Sheepfarmer's Dauther

Chapter Six

By the time Captain Valichi returned, Paksenarrion was up, though her right eye was still swollen shut. She had not returned to her unit; Stammel wanted to report to Valichi, and give him the chance to talk to her if he wished, before she talked to her friends. Instead, Valichi made his decisions on the basis of the witnesses’ reports, conferences with Sejek, Stammel, and Stephi, and an interview with Korryn, the last for form’s sake only. So early one morning Maia helped Paks back into her recruit uniform, now cleaned and mended, and sent her to join the others in formation to witness Valichi’s decisions.

Paks had scarcely time to find her place before they were called to attention. A heavy timbered framework on a low platform was centered before them; on the right stood the witnesses, and on the left was a quartet of guards near a smoking brazier, one holding a straight razor, and one a whip. Paks recognized the dark guard who had held her. She looked at the razor and whip, and shivered.

She heard the noise of boots and chains as Korryn and Jens were brought out of the building into the courtyard. Memory of her own ordeal made her choke. She thought hard about Korryn, about all the things he’d done, to keep from feeling sympathy she wasn’t supposed to feel. After all, she’d wanted to beat him herself, in the past.

The prisoners passed in front of the formation. Jens hung back, having to be prodded, half-carried. She could hear his soft fearful moans. It was disgusting. Korryn had new bruises on his face. She wondered who had hit him, and why. Probably the guards, she thought. They halted in front of the platform. Captain Valichi, shorter than Captain Sejek, looking almost square in his armor, moved toward them, facing the assembly.

“You are here to witness the punishment of two former recruits of this Company,” he began. “For their crimes they have been expelled from the Company; after their punishment, they will be taken beyond the bounds of the Duke’s domains. Should they ever return, they will be liable to additional punishment, as the Duke may direct. Should any of you see them within this domain, you are required to report it to your officers. Their crimes are known to most of you, but I proclaim them. Korryn Maherit was charged with assisting in an assault on another recruit—”

“It’s not fair!” yelled Korryn. “It wasn’t my fault!” Even before Valichi’s command, one of the guards holding him had slugged him.

“—with conspiracy with Jens Hanokensson to prevent detection of this assault,” the captain went on, “and with lying to the witnesses called to take testimony in the case. All the evidence and testimony so far indicates that Korryn Maherit did assault and injure Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter, and did instruct Jens Hanokensson to warn him of the approach of any authority, and did attempt to instruct Corporal Stephi of Dorrin’s cohort, a veteran member of the Company, in a lie explaining the assault, while Corporal Stephi was temporarily unaware of his own actions, probably through the action of some drug or potion. We have no proof that Korryn Maherit supplied this drug or potion. Jens Hanokensson stands charged with conspiracy with Korryn Maherit to prevent detection of Korryn Maherit’s crimes. Both of these men have a bad record in the recruit cohort. The following sentences are imposed by me, as Duke Phelan’s lawful representative and cohort commander of recruits. For Jens Hanokensson: five strokes”—Jens moaned again; the guards holding him shook him—“a shaved head, and expulsion. For Korryn Maherit, the Duke’s brand on the forehead, forty strokes well-marked, and expulsion tinisi turin.” Korryn writhed, trying to break free from his guards. “Strip them,” said Valichi. Two of the guards by the platform came forward and ripped the recruit tunics from neck to hem, then turned the prisoners to face the formation. The guards forced Jens to his knees, and the one with the razor stepped up behind him. When he felt the first tug at his cinnamon-brown hair, he yelped and flinched.

“Hold still, ye fool,” said the guard. “If ye jerk around, I’ll cut ye.” Tufts of hair fell; Jens had shut his eyes and was rigidly still. The barber worked quickly and roughly; soon nothing was left of the thick hair and mustache. A few shallow grazes oozed blood on his scalp, which was pale above his tanned face. The guards hauled him up the platform to the posts and crossbar, and bound him to it, feet dangling. Then the guard with the whip mounted the platform behind him.

