I carried her through the crowds myself. I got as far as the gate before I had to pass her to Sapphire. I'd lost count of how long it had been since the abuse to my body had started. Too long to leave much strength in it. I didn't want to do it, but I couldn't carry her any longer. My arms were covered in blood and I let them drop to my sides, holding Sapphire's cold eyes with my own. He nodded gravely, accepting my burden.
They followed my lead, away, out of the courtyard. I didn't care about what lay behind me any more. Lentro and the rest could do that work. Lentro knew that he served a lie, obeyed fool's orders because of a bauble. He would fight it now; and the rest would fight it. And if they won that fight then Kukran Epthel was finished. One of them would burn him better than Dubaku had. But win or lose they would have to do it without me. I was spent. And I didn't care any more.
Outside the gate I looked around. There were people hurrying in every direction, most with an objective in mind but only a few in coordinated groups. It was chaos and I wanted none of it.
I found Meran sitting up in a two-wheeled donkey cart amongst a small sea of wounded men tended by their women. His leg was splinted. He looked pale and drawn. A broken leg will do that to you. I was ruined, he had a broken leg, Sapphire had taken a wound in the arm and Jocasta might not live. Of the four of us only Dubaku was unharmed.
I passed Meran with a nod, leaned into the cart and released the brake, then walked to the donkey and grabbing its halter, pulling steadily. It resisted me for a moment and then began to walk with us. I didn't know where we were going and said so.
“Follow me,” Dubaku said.
“Good enough,” I told him.
It took an age to get where we were going.
The warehouse was as Jocasta had described it, dusty and smelling of damp. Along the back wall there were three makeshift pallets. Spread unevenly about that corner were crates of all sizes.
“She can't stay here,” I said almost as soon as we were through the door.
“The wound is closed,” Dubaku told me. “She will take no infection.”
I was too tired to argue and after a moment Sapphire laid her down on one of the pallets and covered her in blankets.
Swaying on my feet, I watched. “They can find me, and I'm not convinced they will not try. And if they let those dogs loose…” I trailed off. I could hear them, barking wildly, pausing, barking again. Then, tired as I was, forced myself to say it. “I can't stay here. Give me a minute. I need to think.” I sat down on an empty crate, leaned back against the wall, and instantly fell asleep.