58

No one touched her, though, during the seventeen hellish days it took to reach Yesande’s citadel.

Stags had never been Jasmine’s favorite animals, and she liked them even less after riding double all day, every day, with Yesande for over two weeks. The hide wore off the inside of her thighs and her backside, and she could hardly walk for the first three days. After a week she started to saunter like John Wayne, and she was certain she’d never be able to stroll with her legs together again.

She only had one question for Yesande in the entire time. “How old are you?” she’d asked as they rode along a ridge on the third day.

Yesande had looked at her over her shoulder in inquiry. “Sixty-seven.”

Jasmine had said nothing else.

***

“We’ll find her,” Mathin promised Keilor.