“One,” said Captain Valichi. The whip smacked against his back; Paks saw his face twist in pain. “Two.” Another smack. He gave a strangled cry. “Three. Four.” The captain paused. “Sergeant Stammel—do you want the parting blow?”

“No, sir. Not for this one.”

“Five.” The last blow fell. Jens’s screams softened into sobs as the guards untied his arms and dragged him from the platform. Paks could see the welts standing out on his back; only one was bleeding. The guards moved him away from the platform and held him facing the assembly.

It took four of the guards to hold Korryn as one of them took the brand from the brazier where it had been heating. Paks looked down. She didn’t want to see this. She could hear Korryn’s muttered curses, the scuffling feet, the hiss and sizzle as the brand etched his forehead. He gave a short cry, followed by gasping sobs. She glanced up for a moment. The guard with the razor was taking off his hair; Korryn’s face was white under its tan. The brand showed stark, a stylized foxhead. Without his hair and beard, his face looked different; he hardly had a chin. His eyes met hers; he snarled a curse at her, and the guards cuffed him. Paks stared over his head; she didn’t want him to think she could not watch.

The guards dragged him up the platform—still struggling to break free—and bound his wrists to the crossbar after removing his chains. Then they bound his ankles to bolts Paks had not noticed, and the guard with the razor stepped up to him. Korryn paled even more.

“What are you—?”

“Tinisi turin means shaved—all over—” said the guard, grinning. “Like a shorn lamb, remember?” And shortly the hair on chest, belly, and groin made a heap on the platform. When that guard was through, he stepped back, and the one carrying the whip came forward.

By the tenth stroke, Paks no longer cared what Korryn thought; she stared straight at the mess hall windows. No one had reminded her that she might have been on that platform, but she remembered well enough what Stammel had said when he first came to her cell. She loathed Korryn—would be glad to see him gone—but she could not watch. The blows went on—and on—each counted out by the captain’s calm voice. They sounded different now. Korryn sounded different too. She tried not to hear that, and lost the count. Suddenly it was very quiet. She looked up. Korryn hung from his bonds, head drooping; she could see the blood streaking his legs and staining the platform below.

“Well, Sergeant Stammel?” asked the captain.

“Yes, sir, with pleasure.” Stammel left his place and mounted the platform. The guard handed him the whip, now glistening along its length. Paks watched, fascinated and horrified, as he braced himself and gave Korryn five powerful blows. Korryn’s body jerked, and he gave a last scream and fainted. Stammel ran his hand down Korryn’s back and returned to his unit, holding his bloody hand out. He faced Paks, and touched it to her forehead as her eyes widened in shock.

“By this blood your injury is avenged,” he said, and took up his position again. Meanwhile one of the guards had taken a pot of blue dye, and was daubing it on Korryn’s back. Then he was untied, and lowered to the ground. His back and legs were covered with welts and blood; the blue stain looked ghastly mixed with blood. A guard checked his pulse.

“He’ll do,” he reported. “Cold water, sir?” The captain nodded. After several minutes, and a bucket of water, Korryn stirred and groaned. When his eyes opened, Captain Valichi nodded, and the guards pulled him to his feet and bound his hands in front of him. Jens, meanwhile, had been dressed in a nightshift, with a rope noose around his neck; his guards looked to the captain.

“Go ahead; take him out.”

“West, sir?” The captain nodded in answer, and the guards led Jens away. Korryn now had a rope around his neck too, and at the captain’s second nod, his guards tugged, forcing him forward. He could barely keep his feet. Paks looked away, stomach churning. She heard horses’ hooves behind the formation, near the gate, muttered voices. Then the hoofbeats moved away, through the gate, and the courtyard was left in silence.

