Night had fallen. In the sprawling camp of Prince Chris's Army, tightly packed tents stood in a grid, their bright lights casting bronze-mirror reflections across the muddy ground.
Fine rain, thin as hairs, gathered into beaded curtains along the pointed tent roofs. Interwoven with the glow of oil lamps, it formed flowing ribbons of light that projected broken silhouettes of the sea-whale flags over the prisoner area onto the mud, like a giant beast twitching after being nailed down.
Wrapped in a green rain cape, Mia sat in the saddle on the back of Aisha, the big white pig, her head raised as she haughtily inspected the tents on either side of the straight road.
Every so often, she kicked Aisha's round belly, and Aisha took the hint, carrying Mia into the nearest tent.
Behind her followed two attendants with their hands resting on the long sabers at their waists. Clad in black infantry armor, covered from head to toe in overlapping plates, they resembled two divine statues. Their presence ensured that wherever Mia went and whatever she did, others could only swallow their anger.
Just as they did now. When Aisha darted into another tent with its entrance flap open, the five dejected prisoners sitting inside were immediately startled.
"What are you eating?"
Mia asked bluntly, her tone decidedly rude.
The five exchanged glances, then looked at the two iron statues following behind Aisha's rump. Unanimously deciding to put up with it, one of them pointed at the iron pot they sat around.
"We... we're eating... ah!?"
Before he could finish, Mia swung herself off Aisha's back and walked straight over to the pot.
Ignoring everyone else's strange looks, she took a spoon and a large bowl from the saddlebag against the belly of Aisha, who had nudged her