“I—I think so,” she said doubtfully. “But what—”

“Quick, then,” he said, halting the reluctant darsteed. It rumbled and shook its head, snapping the air and lashing its tail, but he held it firmly. “You’re wearing red mail, Believer mail.”

“Aye, but—oh.”

She stared at him as he twisted around to look at her.  “Aye,” he said swiftly, and pulled the bowl from his surcoat. “Take off your surcoat and give me your cloak.”

She untied the cloak, which was twisted about her waist, and handed it to him.  He shook out its folds and flung it over Thum. By then she’d removed her surcoat. Dain wadded it up inside his own before he upended the bowl on her head.

At once she gripped it in protest. “What are you doing?” “Making you a helmet,” he said. “Hush. I can make you look bigger. I can make this bowl look like a helmet. Wait.” He paused, surprised to see her still armed with her daggers. “How come you to have those?”

“My daggers?” she asked, and shrugged. “I know not. They never took them from me. Perhaps they’re of no use against spell locks and protections.” Dain grunted. “We’re trading places. Get off.”

“What?”

He elbowed her in the stomach, shoving her off the darsteed’s bony hindquarters.  She landed on her feet and had to jump quickly to avoid the lash of the creature’s tail.

Dain pushed himself back behind the saddle. “Get on, quickly!” She climbed, avoiding a vicious bite by striking the darsteed’s muzzle with her fist, and put the bowl back on her head. “I feel like a fool. This can’t work.” “Eldin magic is mostly about illusion. You let folks see what they expect to see,” Dain said in explanation. He leaned close against her. “I shall make an illusion that we are one rider, masculine and large.”

“What about Thum?”

“They won’t see him.”

“What about my face?”

“I shall make the bowl look like a helmet so they never see your face.”

“But it won’t really be covered.”

“In their eyes it will appear so. Remember to speak Gantese. Be gruff. Be curt and impatient. Do nothing else. Make no sudden moves, because the illusion will fail if you do. The spell will be very thin.”