When Skana took her knife and stabbed the sausage, she half expected to be rebuked for it. Even though the plate was set in front of her, all she did was look at where the knife pierced the soft, juicy meat and inhale the rich scent of spices and oils used to enhance the flavor. Her mouth watered and her belly growled like the ravenous beast it was, demanding she take a bite.

Instead, she looked from Speranzi to Corwin. A meal this large and of such obviously expensive fare was one she’d only heard stories about. And her lifetime apart from this level of dish only heightened her anxiety.

Afraid to actually take a bite, ready to be told it was a mockery despite the shift in treatment she received from the Maiden of the Door, and more suddenly, from Corwin himself, she hesitated. “I’ve- I’ve never seen this much food in front of me before.”

She inhaled the scent, leaning over the platter to take it all in. The steam caressed her cheeks like a lover’s gentle hand, urging her to go on, go forward… have a taste.

“It is earned.” Corwin said with finality, “Speranzi is like a niece to me, and however you came to be on this side of the wall, you carried her bleeding body away and put yourself at risk to heal her. I won’t apologize for how I regarded you before. You earned that too. But,” he said and folded his hands into his lap, “you also earned a pardon for it in my mind. We can start fresh, if you’re willing. Ask any reward out of me that you wish, and if it is in my power, and within reason, I will grant it.”

Skana’s luminous green eyes looked at the chubby faced Corwin as if she were seeing him as a new man, and then she yanked the pierced sausage up and shoved it whole into her mouth. Her chewing was loud and frankly rude to both of the better educated parties with her, but neither was about to criticize Skana for having a peasant’s manners.

The flavor exploded in her mouth as she savored every rich bite. Her eyes welled up with the emotion of the moment and she set herself to devouring the meal with the hunger of a dog that was sure the meal would be taken away.

Corwin chuckled a little, but Skana never noticed and a glance from Speranzi killed any further audible amusement on his part.

They however, ate slower, drank slower, took their time, leaving Skana’s platter of silver and bowls to match empty of all but drippings and scraps… until Skana yanked the dishes up one by one and held them to her lips to lick clean.

“I’ve never seen anyone eat with such boldness and gusto before that they wash the dishes with their tongue.” Corwin said as he finally finished his meal.

Skana flushed red in the face as she realized how ‘off’ her manners must have seemed, but about that, she couldn’t apologize. She gently laid one bowl into the other on the silver platter and said, “You haven’t seen many peasants at a feast, My Lord.” She answered, and he inclined his head with a measure of respect.

It was a tiny rebuke in its way, pointing out his own ignorance of how peasants had to live, but one he didn’t mind. “Now that you’re finished with your meal, what would you ask of me?”

Skana glanced from him to Speranzi, who almost imperceptibly inclined her head, encouraging the peasant to speak her mind.

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“Sp- Lady Jadara has already told me that I would be given an education. Reading, writing, and some math I guess. She says it’s necessary for a soldier to be useful to her.” Skana replied.

“She’s right.” Corwin answered. “Literate soldiers can read orders or write them. Those who can count can scout better. They can say how many of everything not just ‘a lot of’ whatever they see. One reason her hundred are so expensive,” he glanced at Speranzi, who could not restrain herself from smugly raising her chin a little, “is because they can be used to fill the gaps in the more ignorant forces.”

“Sometimes we’re more clerks and general staff than soldiers.” Speranzi added, “Or more scouts than front liners. We’re too expensive to waste and too useful to not put into safer jobs that common people can’t do and cowardly nobles won’t go near.”

Skana accepted that with a curious interest, scratching her head through her auburn hair, “I never thought of that.” She admitted, “But, if I really can ask for any reward I want, then when I’m not learning things, let me be up where she is. Let me walk at her left hand.”

“I can’t give you that.” Corwin answered.

Skana looked down at her tray of empty dishes.

“I’ve hired her, but the Black Quiver company is hers. Only she can give you that reward.” Corwin answered abruptly before Skana’s face could become crestfallen.

“Granted.” Speranzi said, “I won’t promote you. You’ll have to earn that. But I will make you my personal runner, my crier. You’ll be at my side until you die there, or I do.”

Skana beamed, her face bright as the sun.

‘It’s hard to believe she was a brigand, she seems so… not that.’ Corwin thought, though the fact that she passed the trial she was set to, winning over enough of the unit that she wasn’t struck down in front of them, said something about her at least. ‘And if she’ll do that for Speranzi, maybe she’s not all bad. It’s strange enough that she can even look at her the way she does. Having someone around who can do that? Yes, that will be good for Speranzi’s spirits.’

“That still leaves you with a proper reward from me.” Corwin remarked out loud.

“I-I don’t know.” Skana answered. “With good armor, a good sword, and at the left hand of the hero of Prioche, not to mention good food every day and actual pay? What can you ask when you’re in heaven already?” Skana asked, adding a very sincere and noticeable shrug to her words.

Corwin chortled, his jowels flapped a little as he reached for his cup to finish the last of his tea. “You’re a bold one, Skana. But not very ambitious.”

“I’m a simple woman.” Skana said with indifference. “Enough money to get what I need, some music, a warm place to sleep, food to eat, ale to drink, and a companion worth living beside, and I can be happy forever, even if I have nothing else.”

Corwin leaned back in his chair and sipped looked down into his now empty silver cup. “If the whole world thought that way, Speranzi here might be out of a job.”

Speranzi sipped the rest of her tea and smacked her lips together. “After enough battles, every soldier thinks one of two things. May the wars never end. Or, why won’t these wars ever end?”

“Which are you?” Skana asked, curiosity rising about the woman who grew up with nothing but war or the training for it.

“I don’t know yet. I’m content to get by as things are, I was trained as a paladin after all, so doing what I think of as ‘just’ in honor of the gods means that as long as I pick the right side, I have to be fine with it. But?” She cocked her head and set her now empty cup down. “Maybe if the world thought like you, it’d be a happier place. People get tired of singing, dancing, laughter and love, sooner than war, or so an ancient god once said. I think they’re right. And this is what they’ve given us. Fight, kill, and die, until the end. If nothing else at least, it makes us strong.” Speranzi said with gentle calm, then stood.

“Corwin, I leave you to your apprentices, I’m going back to camp, and I’m taking this one,” Speranzi said and jerked her thumb toward Skana, who hastened to her feet as fast as she could, “back toward camp. She’ll be busy learning what she needs to learn, for the rest of the day, and won’t be running off again.”

“No, Speranzi, I won’t.” Skana said, and turning toward her leader, she gave a clumsy half bow that she made as gracefully as she could, but lacked the precision of someone with proper formal training.

“I’ll meet up with you later, I’ll stop by the temple and make a donation in your name to make up for the ‘misunderstanding’ yesterday… once I’ve handled the sales for the day.” Corwin promised, “Naturally that will come out of your pay.”

Speranzi rolled her eyes. “I’d object, but I suppose I’ve caused enough trouble that I failed to finish, so I’ll just say thank you and stay out of the city until it is time to go.”

“That would be for the best.” Corwin acknowledged, and with that, all three were on their feet, and left the inn together.