The rain began again, pattering against the palm fronds above. People around her drew up their hoods or lifted umbrellas. Her feet were already damp. What was she going to do? Search each street for a sign of the girl? She should be in the palace, sipping a cup of tea, going over their treasury and allocating money for the items on their list. Ah, maybe she had gone soft. She turned around to make her way back up the switchbacks.

She arrived back at the palace to find Phalue in the courtyard in the shadow of the second-floor balcony, conferring with Tythus. “That was quick,” she said, holding out a hand. Tythus handed her what looked like a small, pointed shield. Phalue inspected it, lifting it, checking buckles. Even in spite of what she’d seen and the news she brought, Ranami’s heart still swooped when she looked at her wife. There was both strength and kindness in the way she handled herself and the way she handled others.

Phalue looked up to meet her gaze, smiled and beckoned her over. Ranami went, rehearsing in her head what to say.

But Phalue had other things on her mind. “Look at this,” she said. “I had a blacksmith in the city make it.”

“A bit small for you, isn’t it?”

Phalue gave her an amused look. “Of course it’s not for me. It’s for Ayesh. The girl is small, but she’s quicker and stronger than she looks. A shield can be a weapon too, as well as providing defense.” She held it up against her arm like a vambrace, the pointed end over the back of her hand. “She can’t fight like me and expect to win. I’m bigger than most of my opponents, except Tythus. With her speed, two small weapons would be better suited to her. But without a hand, she can’t wield a dagger with her other arm. But this?” Phalue flipped the shield over, showing Ranami the straps, the cap at the end meant to go over Ayesh’s wrist. “This becomes an extension of her arm. The end is sharp, as are the edges close to the point. So now she has another weapon as well as something she can use to defend herself.”

“That’s clever,” Ranami said, all of her rehearsed words falling to dust in her mouth. This was one of the things she loved about Phalue: when she decided on something, she leapt in headfirst without reservation. When their relationship had begun, Ranami had marveled at Phalue’s openness, her willingness to share, to be vulnerable and to love recklessly. Ranami had always been the more cautious of the two of them.

She looked to Tythus, leaning against one of the pillars. “Could you give us a moment, please?”

He nodded, uncrossed his arms and retreated inside.