He nodded. “Much.” He tested his arms and legs. There was some achiness, but the pain was minimal. “Can you help me sit up?”

She reached down for him, put her arms around his body, lifting him as he scooted back into a sitting position. She was strong for all her delicacy. She seemed to know exactly how to lift and position him, as if she understood how his body felt.

“Who are you?” he asked when she was done.

“I’ve already told you.”

“No. What’s your name?”

“Lariana,” she answered.

“I’ve never heard of another with that name. It’s beautiful. How long have you been with Arcannen?”

“Not long. I had to talk him into taking me with him. He was resistant at first. He didn’t believe I could be of service to him. I think he is used to being alone.” She smiled. “Are you like that?”

He shrugged. “Probably. I never thought much about it.”

“But your magic sets you apart, doesn’t it? It makes it easier if you keep to yourself. Then you can avoid questions and the need for explanations you don’t want to give.”

“I suppose it does. Mostly, I’ve spent my time trying to feed myself. I’ve been alone since I was ten.”

And just like that, he was telling her the story behind the deaths of his parents and his subsequent flight from his home and efforts to make his own way in the world afterward. She listened without interruption, her expression shifting with each new revelation, her interest complete. He found it easy to talk to her because she was so responsive, and he never once thought to ask himself if revealing so much would in any way prove detrimental.

“You’ve had an interesting life,” she said.

“Tell me of yours.”

She shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. Like you, I was alone early. I came to the Southland and lived right here in Sterne for several years while I tried to find a way to make a living. It wasn’t easy. A young girl on her own doesn’t have many choices. But I found a way. Eventually, Arcannen met me and I asked if I could come with him. We agreed on the bargain I already spoke about.”

“Can you do any magic?”

She gave him a sly look. “Not so you would notice. I’m pretty good at healing injuries, though.”

He laughed. “I guess I’m proof of that. How did you learn healing?”

“Just another skill I picked up along the way. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?”

He decided he would, so she reached down inside the small storage compartment of the Sprint and brought out cheese, bread, and ale for them to eat. They sat together in the midday sun, enjoying their food and continuing their conversation. Reyn told her about Gammon, and how he had been almost like a father to him during his stay in Portlow. She told him, in turn, about a year she had spent with an elderly man in Sterne, looking after his affairs, caring for him as his life leaked away but his good humor and kindness never wavered.

“I was lucky to find someone like that,” she said. “There were others who treated me much differently. There were times when I didn’t have any choice but to let them.”

He studied her face, thinking that he would never treat her badly. She spoke of it almost matter-of-factly, with no bitterness or anger, without any hint of self-pity or weakness. It did not seem as if she expected anything else from life than what she had encountered. She appeared to have no illusions about how difficult it could be or how demanding. He understood that. He had seen and experienced enough to have developed a thick skin and a cautious sense of trust.

But he believed Lariana was more mature and better equipped to face life’s hardships than he had ever thought of being.

They finished their meal, and she cleared away what was left. Sitting next to him, she sipped at her ale contemplatively, pressed close.

“When did you first discover you had this magic Arcannen talks about?” she asked him finally.

He thought about a moment. “I was almost eight. It was an accident. I became angry with this other boy and yelled at him. My voice changed register; it grew more intense. I could feel it when it happened. Suddenly this boy was picked up and thrown backward. I never touched him. He was so scared he got up and ran away. Nothing came of it. I didn’t tell my parents, and he didn’t tell his. But when it happened again, there were other people around. You know the rest.”

“You get so angry you can’t control it?” she asked. “But you must have some control.”

“I do. It’s just not always reliable. I have to make myself stay calm. I can’t allow myself to get angry. I just keep it inside, bottle it up. I can use it on purpose, though. But mostly it’s better if I don’t. Better if I not let anyone know I have it.”

“But you sing for a living. You’re a musician. You have to use it then. You have to let people know about it.”

“Except they don’t know what it is I’m doing. Mostly. They just like my singing and playing and don’t pay attention to anything but how good it makes them feel or how sad or whatever emotion my voice arouses in them.”

“But Arcannen knew.”

The boy nodded. “He’s a sorcerer, right? So he must have sensed what it was.” He paused. “What does he want with me? Why did he bring me with him?”

She gave him one of her dazzling smiles. “I imagine he will reveal that to you when he returns. But he didn’t tell me.”

Then she leaned in suddenly and kissed him—a soft, lingering pressure of her mouth on his before pulling back.

“But you’ll tell me when he does, won’t you?”

He nodded solemnly. In truth, he would have promised her anything.

When Arcannen finally returned, arriving in a cart laden with supplies and driven by an old man, he climbed down and walked over to where the boy and the girl sat together in the shade of the canopy at the rear of the aircraft. Lariana rose immediately and went to him, and he directed her down off the vessel to help the old man unload the supplies from the cart.

Reyn started to rise to help her, but the sorcerer reached out quickly and held him back. “Not yet, Reyn. You need to rest a bit longer, recover a little more of your strength. Lariana can manage the supplies.”

The boy leaned back again, glancing past him momentarily to where Lariana was disappearing down the ladder. “I’m well enough already.”

“She’s quite remarkable, isn’t she?” the other asked, arching one eyebrow. “Did you have a nice talk?”

“She says she is your assistant. Is that so?”

The sorcerer nodded. “She applied for the job, even though I wasn’t offering it to her. She is quite persuasive. I agreed to take her on because I like her determination and confidence. How did she do with caring for your injuries?”

“She did well.”

“Did she tell you who I am?”

“Arcannen. You’re a sorcerer.”

“I am a practitioner of magic. Which is why I wish to speak with you. It’s very important that I do. I thought I made it clear that you should remain at the tavern until I returned. Apparently, you lost faith in me.”

Reyn shook his head. “A pair of Druids came to find me. Gammon told them I had already left, but he thought I should get away before they could find out the truth. So I tried to sneak out the back door, but they were waiting. One of them attacked me. What was I supposed to do? I ran; I tried to get away from them. But the Fortrens found me.” He paused. “Why did you set them on fire?”

Arcannen gave him a look. “I warned them to leave you alone.” He shrugged. “They were trash, anyway. And trash should be burned.”

Reyn almost said something critical in response, but decided against it. He didn’t know Arcannen well enough to question him too closely, and he couldn’t ignore the fact that the man had saved his life. How he had managed it wasn’t something Reyn cared to question too closely.

“Did you tell Lariana about yourself?” the sorcerer asked.