Magi'i of Cyador

LXXXII

UNDER HIGH BUT thick gray clouds, Lorn watches as Olisenn orders his squad into the line abreast formation that runs inward from the perimeter road toward the line already formed by Kusyl’s second squad. The heavy squad leader’s voice is firm and carries, yet Lorn finds himself watching the senior squad leader more and more, trying never to turn his back on the man at any time when firelances are in readiness. Even so, there have been a few times when Lorn has forgotten, and sooner or later, that will create problems.

Lorn reaches forward and pats the gelding, grateful that his mount has proven more trustworthy than all too many people in Cyador. Lorn frowns at his thought. It is not that so many have proven untrustworthy; it is that his observations, and those of his father, have shown that so many will prove untrustworthy. The gelding is what the gelding is, unlike people who change in response to their perceptions of events that may benefit or threaten their power.

He glances toward the clouds that do not seem to promise rain. Second Company has but one more day’s patrol before reaching the compound at Jakaafra-and the two full days off they receive after every fourth complete patrol to Eastend and back.

As he turns the gelding northwest on the wall road, Lorn studies the white-granite wall to his left. The chaos-flows are once more irregular-the response to his efforts of two nights before? Or another fallen tree? Or both?

A faint smile crosses his lips.

There will be another tree trunk down. That he knows. And there will be more wild creatures-and another day on station before the Mirror Engineers arrive.

“Was it worth it?” he murmurs.

“Ser, you speaking to me?” asks Kusyl from the other side of the wall road to his right.

“No, Kusyl. I was thinking out loud. How I’ll be glad when we finally get back to Jakaafra.”

“You and me, too, ser. Been a long summer, and it’s hardly been two eightdays since it even started.”

Lorn nods. Will he ever see the ripening-of pears and praise-or of anything for which he has silently worked?