Caithe shook her head, eyes closing to consult the map in her mind. "The sanctum is beyond the ridge, but we will not have to climb. There's a defile that cuts through, just ahead."

Rytlock stomped up beside them. "A defile? Oh, perfect!" He shot a look at Logan. "Any jacka.s.s could send a rockslide down on top of us."

"It's the only way," Caithe insisted.

Rytlock stared at the ridge. "I don't like it."

"You don't have to," Eir said.

The companions marched onward toward the defile, but an hour later, it looked no closer. The ridge only grew taller, the walls of the crevice only steeper. Four hours later, they stood at the entrance to the narrow canyon.

Eir stared at the cleft ahead, then flashed a sharp look at her comrades. "Well, here we go."

She marched up the loose scree at the ridge's base and headed into the defile, followed by the rest of the companions. Somehow, the heat of the plains was all the more intense within. The sun baked one wall of stone, which turned the cleft into an oven.

"Wow, it's hot," Eir said, her voice echoing from the walls. Those two asura are like chestnuts in an oven. Those two asura are like chestnuts in an oven.

"Very compa.s.sionate," Snaff replied tersely.

"Did I say that out loud?"

"Must have. I heard it out loud," Snaff said. Your brain's so close to the sun, it's probably getting baked. Your brain's so close to the sun, it's probably getting baked.

"It's hot enough, we don't need to be sniping at each other," Eir replied. And don't even start making tall jokes. You don't know how many short jokes I've suppressed. And don't even start making tall jokes. You don't know how many short jokes I've suppressed.

Short jokes! Oh, yes, you're above us all, aren't you, Miss t.i.tan?

Leave her alone, Zojja put in. Zojja put in. You can't stand having someone else in charge of you. You can't stand having someone else in charge of you.

"Would all of you just shut it!" Rytlock snarled.

"That's just the thing," Eir said. "We haven't been talking."

"Oh, you haven't?" the charr roared. "News to me." You never stop talking. All these soft races, all they do is talk talk talk-talk you to death. You never stop talking. All these soft races, all they do is talk talk talk-talk you to death.

"Soft races?" Logan spat. What about short races-Runtlock and the striplings? What about short races-Runtlock and the striplings?

I'm twice your height now.

Yeah, and four times my weight, Gruntlock.

Gruntlock!

"Don't you see what's happening here?" Eir asked.

Oh, I'm sure you're about to tell us.

She knows everything.

Yes, quiet everyone! Let's listen to the mighty norn.

"We're hearing each other's thoughts," Eir said.

Brilliant!

Thanks for explaining the obvious.

"The things we would never say to each other are coming right out."

"Well, maybe they should should come out," Rytlock growled. "I gave this guy a Blood Legion pendant, and he's calling me come out," Rytlock growled. "I gave this guy a Blood Legion pendant, and he's calling me Gruntlock. Gruntlock."

Logan replied, "It was a private thought. And I wouldn't even have thought it if you hadn't called us soft."

"I was talking about how you people won't shut up!" Rytlock roared.

"It's not a matter of shutting up. You're reading our thoughts!"

"Well, then, stop thinking!"

Easy for a charr.

"What kind of a place is this?" Caithe wondered.

It's the kind of place we have to get through, Eir responded, Eir responded, which will be much easier if we all take Rytlock's advice and stop thinking. which will be much easier if we all take Rytlock's advice and stop thinking.

How do you stop thinking? wondered Snaff and Zojja simultaneously.

You haven't heard a thought from me in a long while, Rytlock put in. Rytlock put in. Do what I do. Do what I do.

Grunting keeps you from thinking? Logan thought. When Rytlock turned on him, he said, "Sorry. It was there in my brain before I could stop it." Logan thought. When Rytlock turned on him, he said, "Sorry. It was there in my brain before I could stop it."

You think of me as an animal, Rytlock raged. Rytlock raged.

Garm shot him an angry look.

"Not an animal," Logan said. More like a monster. More like a monster. Rytlock's eyes grew wide. Rytlock's eyes grew wide. I mean, a good one-a good monster that'll fight on I mean, a good one-a good monster that'll fight on our our side. side.

So, you think I'm a traitor to my race?

You're fighting beside a human being. You're supposed to be killing me- I may change my mind.

Eir broke in, You have to shut down your thinking. Or if you can't do that, think nice thoughts. You have to shut down your thinking. Or if you can't do that, think nice thoughts.

In other words, don't think about Klab, Snaff told himself Snaff told himself.

Zojja hurled her hands up. You're You're obsessed obsessed with him. with him.

