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“And you didn’t know any Ambolk,” says Elric, riding beside him with Lukas and hanging on every word, delighted.

“And Harok knew no Artemian.”

“And when he took you,” Kerik says, who also seems to be delighted by this story, “when he took you to bed for the first time? You could not speak to him.”

Tobi laughs, shaking his head and tells Harok what Kerik just said.

Harok replies in Ambolk and Tobi says, “He says he made me understand well enough.”

Elric laughs so hard that he nearly falls off the horse. Lukas grunts in mock annoyance and puts his forearm around Elric’s neck to keep him in place. Elric seems to squirm at the rough touch.

Tobi is glad he can bring some lightness to all of them on this journey.

“And I found a way to tell him what I wanted,” Tobi says gleefully. “I found a book in the library.”

“A book?” says Lukas. “You always hated books.”

“This book was like no Azurian book. It was illustrated. With images of sly lovemaking. Things I had only imagined. And things I never could have dreamed of.” Tobi feels his skin heating but he does not stop speaking. “I chose things from the book.”

Elric gasps theatrically. “Do you hear that, Silverhand? Perhaps we could take a look at this book?”

Lukas makes a scoffing sound. “You think I need a book to know how to fuck you, Lordling?”

Tobi laughs. “I will show it to you when we reach Urynwud. And you Lyr. And you Perl.” He stops looking at Jemel who is riding behind Perl today, clinging to the fae’s slender waist, still looking as pale and half-broken as he had when they took him from death at the temple. He seems so young.

But it is good to see him with them. For the first few days of the journey he rode in one of the Mortingales carts with Ferra, Umbert, Inez and Doroth.

Does Jemel like strong men? He looks like he has never been touched. As pure as a Bride of Zai. But he is so beautiful. Not the mystical, inhuman beauty Perl has, but something very real, part of this world but like some fine painting, or a perfect flower. Yes that is what he is, a flower.

Tobi wonders about Xan, the Plumian warrior they left behind in Attar. He had been so soft and gentle with Jemel. So attentive. And he had taken him from the temple and carried him through the streets of Attar.

If Jemel’s tastes are for men, surely he would want Xan to bed him. But he seemed happy for him to leave, to return to the palace and the Imperial Army.

Elric is still laughing, “Tobi Darekul, you were captured by a fearsome Ambolk warrior and you fell in love with him. Just like Gold Alyse. You should make a new performance of the story.”

“Yes, perhaps a song,” says Tobi. “A very bawdy one.”

“Talking of bawdy songs,” says Lukas, “perhaps the Lordling should sing one.”

“I only know one bawdy song,” says Elric, “and it is in Ambolk. I would not sing it in front of an Ambolk king.”

“I am sure Harok would love to hear a song in Ambolk,” Tobi says, and when he switches to Harok’s language to ask him, Harok agrees, quite bemused.

So Elric nods and starts to sing the opening lines of the famous song about a man who visits a seamstress to collect his mending.

He sees Harok lift an eyebrow. “This is one of those songs you told me of?”

Tobi nods, grinning.

By the time Elric reaches the chorus of Ar-lily Kush, most of them are singing along. Even Harok.

Tobi almost forgets they are riding to a battle they surely cannot win.

That night they make camp beside Ramriddle river.

Tobi comes up to Harok beside the fire. “The place we met is just over that hill,” he says softly. “Perhaps we should take a walk.”

Harok has Umbert sleeping on his lap. He looks very content about it. It suits him somehow, holding a child. He looks down at the babe fondly and Tobi thinks he might refuse, but he nods with a small smile and passes the child to Inez, beside him.