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like a mouse to his cat. She faced Juhrnus squarely, her mouth flat, her eyes narrowed.
    “Is there a problem, little sister?” he asked in that sneering tone of his. Reisil gritted her teeth. She was so tired of him getting away with that little sister business! Words boiled up and burst on her lips, searing her tongue, but she closed her teeth on them, refusing to cause a scene by railing at an ahalad-kaaslane . Even Juhrnus.
    Then an idea struck her and she paused. How simple! How had she not thought of it sooner?
    She smiled.
    “Big brother, I must apologize. I have been remiss. I haven’t yet congratulated you.” She gestured at the sisalik, her smile widening at his nonplussed expression. “May the sun shine on you both all your lives.” Until you burn red and your skin peels and splits and your hair falls out and— “I am preparing a gift for you. You will need a medicine pouch for your journeying. I have only to label things carefully so that you will not poison yourself, or give yourself the flux—accidentally.”
    His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms.
    “So the kitten has claws. Who’d have thought?”
    “And who’d have thought I’d find you standing so far back, in the rear of trouble. But then, you’re always behind the trouble, aren’t you?”
    “Careful how you go, little sister. Don’t forget I’m ahalad-kaaslane .”
    “And don’t you forget you’re ahalad-kaaslane, big brother,” Reisil retorted, her heart thundering. It wasn’t much, but standing up to Juhrnus after all these years was like climbing to the top of a mountain or swimming across the ocean. Exhilarating, empowering.
    “Please, don’t let me keep you from your work,” she said, gesturing to where Upsakes, Sodur and Felias continued to mollify the townspeople. “You’ve been so helpful today. Almost like you were actually here.”
    He flushed and and opened his mouth, but she didn’t wait for his response. Hugging her victory to herself, she tunneled away through the crowd.
    She found Raim in his kitchen. He smiled welcome as she leaned in the serving window but did not stop kneading his dough.
    “Bright day to you, Reisil. A blessed day indeed. You have seen?”
    She nodded. “The Lady is generous.” She changed the subject, not wanting to talk any more about Saljane, not wanting to even think about her. “I have brought you some of that perin thistle we talked about, and berigroot.” She put the two pouches on the counter. She’d harvested them on a recent overnight trip up the Sadelema.
    Raim dusted off his hands and took the pouches reverently in his hands. “Magnificent! You are the tark of my heart,” he said, opening the perin thistle and sniffing. “Ah, like a blessing from heaven. I thank you. Will you sit and eat?”
    “I’d like to, but I’ve more errands.” She no longer felt hungry.
    “Do you think anyone will mind?” He waved a flour-dusted hand at the thickening crowd. “Today is a new holiday.”
    “Teemart has a fever and I promised his mother I would look in,” she said, trying to sound regretful.
    “Nurema? I would not be late to her door for all the world. Such a tongue she has, like a whip of nails. Ah, well, such is the life of the tark. Sun shine bright on you, and thank you for these.” He tapped the pouches. “I will set you a feast next time.”
    “Then I will make sure next time comes soon.”
    Reisil remembered Meelaru. “Raim, when all this settles down, could you ask Sodur to go see Meelaru? There’s a woman there, another refugee—I think he can help her.”
    “Another one?” Raim shook his head. “My heart weeps for them all. I heard of this plan to begin a new town. Varitsema does not like it, but it is a good thing. I shall tell Sodur. You had better go before Nurema gnaws herself into a frenzy.”
    Reisil waved good-bye and squeezed out through one of the arches. She turned her feet back toward the main gate, swinging into a swift walk, padding past