He makes iceboxes iceboxes!

You don't respect anyone but yourself.

I respect you.

Yeah, right-genius in training.

Haven't I promoted you?

No.

Well, now you're an almost-genius.

Thanks a lot!

You just jumped a whole level!

An imaginary level! I just helped defeat three dragon champions, and everyone still sees me as nothing more than your a.s.sistant!

Is that all you can think of? What I call call you? The whole while that we're working together, you've been thinking you? The whole while that we're working together, you've been thinking you're you're the real genius! the real genius!

Now we both both know it! And what's all this "working together" c.r.a.p? You order me around like I'm no better than Garm! know it! And what's all this "working together" c.r.a.p? You order me around like I'm no better than Garm!

The wolf turned angry eyes toward Big Zojja.

So, I should worry about this c.o.c.kpit weld, should I? Snaff wondered. Snaff wondered. Put some kill feature in it, did you? Something to get rid of the master so you can take his place? Put some kill feature in it, did you? Something to get rid of the master so you can take his place?

Is that what you think? You think I would compromise a design like that? That I would try to kill you?

It's the secret desire of every apprentice, Snaff thought, adding, Snaff thought, adding, but not so secret now. but not so secret now.

Eir yelled, "Why can't you two stop thinking stop thinking?"

Snaff and Zojja both thought, We're asura. We're asura.

"We're being tested," Caithe said softly.

That brought silence, with only the sounds of feet marching through the defile.

"We can hear each other's thoughts because Glint is listening to our thoughts. She's trying to understand why we're approaching her sanctum. She's trying to drive us away."

She may succeed, Eir thought. Eir thought.

Don't act like we're the only problems here, Rytlock thought. Rytlock thought.

"We need to stop," Caithe said. "She knows what we are thinking, that we are divided. She'll use it against us. Think thoughts that unify unify us!" us!"

There came a flash from Logan's mind-Caithe stabbing her stiletto into the tail of a devourer, then her smile later as she pulled the roasted meat from the sh.e.l.l.

And from Rytlock's mind-the image of Logan launching up to drag down Racogorrix in midair.

Then from Snaff-Zojja bent over a golem, removing the ankle joint he had designed and replacing it with her new version, much stronger and simpler.

From Zojja-Snaff describing the defeat of the Dragonsp.a.w.n, his eyes aglow and his hands gesturing to a ring of norn admirers.

From Snaff-Eir with hair drawn back and arms speckled with sweat and rock dust flying as she carved a perfect likeness of him.

From Logan-Caithe single-handedly bringing down the mast of a rotten s.h.i.+p and swinging away from undead.

From Rytlock-Logan mowing down undead.

From Zojja-Rytlock lifting a tankard.

From Caithe-Eir laughing at a joke.

From Garm-guarding them all.

And suddenly, they were through.

The sun-baked defile was behind them, and the companions stood on the edge of a great sand sea.

"We made it through," Caithe said. "She couldn't drive us away."

Eir shook her head. "You're right, Caithe. She couldn't drive us away, but she could could drive wedges between us. We'll never defeat her unless we fight as one." Eir looked around at her companions. "I know you heard some unsavory things from me, but you must understand that I've hand-selected each of you. I trust each of you- drive wedges between us. We'll never defeat her unless we fight as one." Eir looked around at her companions. "I know you heard some unsavory things from me, but you must understand that I've hand-selected each of you. I trust each of you-all of you-with my life." of you-with my life."

Her companions nodded, looking down at the sands.

"d.a.m.n it!" Rytlock spat. He turned and clapped Logan on the back. "Sorry about some of those things I thought."

"It's fine," Logan a.s.sured him. "And sorry about that whole thing about being a monster."

Rytlock laughed. "I kind of liked that."

As the two Bigs ground along, side by side, Snaff spoke through the tube, "You really are a genius, you know."

"Yes," Zojja replied. "I know."

"You'll be your own master any day now."

"Don't say that."

"Okay, I won't," Snaff replied in a tinny voice. "But I will will think it. You're ready for it. I'm just selfish. Where am I going to find another apprentice like you?" think it. You're ready for it. I'm just selfish. Where am I going to find another apprentice like you?"

Eir meanwhile turned to Caithe and said, "You didn't share a single unkind thought toward any of us."

"I don't have a single unkind thought toward you. If I did, I'd say it."

"I suppose you would," Eir said with a laugh. She looked out on the rolling sand dunes that stretched forever into the distance. "Now, where is this dragon sanctum?"

"It's hidden in a crystal of sand," Logan said. "But how do we find it?"