“Who wouldn’t want Sanctuary like that? But Sanctuary’s Sanctuary and it never changes.”
She raised her eyes to glower at him and to make him think better of whatever he had meant to say next
“If you could bring yourself to take care of it, it might change into something better Maybe even something you could love “
“That’d be the day Who are you, anyway9”
“Call me a shepherd “
Illyra cocked her head at him Whatever he was, the only sheep he saw were dead, cooked, and served to him on a platter Some errant warrior, more likely She noticed he’d left a horse drop-tied back on the path, and noticed that no one was coming or going on the path, either It was not really a good idea to argue with one whose saddle and weapon belt bristled with a dozen modes of death
“All right, I give Sanctuary my blessing-“
“From the rock “
She seated herself on the first stone and made a show of clearing her throat “I give Sanctuary my blessing,” she repeated A gust of wind carried dust into her eyes, that, and the back-lighting sun made it impos- sible to see him clearly “Let its people live m peace Let its governors rule wisely Let its walls be strong and its stewpots full.
“There, is that more like it7” she demanded, squinting into the sun
“You forgot love “
“Right, husbands love wives, wives love children, children . . oh, children love whoever they want “
“It’s a start,” the unlikely shepherd confirmed “Mighty trees and the like. Are you thirsty9”
He unslung a wineskin and offered it to her Thinking he meant to embarrass her, Illyra took it Not that many townswomen could aim the bladder and catch the stream without covering themselves with wine She could She’d learned to drink from a skin-and not from a borrowed vision, either It was one of the very few things her father had taught her The wine wasn’t half bad a bit tamnc, perhaps, but not local She caught a last drop and handed the skin back to him, smiling like a well-fed cat