Paks shook her head, still looking into the bright sky where the dragon had been. “If it has a name, as we know names, it is not a name we can say. And I do not know why it called me, what that meeting was for. Nor do I know why Dragon calls me sister and daughter, though … it feels almost like family to me. And yet I know—” She scratched her head. “I know my father is a sheepfarmer up above Three Firs and my mother is the daughter of another sheepfarmer. My brothers and sisters are their children, as I am.”

“Um. Perhaps Dragon considers all paladins as family?”

“Perhaps. But please, Captain, tell me what happened to Stammel.”

“I know only what Dragon told me,” Arcolin said. “I should never have let him go—and yet I could not refuse him what he wanted.” He told her of the dragon’s earlier visit, the offer of a job, and Stammel’s decision to be the dragon’s archer. “I thought he would come back at the end of it, truly.”

“I did not even know he was blinded,” Paks said. “I wish … perhaps I could have…”

“I hoped you would come,” Arcolin said. “We thought—I thought—after the Marshals could not heal him, that perhaps a paladin could. But…”

“But Gird had other plans for me,” Paks said. “Nothing so important as Stammel, to me. If I had known, I would have come.” She sighed. Arcolin looked at her closely. Were those silver hairs among the yellow? It had not been that long. “And perhaps that is why I was not given to know,” she said.

“You will stay for a night at least, will you not? I would have you meet my wife and son.”

“As the gods allow,” Paks said. “I would like that. It was none of my business, but I never thought you would marry—and you have a son—a babe?”

“Her first husband died; Jamis is this tall—” Arcolin held his hand out. He led her into the inner courtyard and up the stairs. Calla was supervising Jamis’s daily stint of study—the boy was just beginning to read—and Arcolin made the introductions. Jamis’s eyes widened. “You’re a … a paladin!” he said. “And your mail really is shiny!”

“Jamis!” Calla said. “Be polite.”

Paks shook her head. “I was a big sister long before I was a paladin, milady. Jamis, would you like to see my horse?”

Jamis bounced off the chair, then looked at his mother. “Go along,” she said. “But come back quickly; I’m sure Paksenarrion has other things to do today than play big sister to you.”