“Can’t Olossi’s militia protect us? What of those black wolves who rode through here a few days ago, chasing the invaders? The tale says that an outlander will save us!”

His questions were echoed by others, all pressing forward so eagerly that Volias actually took a step back. Joss held his ground.

“We were aided by the outlanders. Captain Anji’s company served us well. But another army, a stronger one, may attack out of the north in the months to come. Don’t give the responsibility to protect yourselves to someone else, lest you forget how to defend yourself when there is no one to lend you a sword or bow. You’ve faced that day already, and lost your homes and kin. Best we don’t walk this road again.”

He nudged Volias’s elbow. Before the crowd could recover, he and Volias moved back behind the table set up to mark the assizes court and into what had once been a house. The upper courses of the stone walls were gone, but the sections of wall that remained served as a barrier. He leaned against stone and scratched at a watering eye.

“Dust everywhere,” he muttered.

The Snake paced. “You get all puffed up with your hectoring. Half the women in the audience were eyeing you, hoping for a glance from those pretty eyes.”

“Enough! What do you have to say to me?”

“There’s a solo eagle hanging around, comes and goes. No reeve. She favors one wing, a recent injury.”

“Tumna?”

“Is that her name?”

“Yes. She’s out of Argent Hall. Her old reeve’s dead. It seems she’s already chosen a new reeve.”

“How could she have done that? No one’s stepped into the circle.”

“I don’t know. But it happened. Hasn’t the girl made herself known to you? No, maybe she isn’t here yet. It’ll take her days to reach here, and she has small children with her.”

“Married?” asked Volias with surprise.

“Widow. They’re stepchildren. The father must have been a lot older.”

Volias leaned on the wall, propped on his elbows, and stared over the darkening hills to the northeast. Their personal feud had gone on so long that Joss rarely saw on Volias a neutral expression, but the man had borrowed one now, and it softened his features and made him appear almost likable. “You weren’t just putting her on to try to get a taste of her, her being thankful for the attention?”

“Gods! For sure that’s a likely thing for a newly appointed marshal to do. And in such times as these! The hells, Volias! Is that really what you think of me?”

“Heh. Got you.” There it was: a grin. Not precisely friendly, but not quite bitter and mocking either. “I’ll keep an eye out. What do I do with her?”

“She’ll have to go to Argent Hall to train. Tell you what, when she comes in, you fly her back to Argent Hall, or delegate another reeve to do so. Yet I’m not sure she’ll be willing to separate from the children until we can get them settled in some other way. There’s an older girl, old enough to marry. I’m hoping she might be persuaded to marry one of the Qin soldiers.”