An arrow thocked into the head of a thick straw dummy, and the blond man who had introduced himself days ago as Jean Havoc whistled.

“The Hawk’s Eye, huh?” Riza heard him mutter to Breda.

It was her fourth such arrow, but not particularly impressive. There was a wind coming down the mountains that made finer shots difficult. Not that she often needed to be more precise, but one never knew what life might bring. Especially if she found herself targeting a homunculus.

Admittedly, Roy hadn’t asked her to do such a thing. But, it wasn’t hard to guess why he might want an archer with her skills.

Although, no single arrow would ever be enough to kill a homunculus. Stun it for a few precious moments maybe. But, the references she had read always spoke of their near immortality.

Of course, Roy might only want to expose the king for what he was and leave the Royal Alchemists to kill him. But, that plan felt sloppy, too open to failure.

Another arrow went wide by fractions.

Also sloppy.

Riza frowned and lowered her bow. The wind eddied around her, channeled down rocky crags in wild gusts. But, there should be at least the echo of a pattern in it, in how the mountain guided it.

So, she waited. She felt how it flowed around her, how it tugged at her clothes. Ears listened, catching a distant moaning and a closer whistle.

“Er, are you—” Havoc started but stopped abruptly as though shushed.

Riza ignored him and focused only on the wind.

There.

She pulled a fresh arrow from her quiver, nocked it, and raised her bow. Then, she waited, listening and feeling.

A fresh gust swept over her and another, and in the instant after them, she released the arrow. This time, it flew true into one of the target’s tiny painted eyes.

“Magnificent.” The voice was almost whispered. And, closer than she had thought any of the onlookers were.

Riza half-turned.

Roy was behind her, a smile on his lips and his dark eyes filled with honest admiration.

“You read the wind masterfully, Lady Hawk’s Eye.”

“Well enough to stun a homunculus?” she dared to ask.

His smile widened, showing a glint of teeth. “And, more than that with a properly treated arrow,” he said.

Surprise washed through her at the implication. Was there a substance that could kill a homunculus?

The question was on her lips when a shout went up in the distance. Everyone turned to see the baby-faced Fuery running toward them, waving one arm frantically in the air. He skidded to a stop in front of Roy.

“S—Sir,” he started, visibly out of breath. “A m—message from Lord Hughes.” He held out a sheet of parchment, longer than the last one Riza had seen. “He used the urgent code.”

Wordlessly, Roy took the offered message, a frown on his face. He made no move to step away or wave the small group off even though it was obvious all eyes were fixed on him. Not that it mattered, Riza mused. Given what she had already heard and seen of how this little band operated, the letter was likely written in some kind of cipher.

So, she watched and waited with the rest of them.

Obviously reading quickly, Roy’s face was stern at first, then his eyes brightened in a flash of amusement before just as quickly widening in surprise. He visibly read and re-read.

Then, he looked to his men.

“I need to go to the Capital.”

Havoc’s jaw dropped. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Very,” Roy agreed. “But, it’s even more dangerous for the… youngsters Hughes has found.”

Breda seemed to find his pause as telling as Riza did. “How come you personally need to get some kids out of the Capital?”

Roy looked into the distance. “Because I’ve never met a human with gold eyes. Not a full-blooded one anyway.”

Silence.

“Wait…” Havoc was the first to break it. “You mean these are dragon children?” he yelped.

“Likely.” Roy nodded. “Or, considering some of the other details, they may be half-blooded and unaware of it. Which is even more dangerous.”

“Because they could change into dragons without meaning to right on some crowded street in the Capital.” Breda’s face was grim.

“Or,” Roy was even grimmer, “right in front of our target. These boys are the alchemists the king has hired to exterminate me. Hughes included a description this time.”

“He’s using children?” a horrified Fuery almost whispered.

“They’re apparently extraordinarily talented,” said Roy. “Not surprising given dragons’ affinity for alchemy.”

He stepped a few feet away, pacing in agitated thought.

Riza watched the dragon in human form, filing the reality that he wasn’t the only hidden dragon away to examine later. Roy’s movements were sharp and short, almost visibly devising and discarding ideas. Suddenly, his head raised and he was looking into her eyes.

“Lady Hawk’s Eye,” he began, “would you be willing to accompany me?” His lips quirked. “After all, there’s some critical information toward my whereabouts that you discovered while on your own in the mountains.”

Riza stared at him, absorbing the irony of the lie within a truth he was suggesting. It was clever yet simple.

And, with good fortune, it would work.

So, she nodded her agreement.

Somehow, some time, in the last few days and without any conscious decision, she’d already made her commitment to this mad venture.