Next I searched out that fallen cedar. I wanted to harvest as much Fatwood as I could. With Fatwood and a vaseline-soaked cotton ball I could start a ...ire in a rainstorm. (well, with a little cover. I'm not Superman.)I found another dead standing straight sapling. It looked pretty tough. It was a bit larger than the one I'd harvested the night before but with the aid of some rope I managed to pull it over. I knocked the dirt free of the root ball, picked it up and dragged it back to camp. John. "Right, well, don't let me keep you from your work, Troy," Graywhispered softly in the Queen's voice. Troy thought to himself, hisvoice is so soft and warm I'm going miss it when Vincent changes himback."Of course, of course. I better get at it. The sooner I'm done, thesooner I can get you back to the Kingdom and back to your old self,"Troy said."Yes, I need to get everything back to normal," Gray gulped. He turnedand nearly ran back up the stairs to the finely appointed chambers. The loss of the youngest Steel meant the remaining Gallis survivors could use slashing passes to cut a company from the retreating army and whittle their enemy to a panicked flight.The Hokubu broke first. They headed north at the fastest pace they could maintain, but to make it home they first had to cross the bridge. It took a delicate hand to bait a frontal attack though. Too much Steel on the bridge, and the soldiers would not risk going through them."I didn't expect you to survive the. " You did fine, Rostrimov," Svetlana grinned at him."Svetlana?" Mischa leaned back, gritting his teeth. "We will have a conversation, soon, about when it is appropriate for you to intervene between me and my subordinate officer." What?" she, flared. "How dare you speak to me like that. Like a fucking child. Get that broomstick out of your backside and smell the wind. Who around here is going to care that you are some big shot officer in a fancy uniform? I love you more than life itself, but.