Free Recluce 07 - Chaos Balance by L.E Modesitt

crystal. Shards of ice still littered the frozen sand and rocky edges of the narrow creek. A gaping hole had been ripped in the millpond wall between the two drainage gates. “Who did that?” asked Ayrlyn, halting her mount farther downstream.
       “Ice, probably.” The smith shook his head. “I'd guess it will be two eight-days before the ground's melted and firm enough to start repairs. Next year, we ought to drain it in the fall, leave both gates open.”
       The mare whuffed, and Nylan turned her downhill, letting her walk until she was out of the snow and on the narrow road by the brickworks. While he waited for Ayrlyn, he studied the area again. The mill was going to be as much of a pain as he'd remembered. Maybe that was why the oldtime millers were always wealthy. Somehow, he didn't feel so enthusiastic about building the mill.
       “You know,” said Ayrlyn as she stopped her mount beside his and fastened her jacket up as the breeze stiffened. “You talk as if there will be a next year.”
       “No one's going to challenge Westwind this year, are they? Karthanos spent a lot of golds, too much if he intended another battle. He's lost two armies in less than a year. And Lornth-who do they have left to send against us? This Cyador's farther south, and from what I can determine, they'd have to march over Lornth to get to us.”
       Ayrlyn brushed back the flame-red hair off her forehead, but the breeze whipped the fine short stands right back across her eyes. “I wasn't thinking about Westwind. I was thinking about you.”
       “Me?”
       “What happened to Gerlich?”
       “I'm not like him.”
       “I know that, but does Ryba? More to the point, does it matter?” Ayrlyn brushed back her hair again in exasperation. “Almost every guard in Westwind would throw herself in front of an arrow or a blade for you. How long will Ryba stand that? You've already told her you won't stand for stud on her terms. That makes you a social gelding.”
       Nylan winced. Ryba had slaughtered the geldings for food the first winter, and he could remember asking himself if that would be his eventual fate. Ayrlyn was suggesting his time might be coming sooner than he'd thought.
       “I can see that the thought isn't totally unforeseen.”
       “I was thinking about geldings in Westwind,” Nylan admitted.
       “That. .. you're not. I mean, that's not what I meant.” The healer and singer flushed almost as brightly as her hair.
       “It isn't?”
       Ayrlyn eased the chestnut closer to the mare. “You know, Nylan,” she began with a grin, “sometimes you are such a noble and honorable pain in the ass, such an agonizingly long-suffering and noble pain. Nylan will take it on; Nylan will make it right.” The grin grew wider. “And then you do.”
       “I'm not that bad,” he protested. “I'm not.”
       “Ryba thinks so.” The grin vanished. “I'm serious. Why does she have you working so hard, making weapons that the guards won't need for years? Why is she suggesting that you train more smiths?”
       “I'd wondered about that, but she thinks so far in advance.”
       “It's about time we did.”
       “We?” Nylan forced a grin.
       “We. Istril got the last favor. The very last favor of that nature.”
       “I was thinking that Siret...”
       Ayrlyn put her free left hand on the hilt of the shortsword and drew it enough to show black steel. “You do, and I won't wait for Ryba for this gelding business.”
       “I get the point, woman.”
       “If you don't, you will.” Ayrlyn resheathed her blade with a wicked grin. “And no more of this sleeping alone.”
       Nylan groaned, loudly. Then he grinned.
       After a moment, so did Ayrlyn.
       The wind whistled, more loudly, and they both looked up to see the leading edge of a cloud bank appearing over the cliff edge above.
       Ayrlyn shivered. “I'm cold. Can we start back?”
     
      Nylan nodded,