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to every plate. A handful of men and women brought out patched-together instruments and played one raucous tune after another. Couples danced under torchlight, their bodies shimmering with the flames.
    Tommy showered Malja with hugs. She tried not to stiffen up under his affections, but she had no doubt he noticed her discomfort. He broke away and rubbed down her horse. Later, he played with her hair while she ate. This she handled better.
    A little girl with straight, blond hair looked up at her with eager eyes and asked to hear the story of the battle. "You don't want to hear that," Malja teased before telling the story to the girl's rapt attention. By the time Malja finished, a crowd of children had formed around her.
    "Tell it again!" they shouted, clapping their hands and banging the ground until Malja put down her plate and described the battle once more. She had never enjoyed trading stories with adults — it was just competition — but with children, the experience took on the purity of inspiration.
    Tommy sat beside her, beaming with the pride of being her trusted ally. As she finished retelling the story, she decided to help Tommy's status a little more. Though they'd probably never see these people again, he deserved at least one night of fun playing the hero.
    "You know Tommy helps me stay sharp, so I'm prepared for whatever threats might come our way," she said to the amazed faces. "We play a game I call The Reflex Game."
    "Show us," the kids cried out.
    Before Malja said another word, Tommy jumped to his feet and put his hands behind his back. Malja laughed and Tommy gave her a rare, genuine smile.
    "Pair off," she said, and the kids rushed around to find their best friends. "Now one person do just like Tommy. The other do as I do." Malja faced Tommy and brought her hands together as if in prayer. The kids followed along. "Tommy's going to try to slap my hand. If he gets me, he keeps going, but if he misses, then we switch and it's my turn to slap his hands. But there are rules. I can only move my hands up or down, and they must stay together all the time. Tommy can try to fake an attack but if his hand comes around enough to be seen, he must follow through. And last, the most important rule — if he fakes a strike, but I react anyway, he gets a free slap. I can only try to evade a real attack. Understand?"
    Some of the children launched right into the game. Others appeared to be afraid. Malja looked at them and said, "A warrior must learn to face down a threat and only react to true dangers. Play this game enough, and you'll be on your way to being a great warrior."
    The little blonde girl had her hands out and concentrated on her partner's shoulders. "Then we can defend ourselves, right?" she said.
    "That's right." Tommy and Malja played a few rounds and soon all the children were giggling, slapping, feigning, and smiling. With a nod, Malja sent Tommy off to play with the others. She returned to her meal, grinning at the playful sounds around her. She swore she even heard a giggle sneak out of Tommy's lips, but when she turned around he was silent. But smiling.
    Later, parents broke up the game to send their children to bed. Though there were many complaints, most of the children were tired and some moved with sluggish steps. A few uttered words of thanks before heading home. With his eyes growing too heavy to stay awake, Tommy curled around Malja's knee. Pressig's wife, however, swooped in and carried him to her house.
    A handsome, young man climbed onto a table. "Drinks for the victors," he said, raising two frothing jugs in the air.
    Malja observed the eager townspeople line up to get drunk on fermented whatever, and she let a new smile drift across her face. She rarely got to see this side of battle. Often while others celebrated, she traveled onward. This time, however, she had little choice. With Tommy asleep in the house and Fawbry locked away, she would have to wait for things to settle down before