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boring but not too bad. It has a family vibe that I was not anticipating.”
    “A lot of long-term postings are like that. You feel like you belong until it is time to leave and then you have to go elsewhere, but you will always have the friendships forged while you are with them.”
    “It sounds like you have been on a few.”
    “I travelled with my mother when she was crossing our world as a matchmaker. Now, her position as dispatcher gets her matching the proper people with the correct assignment. It doesn’t always look that way, but it ends up that way when all is said and done.”
    “She was a matchmaker?”
    “She still is. Don’t worry. She only makes romantic matches on request.”
    A curl of relief ran through her. “Oh good.”
    He chuckled and sipped at his tea.
    “Are you an only child, Nearing?”
    “I am. My mother said that one of me was quite enough.”
    She swallowed her tea and then laughed. “I can see that. My family had the bad taste to continue having children until I arrived. Apparently, that scared my parents enough to stop. Something had gone wrong with their perfect child template. I was everything wrong and nothing correct for their political ambitions, social class and personal dignity.”
    “Oh dear. I am guessing you were a bit of a shock.”
    She shrugged. “I have a care for the people of my world, for those who cannot rise because the need for additional education stymies them. Even if you have an inclination for an occupation, you cannot just assume it; you need to work at it, to learn it.”
    “Just as you have done with the Citadel.”
    Yllin paused. “I suppose I have.”
    He paused and cocked his head. “Have you ever ridden a quadruped before?”
    “Yes. Once. Why?”
    Nearing grinned, “Because that is how we are going to conduct our search.”
    Yllin remembered the creature with the baleful eyes that had taken her on a terror-filled journey through the streams and trees. “Fine, but if it gives me any attitude, we are going to have a frank discussion, and I am going to win.”
    “I am going to enjoy watching the battle.” He had a sly look in his eyes as he finished his tea.
    She whisked the empty cup away with a scowl and returned it to the galley with her own. Yllin returned, belted in and waited for her first really active assignment to begin.
     
    The organiser of the campsite met them at the shuttle pad. They got a briefing of the situation and met their steeds.
    Yllin eyed the six-footed jehrkreez, and he stared her down as well. She felt the actual moment when they agreed he would take her on her mission and nothing else. They would not be friends; they were going to be comrades.
    Nearing didn’t have to negotiate with his beast. He simply introduced himself and the other beast fawned all over him.
    She hauled herself into the saddle and gripped the reins. With pressure from her legs, her beast lumbered forward, and they headed toward the place where the child had gone missing.
    Nearing pulled up next to her. “Are you ready?”
    “Do you have a direction?”
    He pointed. “Northwest of the main camp grounds. She was moving fast. The distance is far greater than I would have imagined.”
    She sent out a searching blast, and her beast raised its head, turning to look at her with surprise. “Sorry. I will try and keep it to a minimum.”
    He nodded and she felt a change under her limbs. Nearing’s beast was engaging in the same move, changing from rambling ruminant to creature designed for speed.
    Nearing told the organiser that they were on their way, and Yllin took the lead. She used her senses to give the beast beneath her little cues. They worked together well, and the occasional glance backward showed her that Nearing’s beast was keeping up.
    “This would be a lot easier if we could use coms.”
    Her beast snorted and kept moving at his blurring pace. She nudged him, turned him and guided him through the woods and rocks.
    She could see where they