"That's..." Ruslan stared at the coin in the dirt.
"...the edge." Eva said. Silence enveloped the Friendly Company.
"Which way was that again?" Matvei asked.
"The dead way." Pasha said.
"Shut up!" Eva hissed, "Nobody move."
The coin remained perfectly balanced on its edge.
"We're going... to flip... again..." She said.
"Good. Okay." Ruslan nodded.
"I'm going to pick it up... very. Slowly." Eva began to carefully move towards the coin.
"Why... aren't we... moving?" Pasha whispered.
"Because knocking it over would be very, very bad luck." Isidor explained, one hand going to Pushki's arm.
Misha crept from her cage strapped to Ludmilla's rump and across the saddle. She leapt deftly onto Pushki's shoulders and rubbed against his cheek.
Pushki sneezed.
Misha yowled and jumped onto Eva. The witch went sprawling across the path, the picture of indignity.
The coin fell onto its side.
Isidor and Igor flinched.
"I--I think I'm allergic to your cat." Pushki sniffled.
Eva glared at him and raised a hand. Pasha jumped into her way.
"He's just a kid, Ev, don't hurt him!"
"Unbunch your panties, boys, I'm not going to hurt the bunny... Pushki, this is YOUR fault and I'm washing my hands of it."
Pasha hesitated before stepping off.
"Bad luck for you, bunny rabbit." He said, picking up the coin and helping Eva off the ground.
"Heads. We're going along the coast." Eva reported.
"Excellent! Point the steeds coastward!" Ruslan ordered, gesturing.
"That would be the way back to Zarya's." Isidor pointed out. Igor wordlessly indicated a general direction with a wave of the hand.
"Thanks." Eva nodded at her cousin. He hugged her and turned back towards Zarya's.
"Hey! Hey, where do you think you're going?" Ruslan called after him.
"Zarya told him to take us to the desert. We aren't going anywhere near the desert now." Eva endeavored to force Misha back into the cage.
"So... the coast. I've never been up this direction." Isidor said as the horse and donkeys resumed plodding down the path.
"Oh, it's nice. Straight up the only way to see the ocean, really." Matvei shifted uncomfortably in his saddle.
"Isidor's never done anything straight." Pasha scoffed.
Chapter Twenty-Two