Blade nearly ran the last few hundred yards to the camp. Riyannah was walking off toward the nearest spring to refill their canteens.

«Riyannah!» he shouted, waving furiously. She turned. «Come here!» As she hurried toward him, he pulled a magazine out of his pack and picked up her empty rifle. Then he shoved the magazine into place, snapped on the safety, pulled out the bayonet, and locked it on to the rifle's muzzle. By now Riyannah was back in the camp, looking curiously at him. Before she could say anything, he held the rifle out to her.

«Here, Riyannah. Take this. It is yours.»

Riyannah stared at it as if he'd slapped her, grabbed for the rifle, and missed. It fell to the ground with a thud. She knelt to pick it up, but her hands were shaking so badly she couldn't grip it. Her eyes shut, squeezing out tears which washed paths through the soot on her face.

«Why?» she said, in a voice so strangled that Blade could barely understand her.

«There are dangerous animals in this forest. I did not think there were any, but now I know I was wrong. You must have a rifle and ammunition, to defend yourself against the animals.»

«You did-I-«, then a wordless choking noise. For a moment Riyannah seemed too stunned and confused even to cry, let alone speak.

«I do not want you to be killed by the animals,» said Blade, smiling. «Why should I? That would make me stupid and cruel, like the soldiers.»

Slowly, as if all her joints were rusty, Riyannah stood up. Her fists were clenched and her eyes were open but staring blindly. Then she stepped forward, tripped over the rifle, and nearly fell into Blade's arms.

He held her gently and kissed her on the forehead and on the eyes until she stopped shaking. At last she straightened up and he let her go. She stepped back and nearly tripped over the rifle.

Blade laughed. «Riyannah, the first thing you must learn about this rifle is not to jump up and down on it.» She laughed in turn, bent down, and picked it up.