Captain Valichi looked at them for a long moment. “Some of you,” he said with a grim smile, “seem impressed by what you saw—I hope you all are. The Duke will not tolerate anything that jeopardizes the strength of the Company. In a few months you will be depending on each other in battle. Each of you must be worthy of your companions’ trust, both on and off the field. If you aren’t, we’ll get rid of you. If you injure a companion, you’ll be punished. It may be that some of you don’t have the stomach for army life; if so, speak to your sergeant. We don’t want cowards. Sergeant Stammel, assign a detail from your unit to clean up this mess, and I’ll want to speak with Paksenarrion. The formation is dismissed.”

In the unit’s duty room, a few minutes later, Paks tried to act calm. “Sit down, Paksenarrion,” said Captain Valichi. She sat across the desk from him. Her stomach was a solid knot of apprehension. “Have you talked to any of your friends since this happened?”

“No, sir.”

“Good. Paksenarrion, you have a good record, so far. This is the first trouble you’ve been in, and from the evidence none of it was your fault. Stammel did say that he thought you should confine your use of strong language to terms you knew the meaning of—though calling someone a jacks-hole full of soured witches’ milk—” Paks gasped and felt herself reddening; the captain smiled and went on, “—is not an excuse for an attack, it can cause trouble. Did you even know that was Pargunese? No? Well, stick to Common or whatever your native language is. Anyway, you’re blameless of the brawl itself. Now—you’ve been injured in the Company, though not, we think, permanently. If you wish to leave, you may. We will give you a recommendation, based on your record, and a pass through the Duke’s domain, and a small sum to tide you over until you reach home or find other employment. I can suggest several private guard companies that might hire you with our recommendation. You’ll be on light duty until you can see out of that eye again: you may have that long to make your decision—unless you are already determined to leave. Are you?”

“No, sir. I don’t want to leave at all.” Paks had had a lingering fear that she might be thrown out.

“You’re sure?” Paks nodded. “Well, if you change your mind before you’re back to full duty, let me know. I’m glad you want to stay in; I think you’ll do well—if you stay out of fights like this. Tell me—do you think Korryn was sufficiently punished?”

“Yes, sir.” Paks could hear the distaste in her own voice.

“Ah. It bothered you, eh? I see it did. Well, it’s supposed to, and if you stay in, you’ll see that again—though we all hope not to. Now—about Corporal Stephi. I’ve agreed, with Sejek, to let him go south for his trial by the Duke. We’ve kept the scribes busy, and have the witnesses’ testimony and the rest written down. We think this will be sufficient, and the Duke won’t need to see any of you. We hope. Anyway, Stephi has been quite concerned about you—did Stammel mention it?” Paks nodded; Stammel had told her a lot about Stephi. “He’s asked how you were, and he wanted to see you and apologize. He’s a good man, really. We’re sure that some outside influence—probably magical—affected him that night. But—it’s up to you—will you see him before he goes south?”

“Sir, I—I don’t know. Should I?”

The captain frowned slightly, lacing his hands together. “It would be kind, I think. He can’t hurt you now, you know, even if he wanted to. It won’t make any difference to his trial, but it would reassure him, to see you up. You don’t have to, of course.”

Paks did not want to see Stephi ever again, but as she thought about it, she realized that she would have to, next year in the south. They might be in the same cohort; he might be her corporal. Best get it over, she decided, and looked up to meet the captain’s gaze. “I’ll see him, sir. But—I don’t know what to say.”

Valichi smiled. “You needn’t say much. It’ll be short. Wait here.” He rose from behind the desk, and went out, shutting the door. Paks felt her stomach churn. She swallowed once, then again. It seemed a long time before the door opened again. Paks rose as the two captains, Valichi and Sejek, and Stephi came in together, crowding the little room. The mouse under Stephi’s eye had faded to a sickly green.

“I’m very sorry, Paksenarrion, for the trouble I caused you,” said Stephi. Paks could not find her voice, and merely nodded. “I want you to know that—that I don’t do things like that—not usually. I never have before.” His voice shook a little. “I—I hope you won’t leave the Company, because of it—”

“I won’t,” said Paks. “I’m staying in.”

“Good. I’m glad. I hope you’re feeling better.”

