"That was not my question, Svetka."

"Do you want to be trained? To be of use to Ravka, to be pushed to the greatest extent of your potential?"

"I-"

"Yes. I want that."

"Then I will identify your best use, regardless of whether that is as a grisha or something else, and I will train you towards that. And you will repay my efforts by matching them equally."

"Yes, sir."

"Good girl."

The Darkling's words send a warm flush through Svetka.

Soft hum.

And they ride on - for much longer than a marching army normally would, only stopping as the shadows are threatening to make their horses' footing treacherous. The Darkling leads them towards an isolated homestead, shows her writ of assistance to the family there, and gets them lodging, and their horses a place in the barn. She presses on the family that they are not to go into town for a minimum of two days after her departure, but gives them both coin and a promissory note for their trouble.

Val's happy to be on her feet; the horse she got for this leg wasn't as bad, but the draft horse she'd ridden to the outpost had already bruised her, and of course Elvira had taken the best horses again.

She's a little grouchy about that. Just a little.

Still, she checks on Svetka before going to make faces at Elvira.

"You doing okay?" she asks her friend.

Svetka's a little lost in thought.

"Mm. Yeah."

" - What's up?"

"The Darkling breeds and trains horses for fun."

"I didn't think of her as the sort of person to have hobbies."

Shrug. "I'd be surprised if she didn't have any."

"I've heard people talking about the horses before, actually - she supplies some of the cavalry lines directly. Didn't know she also does it for fun, though, or that it's her and not just, like, her noble household."

"She has a nickname too. But I don't think I'm allowed to tell you what it is."

"Already on secret pet names basis with her?"

"Well. We were sitting so close and I didn't want her to keep calling me 'Private Starkov' all day, so..."

"Do you have a secret pet name, now?"

Blush!

"Just Svetka."

"Good. I'd be sad if she supplanted me as your best friend after just one ride." 

"You'll always be my best friend, Val."

"And you'll always be mine." Hug! 

Hug!

"If you want to get closer to Colonel Nazyalensky, you should try riding with her tomorrow," Svetka whispers in her ear. "Maybe she'll tell you to call her Ellie."

Blush!

"She does owe me for stealing the good horses."

"I'm pretty sure it's called commandeering when an officer does it."

"All the more offensive."

"Give her hell, then."