"You know where the cart is," Gruk said. "You know where each other are. You know nothing else."
"What are we guarding it from?" Ash asked.
"Whatever comes."
"From where?"
"That's the exercise."
Ash, who was young and fast and clever, opened his mouth again. Harla, beside him, set a heavy gnoll paw on his shoulder, and Ash closed it.
Satou watched from the wall.
He had come for an answer, not a show. But Gruk had looked at him when he walked into the yard and said stand there in a tone that did not welcome follow-up questions, so he stood there.
Vessa's people went in at the second bell of the exercise.
Eight serpentfolk, from eight directions chosen by a dice roll Gruk had made that morning and shown to nobody, crossing the frozen yard on bellies that made no more sound than a hand drawn across silk.
The cohort had ears, and used them.