“Yes.” Suddenly Paks found herself wanting to reassure this man, even though he had hurt her. She liked his honest face. “I’m doing well—in a week I’ll be fine.” He relaxed a bit and seemed to have nothing more to say.

Captain Sejek opened the door and Stephi went out; Paks saw the guard waiting for him in the passage.

“Thank you, Paksenarrion, for seeing him,” said Sejek a moment later. “I, too, regret your injuries and the trouble you’ve had. Stephi will be punished, of course—”

“But, sir, everyone’s told me it wasn’t really his fault,” said Paks, before she remembered that Sejek was a captain. She bit her lip.

Sejek frowned and sighed. “Maybe it wasn’t, but even so, he injured you. That doesn’t change. We punish drunks for their misdeeds, and for being drunk. He’ll be punished.”

Paks thought of Korryn’s punishment and shuddered. “But he’s not as bad as Korryn,” she persisted.

“No. He’s not. But he’s supposed to be better—much better—than any recruit. He’s a corporal of the regular Company, a veteran. This is not an offense to regard lightly. But that’s not your concern—don’t worry about it. I, too, am glad to hear that you’re staying in the Company; I’ll see you in the south next spring.” Sejek went out, leaving Paks with Valichi.

Valichi’s mustache twitched. “Now that’s as close to an apology as I’ve ever heard Sejek come.”

“Apology?”

Well—he’s wishing he’d taken a better look at you before he banned you that night. But Sejek doesn’t like to admit he could be wrong—I’ll warn you of that. Don’t even hint that he made a mistake on this, or he’ll be down on you for years. Right now—well, he’s convinced that you’re acceptable. It helped that you defended Stephi—was that why you did it?”

Paks was confused. “Sir, I—”

“No. You’re not the type. Go find Stammel—he’s out drilling, I think, on the east grounds—and he’ll keep you busy.”

Paks walked out, still confused, but happy to be returning to her friends. She joined in marching drill, but Siger barred her from weapons practice. “You can’t fight with both eyes open, yet,” he said. “It’ll be a long time before you’re ready to fight with just one.” Barracks chores were well within her capacity; when she thought about the cell, or the infirmary, she was glad enough to have them to do.

At first no one said anything about the fight or its aftermath. Saben explained that he had tried to find Stammel, that by the time he had returned, she was already hurt. The others simply avoided the subject. Even Effa forbore to give a lecture on the protection of Gird. This suited Paks very well; she had no desire to talk about the little she could remember. But in the other units, curiosity overcame tact, and as soon as she was back in weapons drill, the questions began. Barranyi, the tall black-haired woman in Vossik’s unit, often matched against Paks in drill, went farther than most. She was well-known for her strength of arm and sharp tongue.

“You should have poked an eye out,” she began one afternoon, as they walked back to the main stronghold with a load of firewood. Paks shook her head.

“I was trying to get away.”

“That’s stupid. Anyone can get mauled trying to get away. Attack on your own. If you’d gotten an eye—”

“I’d have been in worse trouble, Barra.” Paks checked the mule she was leading, and shoved one length of wood back into place. But Barra had not gone on; she halted her own mule and went on with her lecture.

“No, you wouldn’t. He started it; he was wrong. They’d have had to admit that. As it is, they owe you—”

“No, they don’t. Besides, they only found out it was his fault because I was beat up worse.”

“That’s not right.” Barra scowled and strode along silent for some distance. “If it’s not your fault, they should—”

“Barra—” Natzlin, a slender, pleasant girl with warm brown eyes who had been coupled with Barra before they joined, laid a hand on her arm. “Paks came out well—and if she’s satisfied—”

“No. She came out beaten half-dead, and—”

Paks laughed. “By the gods, Barra, I’m not that easy to kill.”

