“He doesn’t talk much.” Unlike you, she thought, but held her tongue. “He saved us today from an ambush. He’s an amazing archer.”

“We’ll be needing his skills. I’m Peddonon, by the way. An old-fashioned name, I admit. Everyone calls me Peddo.” He grinned.

She laughed, because usually only women had names like that, and she liked him the better for being amused about it. “Maybe you’re a bit like me, eh? I’m called Nallo.”

“You’ll fit right in. Let me find someone to get you to the barracks—Likard! Get over here and take her in hand.” He nodded at Nallo. “I was just about to head out on patrol when we saw you three, and Trouble injured. Wsst!” His brows drew down. “Volias can be a bit of a jerk, but we all love that bird, and so does he. Will you be all right? Don’t let that fat-ass Likard try to give you the bunk by the door. Glad you’re here, Nallo. Sure as hells we need you.”

He walked off, head cocked to size up Pil as the Qin carried weapons and gear over to Nallo. The soldier set everything down and glanced around. If he was as nervous as she felt, she could not tell by his bland expression.

A short, thin man with his long hair tied back in a tail hurried up. “You have the look of novices, eh? I’m Likard. If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you bunks where you can dump your gear, and then Ofri’ll want to meet you.” They followed him, feet crunching on the gritty dirt. “You been in training long?”

“I haven’t,” said Nallo. “I came here to be trained.”

Likard looked at Pil, who shrugged, his gaze flickering down, and all at once Nallo realized he was not a stolid, laconic, arrogant outlander but a youth not much older than she was who was simply very shy.

“I figure he’s been training at Naya Hall two or three months, since it was established.”

“Naya Hall?” Likard squinched up his face.

“It’s what they call it, because of the oil of naya. It’s where they sent the overflow of novices out of Argent Hall.”

“That Joss is now marshal over there, eh? Who’d’ve thought that cursed drunken womanizer had it in him? I’m impressed, heh!” He led them up onto a porch and had them unlace their flying boots before they went inside. The barracks hall had an open room for work, unswept at this hour and littered with wood shavings and scraps of leather. Behind half-open screens lay a raised sitting room strewn with pillows and low tables. Pairs of doors opened off either side of the work room. Likard slid one open, gesturing to a shuttered room beyond.

“Unless you got any preference otherwise, I’ll put you both in here where most of the younger reeves bunk.”

She stepped into the chamber, which was long and narrow and had a musty odor, nothing unpleasant, just redolent of bodies. There were about twenty beds, most decorated with homely remembrances like a flower-patterned quilt or an embroidered pillow.