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Skiodra is very polite if you are strong. The armsman shrugged. If not,
you become slaves, and he sells you to the traders from Hamor. That happened
to a cousin of Memsenn s. She lived on a farm outside of Dellash. One day
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Skiodra passed by, and when her consort came home, she was gone. He chased
Skiodra s men, and they killed him.
Not a pleasant fellow. Fierral s fingers went to her sidearm.
I don t think any of Candar is what we d term peaceful, said Ryba. The
only way to ensure peace is through strength.
That was what Lord Nessil said. But& now that he is dead, it may be that
the Jeranyi will march, or the Suthyans. Narliat edged closer to the fire,
then looked at the angels around him. Truly, you are people of the winter. Is
Heaven cold?
Colder than Candar, even than here, replied Ayrlyn, except maybe in
winter.
Across the fire, Gerlich and Selitra stood and eased away into the shadows,
hand in hand.
Ryba and Nylan exchanged looks.
Ayrlyn snorted. Poor woman. Thinks she s special.
I ve warned them, added Fierral, but it does get lonely.
I would make you less lonely& volunteered Narliat.
Fierral shot a look at Narliat, who immediately glanced at the darkness
beyond the fire.
He s learning Temple fast, laughed Ayrlyn. Even if it s not that
different from Anglorat.
Too fast, said Fierral.
Supper s ready, called Saryn. Such as it is.
At the call of supper, even Gerlich and Selitra reappeared, no longer quite
hand in hand.
Nylan followed the others, getting his helping of mush and chunk of
blackened rodent, as well as a few berries and a chunk of wild onion. The
roughly circular wooden platter was the result of a collaboration between some
of the marines and Narliat.
He sat farther from the fire, on a boulder overlooking the landers, using
his fingers and a crudely carved spoon he had made. The slightly charred
rodent was tastier than the mush, but he ate both, and washed them down with
water from the plastic cup he had claimed and kept.
Beside him, Ryba ate, equally silent.
After he finished, Nylan stood. I m going to rinse this off, and rack it,
and wash up. Then I m going to collapse.
Wait for me. Ryba finished her last mouthful of mush. I won t be too
long. I have to check with Fierral to make sure the sentries are set.
All right. Nylan walked over to the side branch of the stream, diverted
for the purpose of washing, and rinsed off the wooden platter, then used the
scattering of fine sand to wash his hands. After that he rinsed them and
splashed off his face.
Next, said a voice.
He looked up to see Ayrlyn standing there. Sorry. He stood and moved away
from the stream.
She smiled. You don t have to be.
You re doing well with Narliat.
He figures he d better do well. He doesn t have anywhere else to go.
Besides, he likes the ratio of men to women.
Has anyone& ?
Right now, Ryba would have their heads, but that won t last. She probably
knows that, too. She thinks of everything. Ayrlyn paused. Just be careful,
Nylan. She uses everyone.
He nodded, hoping the darkness would cover his lack of enthusiasm.
Ayrlyn bent to rinse her platter, and Nylan walked to the lander, passing a
pair of marines on the way. One was Huldran, the stocky blond who helped with
stone-cutting; the other a solid brunette whose name he had not learned.
Evening, ser.
Good evening, Huldran. Are you on sentry duty?
Not tonight. Not tonight.
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Once in the forward area of the lander, Nylan pulled off his boots. Then he
sat in the darkness for a time barefooted, before he pulled off the shipsuit
that, despite careful washing, was getting both frayed and stained.
When Ryba still did not appear, he finally stretched out, folding the cover
back to just above his waist. His shoulders and his forearms ached, and his
feet hurt. He also worried about Ryba-their relationship. A lot of the time
she was distant, commanding, just like he imagined an antique nomad-liege of
Sybra. Of course, that was her heritage, and Candar seemed to reinforce those
traits.
In the distance, he could hear laughter, but could not recognize the
voices.
As his eyes began to close, he heard footsteps on the hard floor of the
lander, and he propped himself up on his elbow. I told you I wouldn t be
long. Slowly, Ryba slipped out of her boots, and then out of the shipsuit,
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