“You looked it that morning. A real mess, I tell you—I was ashamed—”

Paks felt a flicker of anger. “You—and why you? I was the one out there in front of everyone—”

“You’d always been a strong one, Siger’s pet, and there you were, looking like something that’d come from a lockup—”

Paks grinned in spite of herself. “Well—I had—”

“Blast it! You know what I mean! You looked—”

“Gods above, Barra! She doesn’t want to think about that now!” Vik shoved his way between them, and winked at Paks. “Don’t worry—even bruises and chains can’t make you ugly, Paks.”

She felt herself go red. “Vik—”

“Like a song,” he went on, unmoved. “Did you ever hear ’Falk’s Oath of Gold,’ Paks? When Falk was taken in the city of fear, and locked away all those years?”

“No. I thought Falk was a sort of saint, like Gird.”

“Saints!” snorted Barra from Vik’s other side.

“He is,” said Vik seriously. “And Barra—I wouldn’t scoff at them. Maybe they’re far above us—but they have power.”

“The gods have power,” said Barra. “I’m not like Effa—I don’t believe that men become gods when they die. And I’d rather be alive anyway.”

“But tell me about Falk,” said Paks. “Isn’t he the one that wears rubies and silver?”

“I don’t know what he wears now,” began Vik. “He was a knight, a ruler’s son, who kept his sworn oath and saved his kin by it, even though it meant years of slavery for him.”

“Ugh. Why didn’t he just kill his enemies?” asked Barra. “I heard that he spent a year cleaning the jacks of some city—”

“That and more,” said Vik. “It’s in the song, but you know I can’t sing it. My father did, and I know most of the story. You’d like it, Paks—it’s full of magic and kings and things like that.”

“A magic sword?”

“Oh, yes. More than one. Someday when we’ve made enough money, we can hire a harper to sing it for us.” Vik kept the conversation going until they reached the stronghold, where they broke up into their separate units. Barra shook her head, but stayed away from the topic the next time they drilled together. But others wanted to know what the underground cells were like, and what Stammel had said, and what the corporal had said. Paks fended off these questions as best she could: the cells were cold and miserable, and she wouldn’t repeat any of the talks she’d had. Eventually they let her alone.

Meanwhile, Stammel had taken the unit in to help Kolya with her apple harvest. This was their first time to see Duke’s East, since they had arrived from the west. Children playing in the streets waved and yelled at them; the adults smiled and spoke to Stammel. They passed an inn, the Red Fox, and a cobbled square surrounded with taller stone houses, and came to a stone bridge over the little river. Upstream Paks could see a weir and a millpond, and a waterwheel slowly turning. Kolya’s land lay south of the river, beyond a water meadow where cattle grazed.

Kolya’s orchard had more trees than Paks could count; she had never seen such a thing. Her aunt had been famed for five apple trees and two plums, but Kolya had rows of apples, plums, and pears. Only the apples remained so late, scenting the air with their rich, exciting fragrance. Soon Paks was high on a ladder, picking the apples at the top of her assigned tree. It was cool and sunny, perfect weather for the job. Below, in the aisles between the trees, Stammel and Kolya strolled together, directing the pickers and talking.

Paks caught a few snatches of that conversation, between orders to the workers. It seemed to be far removed from apple harvest, something about someone named Tamarrion, who had once been in the Company.

“—wouldn’t have happened like that at all,” she heard Stammel say. “She would have made sure first, before she called for a ban.”

Kolya snorted. “In her day, you’d never have brought back someone like Korryn at all, would you?”

“No—you’re right about that. But things are different.” Paks saw his head shake, far below, then he peered up to see that she was working. She wondered if the mysterious Tamarrion had been a sergeant—even a captain—but something in their tone kept her from asking.

As fall turned to winter, the recruits honed their weapons skills, now learning to use a shield with their swords. They began drilling in groups, one line against another, learning to work together with their weapons. They were allowed to stand guard, first with the regulars, then alone. On guard duty on the wall, with her sword hanging heavy at her side, Paks felt very much the professional. One gray, sleety day, she was on duty when a traveler came up the road from Duke’s West, and called the challenge herself. She thought he did not notice that her tunic was recruit brown instead of maroon.

