facets of Creation.”

  Red eyes peered at Oak from the darkness between the trees. The hellhound’s tail wagged against the trunks, producing a rhythmic thumping sound.

  “There you are,” he said and waved Geezer over. “Let’s go.”

  He could tell Sadia had noticed the hellhound by the now familiar squeak of fear. Oak sighed. At least she did not scream this time. We’ll call it progress.

  ***

  The forest had thinned as they had traveled north along the old road during the day. The underbrush was thicker in places, but Oak still found it easier to traverse than before. They had been walking for some time now, and Sadia looked tired. The girl panted for breath and sweat glistened on her forehead.

  It was clear as day that the girl had no real experience with the outdoors. She stepped on twigs, stumbled over every root on her path, and made such a racket that any animal in a five-mile radius was sure to hear their approach.

  Traversing through the woods was hard work, even when you were used to it. It must have felt all the more galling from her point of view that Oak was not winded in the least.

  I can’t take all the credit for that. After all, I’m cheating. Status.

  His new and improved Boon of Demonic Constitution kept his heart rate steady. Oak felt like he could run a hundred miles without stopping. Which made any comparison between him and Sadia dubious at best. Of course, the girl did not know this, and her disbelieving glances threatened to push him over the edge into full on laughter.

  Being a Warlock is such a treat.

  Geezer stopped to sniff the ground, and Oak kneeled next to the hellhound. Thanks to his Darkvision, he could barely discern a set of hoofprints in the dirt. Finally. Something they could follow, and hopefully pierce with an arrow.

  The girl tapped Oak on the shoulder.

  “What now?”

  “I have an idea,” Sadia said. “I could–”

  “Please, keep your voice down,” Oak whispered. “We want to kill the deer, not frighten it away.”

  “Fine, I will,” Sadia whispered back, cringing at his reprimand. “It’s just, I could camouflage the three of us.”

  “Camouflage?”

  “Make it so we would be hard to see,” Sadia replied. “It might help with the hunt?”

  I figure we are going to need all the help we can get. Oak shrugged. “Sure, go for it. It can’t hurt.”

  Sadia stood up to her full height and spread her hands. “Keep still, both of you.” The girl chanted under her breath in the Muttalib tongue and brought her soul to bear. She did not make sweeping movements or flail her hands around. Instead, her fingers twitched minutely, as if she was strumming the strings of an invisible harp.

  Slowly, Creation bent to her will and something settled on Oak’s skin and the surface of his clothes. The spell worked on Sadia herself as well, and the girl as good as vanished from sight in front of his eyes. She waved her hand and Oak watched in amazement. Every part of Sadia blended seamlessly into the sparse forest around her, as if she had turned her body into grass and bark.

  “Huh. Well, I’ll be,” Oak said. “This is going to be useful.”

  “Thank you. It took a long time to learn this spell,” Sadia said, voice filled with pride.

  “What did the words you chanted mean?”

  “I can give you a rough translation,” Sadia said.

  “Grass, bush and stalk. I borrow from thee.

  Earth, soil and bark. I steal from thee.

  Color wavers, sunlight shivers.

  Green, brown and muted gray. I take you as I may.”

  The girl flicked her hair away from her face and preened like a bird. Or maybe she just swiped a tree branch from her face. Oak could not tell for sure. The spell was bloody nifty. He nodded at Sadia. Then he realized the girl might not have seen his gesture and grunted for good measure.

  Right.

  Oak looked at where he thought Geezer stood, and said, “Let’s find this deer.”

  “It’s an antelope.”

  “A deer is a deer, sweetheart.”

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