Shield's Lady

ruin my whole future,” Sariana whispered. “I’m not staying here, you see. Eventually I’ll be going home to the eastern provinces. I was born and raised in Rendezvous. I’m only here for a year or two.”
    The medic shook her head uneasily. “This is the first time I have ever heard of a Shield finding a mate from the eastern provinces. Now that there is growing contact between us, this sort of situation may become more common. Unfortunately, no provision was made for it in the First Generation Pact the colonists made with the Shields.”
    Sariana didn’t like the somber tone in the other woman’s voice. “Why is it so unfortunate?”
    Medic Vallon looked at her. “You can trust a Shield with your life. Everyone in the west knows that to a Shield, his word is his bond. They adhere rigidly to the terms of the Pact. But they are a desperate class who face extinction with each new generation. If they discover that they can find mates in the eastern provinces, you can be certain they will start searching for them there as well as here. But the people of the eastern continent have no pact with which to control them.”
    Sariana’s mouth went dry. “Are they so very dangerous? It sounds like there are only a few of them.”
    “Any intelligent being facing extinction would probably become dangerous out of desperation. But in the case of the Shields, the business of being dangerous takes on new meaning. The luck of the day to you, Sariana Dayne. I’m beginning to think you will need it. A word of warning. If I were you, I would not let your Shield know about that little sponge I just gave you. If he does find out, I would consider it a great favor if you would avoid telling him who prescribed it for you.”

    There was a light, misty rain falling by the time Sariana reached the street. A disgusted hiss from Lucky made Sariana pause long enough to reach up and remove the lizard from her shoulder.
    “So you don’t like getting wet, hmm? Here you go. I hope that suits you.” She popped the scarlet-toe into a pocket of her cloak and then pulled up the hood to cover her hair. The hissing stopped as the lizard settled down into the comfortable pocket. Sariana put the package she had gotten from the medic into another pocket.
    If she hadn’t gotten lost on the way back to the docks, she would never have stumbled onto the fair. It was being held at the edge of town and the array of brightly colored tents, awnings and flags stretched as far as Sariana could see. The misting rain did not seem to affect the enthusiasm of the crowds. The fairgrounds were thronged with brilliantly garbed people.
    Sariana was fascinated. There was no equivalent to it in the eastern provinces. A few of the farming towns had annual festivals, but nothing on this scale. She found herself sucked into the crowds before she knew what had happened. The shouts of audiences and hucksters mingled with music and the screams of overexcited children. Warm, fragrant smells filled the air near the food booths and more acrid, earthy scents emanated from the animal stalls.
    Sariana wandered for over an hour, taking in an exhibition of magic, staring in amused wonder at a muscleman who could lift an entire dragonpony off the ground, and listening to balladeers.
    She turned a corner at one point and found herself in an aisle of craft booths. Idly she began studying the wares that were offered for sale. When she spotted a handsome metal belt buckle on display beneath a cheerful blue awning, she stopped.
    The buckle was beautifully made. With an eye that had been trained for over a year in the Avylyn household, Sariana judged the craftsmanship and found it very satisfying. The motif was a finely executed head of a bird of prey. Its eyes were set with small, perfectly faceted stones that resembled prisma, although Sariana knew from the price of the object that the stones could not possibly be genuine crystal. The creature’s black and gold feathers were fashioned in beautiful cloisonne work.
    An image of Gryph’s worn leather belt and scarred buckle flashed into Sariana’s mind.
    In that moment the vendor spotted her and rushed forward excitedly. “You have an eye for beauty, my lady. This is the finest piece in my collection. It was done by a member of my own clan. We’re closely related to the Avylyns, you know. You’ve heard of them, of course?”
    Sariana smiled faintly. It was not unusual for a provincial jewelers’ clan to claim kinship with