Along with all this, they were introduced to tactics. Paks had thought that after mastering the intricacies of drill, nothing remained to learn about engaging the enemy. She was wrong.

“But I thought we just ran at them and started fighting,” said Vik, echoing her thought.

“No. That’s the way to get killed, and quickly. None of you will make these decisions now, but you all need to know something of tactics. You can do your job better if you know what you’re trying to accomplish.” They were gathered around Stammel in the mess hall between meals; he began to set out apples on the table. “Now suppose this—here—is the Duke’s Company. And this over here is the enemy. Look at the length of lines.”

“Theirs is longer,” said Saben, stating the obvious. “But we—”

“Listen. Now suppose we engage just as we are. What happens on each end of our line, on the flanks?”

“They can hit the side, too,” said Vik.

“If they have enough, they can go all around,” Paks put in.

“Yes. That looks bad, doesn’t it? But it depends on why their line is so long, and what they’re fighting with.” He added more apples to the array. “Suppose they’ve only as many men as we have, so their line is long and thin. We form the square, and we engage one-on-one all the way around. With our depth, we actually have them outnumbered at each position. If they’re fighting with swords, they won’t have a chance. We have concentrated our strength on their weakness—or rather, they have stupidly chosen to make themselves weak all over.”

Effa frowned at the table. “So it’s better to make the square?”

“Not always. We can’t move fast or far in the square—you remember—” They nodded. “Mobility is important, too. So is terrain—where is the good ground?” Quickly he showed them how slope, water, and such hazards as swamp and loose rock could change the choice of tactics. “It’s the commander’s responsibility to choose the best ground—for our side, of course. The Duke’s famous for it. But you need to know how it’s done, so you’ll know what to watch out for, and which way to move—”

“But we’re under orders, aren’t we? We just do what we’re told—”

“Yes. But sergeants and corporals get killed—even captains. In battle, there’s no time to send questions to the Duke. If the regulars don’t know what to do and why, the cohort will fall apart. Be captured at best. That’s what Kolya Ministiera did—took over her cohort, kept ’em moving together, the right way. That’s why she made corporal so young. If she hadn’t lost an arm at Cortes Cilwan, she’d have been the youngest sergeant in the Company, I don’t doubt. But when she went down, someone else took over—that’s what we train for.”

They looked at each other, wondering. Paks hoped she would do as well—without losing an arm. The only thing that frightened her was the thought of ending her career as a young cripple, with nothing left to do.

Soon the lessons in tactics had gone beyond table demonstrations to live practice fields. Each recruit unit made a mock cohort, and they practiced engagements, disengagements, squaring, flanking, and other maneuvers: first without weapons, and then with wooden swords and shields. In smaller groups they learned to fight in confined areas: stairs, passages, stables. They made ladders and scaled the walls of the stronghold in mock assaults, then learned to hold the wall against assaults. And since the Duke sometimes hired mounts when he wanted to move his troops rapidly, they learned to ride.

“This is a mule,” said Corporal Bosk. Paks thought that was unnecessary. The mule flicked one long ear. On the ground beside it were saddle, saddlecloth, and bridle. “A mule is not a horse,” he went on. That also was obvious. Long ears, mealy muzzle, heavy head, small hooves. Paks suppressed a yawn. Maybe some of the city people didn’t know the difference. She glanced around for Vik. “How many of you,” Bosk was asking, “have ever worked with mules?” Several hands went up. “You—” he said, pointing. “What’s the big difference between mules and horses?”

“Mules can kick anyways,” said Jorti, “and they’re fussier about their ears, and they’re smarter than horses.” Jorti’s father, Paks remembered, had something to do with caravans.

“Right,” said Bosk. “All of that. Those of you that’ve never worked either will have less trouble than you horse-folk. They are different. Mules are more ear-shy than any horse, and if you drag a bridle over their ears, they’ll plant a hoof on you. A back hoof. When you’re standing in front of ’em.” Paks looked at the mule, surprised. It didn’t look like it could kick forward. “And they’re smart,” Bosk went on. “Really smart. A good one’ll go farther on worse ground with less fuss—but a mule looks out for itself above all.” He picked up the bridle and showed them how to put it on.

