Maya settled back down into her cot, listening as North finally got back into hers.

"Of course not," she smiled, then smiled broader at North's muffled groan. "I'll make you some tea for the aches in the morning. And of course no one else is brave enough to tell you off. Anyone else would have gotten stabbed in the face a long time ago."

She didn't acknowledge North's assessment of her qualifications to lead. It wasn't so much a compliment as a statement of fact, anyway.

"It's late. We should sleep."