the young Goddess is possessed of a bounty of guards and handmaidens alike, many of whom have paws and mouths suited to her care and upkeep. ashait does not. no matter her fondness for the girl, cobras are not made to play nursemaid.

Ra has selected in her His protector, a Divine servant placed upon this earth that she might strike against enemies of Pharaoh. under Khonsu's light she moves unseen, with swift fangs to outmatch even a lion. now that there are many upon this island who do not travel under Ra's gaze, she must be even quicker.

she counts them- the lady's retinue, the Emperor's people, pinpoints of heat beneath the wisteria trees.

satisfied they are accounted for, she moves back through the grass, swift and certain, returning with precision to Pharaoh's camp.

hoofbeats feel like distant thunder, she has learned.

" Nakhtmin." unless there is another oryx upon this island, a possibility ashait does not wish to consider. "watch your step."