"Vaulden?"
At the hearing of the name, Jesse's spoon stopped.
Valeria knew that kind of stop. Jesse did not pause for nothing. She paused when she had decided to say something and was still choosing where to put it.
"The spear one?" a second voice asked at the next table. "I thought they were arguing over the pass."
"They were, until Vaulden started in on Elowyn Caerlin." The first voice dropped, then climbed back the way such voices do. "I didn't catch all of it. I caught 'beggar.'"
"Over a lecture drill?"
"Over nothing. Then Reilan stepped over the chalk, and I saw his boot go." A fork tapped a plate. "The swing rang off the barrier instead of Vaulden's arm, and that was Lucavion."
"Lucavion? He was in the reserve."
"I know. I never saw him move. He was just there, saying 'let's not go overboard,' like Reilan had asked for seconds."
