“Lieutenant Malloy,” she said. “I don’t believe I’ve heard the story of how you joined us. If you’re willing to share it, of course.”

“Not much t’ tell, sir,” Malloy said, not meeting Winter’s eye. She had an awed expression, as though she were dining with a live saint, which made Winter distinctly uncomfortable. “I’m from Appes, on the Fal. Family’s in wool. Papa sent me an’ two of my older brothers to Vordan City, t’ finish up a contract with a new buyer. When the king died, we heard the roads weren’t safe, so we stayed put until it all blew over. My brothers were more worried about what this would do t’ prices than about watching out for me, so I was out on the th’ streets when the Vendre fell. I watched th’ Colonials march out to fight Orlanko, and I saw you leading the Girls’ Own in the parade afterward.”

Her eyes got a strange shine, a glow that seemed entirely independent of the firelight. She wasn’t looking at Winter, but past her, into the night sky. Novus, who’d been delicately nibbling his chicken, stopped to fix Malloy with a glare, but she didn’t notice.

“I went back t’ my brothers an’ told ’em I was joining the army,” she went on. “They called me crazy and laughed at me. Then they said Papa would disown me, and Benji told me to stop being silly an’ tried to grab me, so I popped him one on the nose. Got blood all over his new shirt. Then they shouted at me, said I’d end up as a whore an’ it’d be no business of theirs if I did, an’ I said it was no business of theirs anyway. An’ probably some other things I shouldn’t have. Then I grabbed my stuff and left.”

Winter was trying to think of what to say to that when Novus saved her the trouble, tossing his plate with its barely touched chicken into the fire. He got to his feet, a thunderous scowl on his face, and turned his back on the company without a word. As he stalked away, Winter got up to follow, gesturing at Bobby to keep the conversation alive. Bobby stuttered a bit, foiled by the sudden silence, but Captain Sevran came to the rescue with a question about the morning’s handball match, and everyone piled back into the talk with relief.

Winter found Novus standing by a vacant tent on the edge of camp, staring out toward the line of lights that were the torchbearing sentries. On either side, tents stretched away, neat lines fading into the darkness. The camp was alive with conversation, the crackle of fires, and the soft sounds of horses and oxen settling down for the night. Winter hesitated, not sure what to say, and was considering leaving the man alone when he rounded on her.