They reached the last inn before the peak of the mountain. Leaving their horses in the care of the groom, they prepared to walk the last few steep miles on foot.
The three young men carried the bulk of their gear, with Meili carrying her own sleeping roll. Her mother had specially prepared this for her with two shoulder straps and a strap around her waist, to keep her hands free for scaling the summit.
"I'm so excited for this bit Tan Bowen," she said with infectious delight.
"It will get hard," he warned her.
"I'm ready for it," she assured him. "It can't be much harder than 'take-the-flag'."
"Having seen the way your brothers play that game, you're probably right."
The prince joined them. "Have you ever thought about staying home and enjoying more feminine pursuits like embroidery or cooking?" he asked her. "You really want to spend the night on top of that," he indicated the far-off rough-looking peak, "instead of in this nice comfortable inn with hot dinner and a bath?"
