"Excellent," Katya nods, "I've never seen her be far wrong. Helps with deciding whether to trust people who say they'll turn to our side."

"She likes you," adds Inna, "And trusts you. If she didn't I think she'd just tell you to head south and keep going."

"Well, I am trustworthy. Other than the whole time spent keeping my Sight secret so you wouldn't notice me. I guess I'll just assume she has good taste."

"...She sounds like someone who could really mess with people's heads."

"Almost never to allies, and subordinates only when she considers it necessary for their work. But, yes, when she does it's intimidating to see happen."

"Except for silliness."

"Okay, that's fair, sometimes she pulls pranks. Not all the Ice Court have lost their sense of humor."

"Okay, now I know you're bullshitting me."

"What, us? Playing tricks on you? Can't be, ice froze all our sense of humors off while we swore our Maiden's Vows."

"Okay, I recognize the absurdity, here, but... pranks? I can't picture it."

"Everyone needs to relax somehow, even the ice-hearted masters. Some people spar, some weave... some indulge their sense of humor."

"Not that she doesn't spar, but she said it makes her all energetic. She'd probably show you if you ask."

Katya gives Inna a quelling look, which she responds to with an innocent face.

He suspects he is picking up on the subtext but he is still not going to touching it. "Honestly, someone with that kind of skill, the hobby I'd expect is, probably, nosy matchmaker."

Inna laughs. "Oh, she'd love that. But we're not called Storm Maidens for no reason - until we're full Witches we can't marry."

"And once we do, we have too much seniority for her to boss us into matches. Maybe when she's older and outranks everyone but the Tzarina," Katya adds.

"I guess that would do it. Different question - how much do her investigators travel around? Ones like I might be, not witches."

"Less. You saw our horses when we arrived at the battle, when we use Riding the Storm we can outgallop any horse born or made, or match a canter at a trot and keep that up all day. Enchanted bridles or horseshoes can help, but mostly non-witches - and any Frost Witches working with us - stay in one city, or one part of the oblast, rather than try to keep up."

"I suppose that makes sense."

"Did you really go ask Baba Ostankya for help in person?"

"Hah. Yes, and I said then I wasn't sure whether it was brave or foolish, but now I think foolish. I asked Baba Sonya if she could take the witch-gift away but leave the Sight, and she said, 'well, I can't, but you could go talk to the dangerous Mother Hags', and I decided it was worth it."

"Too useful?"

"No, though it has proven useful, much more than I thought. No, I just liked the new sense I acquired and didn't want to give up the beauty of it. And so I risked my life to visit her hut in Dukhlys Forest and nearly died three times at least."

"You must not have seen Dhar. It's nasty, and it sticks to you," says Inna.

"I wouldn't give it up, though," replies Katya.

"Yeah, me neither. I don't know, probably it wasn't worth it, I don't want to be sent to Ursun young... but I would miss it much more than being able to do magic."

"Well, foolish endeavors always seem to end up succeeding improbably in the kind of stories you walked into. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised you got out."

"I had this mad impulse to ask for a flying ship while I was there - do they tell that story where you grew up? - but I resisted the urge."

They laugh, so presumably yes, they tell that one.

"Was there anything else you wanted to ask us?"

"No, I think I have enough to think about. It was pleasant speaking with you, ladies."

"Likewise. See you on the march, Teodor."

"What do you actually foresee me doing for you, Lady Kajetana?", he asks late the next day, after pulling up alongside her on the ride.

"A fair question, and I don't know for sure. Men with the Sight are nearly unheard of, and women with the Sight exist, but almost all are snapped up as wise-women and unwilling to work for the Ice Court except very indirectly. I'd have some training I do for most of my agents first, with the chekist and some reformed thieves..."