“How are you not able to fly?” Valentin grumbled for the dozenth time. “It’s the only useful thing about you Wolves—the fact you can fly your little spaceships around.”

“I’m sure,” Tafari agreed, because it was easier. “The trouble is, some of us just aren’t very good at it. If I were a better pilot—if I were any sort of pilot—I’d be flying around up there,” he pointed at the sky, “rather than tromping through the snow down here with you.”

Valentin looked down at the slushy ground with distaste. “I would trade you out without hesitation if it meant I didn’t have to walk through this.”

“Be glad we’re not doing this any later in the year. We’d be fighting through several feet of snow.”

“At least it would be cleaner,” Valentin said with all the misguided assurance of someone who had never actually traveled overland through deep snow.

For Tafari, this kind of hunting was way too familiar.

They’d been able to drive most of the way up the mountain on a rented hovercraft that Tafari had felt no risk of crashing. These last few miles, however, the trees had gotten too thick, and they’d been forced to leave the vehicle behind and continue on foot.

The mountains rose around them on all sides. They were climbing steeply at this point. It was hard going, more of a workout than Tafari’d had for a while. Valentin, Tafari noted, wasn’t even breathing hard.

Tafari checked the gps, waiting for the map to slowly adjust from the last time he’d looked at it. Signal was weak up here. “Just a little further.”

“Good. The sooner we’re done, the sooner I can take a bath.”

Tafari had to admit, xie did look a little…wilted. Disheveled and—yes—muddy. As it turned out, though, a disheveled Valentin was still magnetic.

Or maybe Tafari had just been on his own for far too long.

“So tell me,” Valentin said as they trudged forward again. “If you’re not now and never were a pilot, what do you do? How precisely did you earn that rank you were so eager to throw in my face?”

Swans must get special training of some sort, because Valentin was a master of layering extra meaning under xer words. In this case, calling out that Tafari had been anything but eager to bring his rank into this, and Valentin had noticed.

Which made Tafari wonder just how much Valentin had already put together. Xie was sharp—almost nothing seemed to escape xer. Which made his lie—almost lie—dangerous ground. The answer to this question tricky.

Plus the extra layer of complication that Tafari didn’t actually want to talk about it. “Tell me what you think Nita Philippe has done. Or is doing.”

Valentin simply sighed. “It’s like watching a bull try to do ballet. Honestly. If you’re going to be so gauche as to insist on show-me-yours, I’ll-show-you-mine, there are more subtle ways to get there.”

“I’m not trying to be subtle.”

“Really?” Valentin asked with theatrically fake surprise. An effect somewhat ruined when xie’s foot broke through a deceptive carpet of leaves and splashed down into a mud puddle. Xie jumped back, cursing.

If there was going to be any more tromping about in the outdoors, they were going to have to find Valentin some decent boots. The soft, decorative suede xie wore was soaked through and probably ruined, even before xie had sunk ankle deep in mud.

Wet suede. That was going to be a real pain to get out of. Easier with help. Tafari could help. He could very easily imagine peeling the boots over Valentin’s lovely calves, helping xer into a steaming bath…

“Since no one taught you how to have conversations like a civilized person, I’m going to go ahead and say this bluntly, using simple words. I’ve allowed you to tag along with me because it’s possible your perspective could be valuable. Your background allows you may see things I do not. But I want that viewpoint untainted with my own suspicions. I want to know what conclusions you draw entirely on your own.”

“What background do you think I have that will be useful?”

“You’re a Wolf.” Once again, something in Valentin’s tone and inflection clearly said more. That Valentin suspected Tafari was more. “Tell me this—is it common knowledge that flyers can be tracked like you showed me?”

“No.”

Valentin didn’t say anything more, but xie’d made xer point.

Just ahead, the mountain rose at a steep angle. Almost a cliff. Fortunately their destination was close too. The dot seemed embedded in the cliff itself. A cave?

Yes. They came out of the trees into a small natural clearing, the face of the mountain rising before them, and a clear break in the rocky wall. “That’s where we’re going.”

Valentin eyed it suspiciously. “Is it safe?”

Not a question Tafari would have expected. “How would I know?”

“I mean,” xie pulled xerself back under control, “are there…I don’t know…bears? Wolves?”

Tafari was starting to wonder if Valentin had ever been outside a city before. “This close to people, AIs track any potentially dangerous wildlife. If we were close to any bears, we’d be getting all kinds of alerts. It’s fine.”

“Right then.” Back to xer cool, composed self. “Shall we—”

Valentin was cut off by the clearly recognizable roar of a flyer on approach. They both backed against the mountain wall as a ship came into view, aimed directly at them. Tafari had to put his arm over his face as fall debris whipped around the clearing as the ship settled above them, then lowered down to land.

The hatch opened and a woman stepped out, demanding, “Who the fuck are you?”