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here.’ Hafeezah tried to grab Jahani’s bridle, but Chandi trotted toward the shadow moving ahead.
    â€˜Azhar?’ Jahani whispered.
    â€˜The very same.’ He came closer. ‘You are mounted.’ He sounded surprised.
    â€˜We thought we should be ready,’ Hafeezah said, as if they weren’t about to abandon him.
    Azhar stood by the dying fire and sheathed his sword.
    â€˜Are you all right?’ Jahani ventured.
    â€˜All is well, do not fear.’
    â€˜I am not afraid,’ she said too quickly. Then she added, ‘I should have helped you.’
    He looked up at her with interest. ‘How?’
    â€˜By being able to use a sword.’
    â€˜But you don’t have one,’ Azhar replied.
    â€˜This is nonsense,’ Hafeezah said.
    Jahani fixed her gaze on the outline of Azhar’s head. ‘You have gold coins, you could buy me one. Then I could support you.’
    Azhar walked up to Chandi and said softly to Jahani, ‘You do not know what we are fighting.’
    â€˜And you do?’ she taunted.
    He didn’t answer that. ‘There was one man only,’ he said. ‘A scout. When he doesn’t return to his camp by dawn they will be suspicious, so we need to leave immediately. I’m glad you have the horses ready,’ he said drily to Hafeezah.
    â€˜I knew you would want me to keep the girls safe.’
    â€˜You did well, kaka.’
    Anjuli opened her eyes and looked at Azhar. Jahani could see the devotion in her gaze. First Hafeezah and now Anjuli – what was it they saw in him?
    â€˜I want to learn to fight, too,’ Anjuli said drowsily.
    Azhar smiled at her. ‘Why?’
    â€˜To seek justice for my family. I want to stay with you.’
    Jahani was shocked to hear Anjuli speak and she tightened her arms around the girl’s chest.
    Azhar glanced at Hafeezah and she inclined her head slightly. ‘You can stay with us,’ he said, laying a hand on Anjuli’s head in blessing, ‘but you will not need to fight.’
    He glanced at Jahani and she wondered if ‘not fighting’ included her.

8
    En Route to Shogrun Kingdom of Kaghan
    A s dawn broke over the mountaintops, Jahani swayed in the saddle. She fought waves of sleep as they crashed over her mind and body; she wouldn’t be able to hold on to the reins much longer.
    They had taken to riding at night and resting during the day. There was the risk of ambush at any time but, as Azhar said, it was easier to be spotted if they were travelling during the day. Though Jahani welcomed the coolness, it took longer to travel at night as the horses had to be kept to a walk because visibility was minimal. Their supplies had dwindled so Azhar often found villages to buy food, especially vegetables for Anjuli as she didn’t eat meat. He also used his bow and arrow to kill ducks and rabbits, which Hafeezah and Jahani cooked over the fire.
    So many places they had seen, albeit in the light of dawn or dusk, as the paths grew steeper. Most recently they had travelled through Balakot, another sprawling village like Mansehra, though not as big. Azhar usually kept them away from settlements, but they had needed to cross the Kunhar River and the best bridge for horses was at Balakot. Jahani remembered that it had been evening and she could hear the roaring of the river long before they had dismounted. ‘Lead the horses across,’ Azhar had instructed. Chandi took to the crossing easily, even though the bridge was made of planks of wood.
    Now three weeks had passed since they’d left Sherwan and they steadily climbed into the foothills of the Hemalleh Mountains. Hafeezah had said the Qurraqorams were much higher in her childhood home of Hahayul. Jahani wondered if Hafeezah would return there when they arrived in Kaghan, and she felt a pang in her heart. She was enjoying the travel and was used to riding now, but she wondered what would happen at their