Page 72 of Shadows of Winter

“I examined it the other day. It’s coming along fine. But Day One, as you call it, tends to be challenging. A lot of the early months are designed to improve your strength, endurance, and balance, so you’ll be ready for long days of riding taybarri, surviving in the mountains, and going into battles when they come.”

Kaylina shook her head, though the idea of riding her own taybarri was appealing. Other than a brief jaunt through town on Crenoch, she hadn’t done more than pet them. Or be licked by them. What would it be like to ride on their backs as they loped across the miles and flashed to discombobulate enemies in battle?

“You’ll want this. And I can also offer this.” The doctor dropped two of his compressed-horse-dung pills into her palm, one the familiar green and the other orange. He also handed her a pouch that probably held more of them. “Take them twice a day. That one, you know well, and it’s to help with the pain. That one isn’t something I’d usually prescribe, but it lifts the mood a bit, helps everything seem less onerous. Might even make you laugh while you’re doing push-ups with your trainer hollering in your ear.”

Kaylina frowned at the orange pill and thought of her mother’s reliance on tarmav weed to get out of bed in the mornings. She didn’t want to be like that. “I don’t want my mood altered.”

Frayvar would have laughed at her words and probably told her to chomp down the orange pills like bacon-wrapped dates. No, that wasn’t fair. Mom’s reliance on the weed concerned him too.

“Are you sure? I haven’t seen you without a glower.”

“You haven’t seen me at my best.” Kaylina pointed to her leg.

“Suppose that’s fair. You don’t have to take it, but keep the pouch in case you change your mind. I understand you didn’t volunteer for this.” His tone was sympathetic.

She decided she liked him. A lot more than the other rangers. Especially more than his captain.

“I didn’t,” she said.

“If you’re an anrokk, I understand why Targon chose you, but…” The doctor spread his hand. “It’s not an easy life.”

She eyed his scars. If even the healers got beat up here, she had no doubt of his statement.

“Do a lot of the rangers take the mood pills?” she asked.

“Some. Mostly it helps out the new recruits. The early months of training are hard.”

“Does Vlerion take anything?” Kaylina thought of those dangerous glints that came to his eyes and what might happen if he lost his temper.

“Not that I’m aware of. Not even pain medication when he’s injured. He says he doesn’t want anything altering his mental state.” The doctor shrugged. “You can ask him more about it yourself.” He pointed across the courtyard, past the taybarri stable to where Vlerion stood alone, his arms folded over his chest.

That dyspeptic expression was back on his face as he watched them. Had he been there all along?

Kaylina chewed down the dreadful pain medicine, then eyed the other. “Would the orange pill make it easier for me to bow and say yes, my lord?”

The doctor snorted. “Probably.”

Thinking again of her mother, she didn’t take it. Jaw set, she strode toward Vlerion.

Before she reached him, Captain Targon stepped out of the shadows, startling her.

“Good morning, my lord.” Kaylina made herself smile, but she doubted it reached her eyes.

Targon nodded at her. “Thank you for coming.”

“I assumed I didn’t have a choice.”

“Vlerion and I had a bet about that. I thought you’d run.”

Frayvar’s words echoed in her mind: We could stow away on a ship and go home.

“He didn’t?” Kaylina didn’t confess that she’d been tempted.

“Nope.” Targon held up a finger to Vlerion, who hadn’t moved but continued to watch them.

Targon turned his back toward Vlerion, as if he didn’t want his subordinate to hear his next words. Kaylina tensed.

“I’m not going to change my mind about having him train you, because he’s one of our best, and I think Crenoch is going to insist on you being his rider one day, but…” Targon eyed her. “I advise you to be respectful, mindful, and obedient to him.”

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