The mule assigned to Paks flicked its ears nervously as she eased the crownpiece over the top of its head. She talked to it as if it were her father’s plow pony, but kept a respectful eye on the near hind leg. The mule that kicked Sif had made a believer out of her. She laid the saddlecloth on its back, and, after another look at Bosk’s demonstration, set the saddle in place.

“That’s right,” he said, as he walked along the line. “Now fasten the girth.” For that she had to bend down, reaching under its belly. The mule stood as if its feet were bolted to the ground. Paks caught the end of the girth and drew it up. The mule swelled visibly. Paks tugged the girth tight, and pulled again. The mule gave her an inscrutable look out of one amber eye, and shifted its weight minutely. Paks glanced back, and saw the tip of the near hind hoof resting lightly on the ground. Its ears flopped out sideways, swung lazily back and forth. She tugged again at the girth. The mule sighed, without losing an inch of its circumference, and the ears were still. Paks glared at it.

“Dumb mule,” she said.

“That won’t do,” said Bosk behind her. “Mule knows you’re nervous. Like this—” He grabbed the mule’s reins, gave a short jerk, and yelled “Hai!” into one drooping ear. The mule threw up its head with a snort, ears forward. Bosk thumped it hard in the ribs, and jerked the girth four inches tighter with one smooth motion. “Like that,” he said. The mule was back on all four legs, tail swinging gently. “Don’t hurt ’em,” he went on. “They won’t forget being beaten, say, but you’ve got to get their attention and be firm. Can’t bluff ’em, like you can horses.”

Eventually they all learned to bridle and saddle the mules, and after hours of painful practice they all learned to ride without damaging the mules or themselves. Paks even grew to enjoy it, trying to see herself on a prancing warhorse instead of a mule. She asked Bosk once if it were the same; his face creased in a grin. “Thinking of that, are you? And you not yet a soldier! Well, Paks, it’s about as much like riding one of these old pack mules as playing soldier with a stick-sword is like real warfare. You’ve a long way to go, girl, if that’s where you’re going.” Paks blushed and kept her dreams to herself after that.

As that cold winter wore on, they began to feel that they were ready to go—ready to face any army anywhere. Some from each unit had left—those frightened or shocked by Korryn’s punishment, those injured too badly to continue, and a few more who decided, as the training came closer and closer to actual combat, that they didn’t want to be soldiers after all. Some of the recruits—Paks and Barra among them—were surprised that these dropouts were let go with so little dispute. Why had they had to sign an agreement to stay two years, if anyone could leave at any time?

“Think about it,” said Stammel when Paks asked. “Your life will depend on the skill and courage of those beside you. Look at Talis: she was warned along with the rest of you, and she got pregnant anyway. Anyone too selfish or stupid to take birthbane when it’s right there on the table at meals isn’t going to make a good soldier. As for courage, do you want to chance your life on someone whose only thought is getting away?”

“No, but—”

“No. And they did not know, until they tried the training, that they would fail, or be so frightened. Neither do you. That’s why no one’s promoted from recruit until after we’ve seen them in battle.”

Paks thought about that, and looked at her companions with new intent. Vik—always joking, but quick as a ferret with his blade. Arñe, pleasant and hardworking, never flustered. Saben, good-natured and strong, quick on his feet. Effa, bossy and nosy, but totally honest and fearless. Barra, her nearest rival among the women for size and strength, and Natzlin, her gentler shadow. Quiet Sim, Jorti with his caravan tales, quick-tempered Seli, chill Harbin. Those swords would ward her, or not. Her sword would ward them—or not.

But time to think was short, with the rush of training, and soon the year turned toward spring. The first brief thaw made mush out of the snow on the drill fields; the ground below was still frozen. And then the hints began.