Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Now let's see where Ranna's got to...

I forgot to put a disclaimer on the last chapter, so... I don't own any of the Shiners, or some of the names that are used in the rest of this fic. I don't own any of the places either. All Garth Nix's. ;-)


Chapter 1 - Sleepbringer

When Ranna awoke, she found herself lying in a soft, warm bed. Sitting up, she began to wonder where she was. The room she was in was dark, only lit by flickering candlelight, but Ranna could see that the walls were hung with decorative cloths, and heavy curtains covered the window. She slipped quietly out of the bed and peered through a gap in the curtains. It was dark outside, probably about mid-evening, but she could tell that the view from the window was unfamiliar.

The sound of the door opening made Ranna turn around and she saw a young woman enter the room, carrying a bowl of water and a white cloth.

'Oh! You are awake, Miss,' the woman remarked in surprise when she saw Ranna standing by the window. 'It might not be a good idea for you to be out of bed just yet.' She crossed to Ranna and made her sit back down on the bed. 'How are you feeling, Miss?'

'I am fine,' Ranna answered, growing gradually more irritated as the woman tried to make her lie down. 'Who are you?'

'Imayne, Miss,' the woman replied with a friendly smile. 'I am one of the healers here.'

'Where is "here"?'

Imayne laughed. 'This is Belisaere,' she answered, as if it were obvious. 'You are in one of the guest rooms of the palace.'

'How did I get here?' Ranna asked. The last thing she could remember was falling asleep on a grassy hillside.

'King Anstyr and his guards found you on their way back from a hunt yesterday afternoon,' Imayne explained. 'The King was worried about you, so he brought you here. Might I ask for your name, Miss?'

'Ranna,' Ranna answered shortly. 'Why would the king be worried about me?'

'You were unconscious, and you have been so for a whole day,' Imayne replied, sitting down on the chair beside Ranna's bed.

'I was not unconscious,' Ranna said indignantly. 'I was merely asleep.'

Imayne raised her eyebrows dubiously. 'You must be a very deep sleeper, then. But why were you sleeping outside, Miss, if you don't mind my asking? It is not safe to be out on your own and unprotected, especially at night and in the winter. You might have caught a chill, and Free Magic creatures come out when it's dark. You do not want to meet one of them when you're alone.'

Ranna blinked. 'Why not?'

Imayne looked at her incredulously. 'You are not afraid of Free Magic creatures?'

'Of course not,' Ranna replied. 'I…' She stopped herself and looked at Imayne's expression. 'You are?'

'It is only common sense to be afraid of them. The guards here have been specifically trained to stop any Free Magic creatures entering the city.'

Ranna raised her eyebrows. 'I see.'

'Where have you come from?' Imayne asked suddenly. She had already assumed that Ranna was a member of some noble family, as had the King when he had found her, but it was clear that she was from nowhere nearby. The King knew almost all the noble families in his kingdom, and he had not recognised her.

'Somewhere in the north,' Ranna replied, imbuing her words with a subtle Charter spell that would stop Imayne noticing that her answer was incredibly vague. She felt bad about it – Imayne was asking a perfectly reasonable question – but it was necessary. 'Why do you want to know?'

'I have been instructed to find out, Miss, so a message can be sent there, just so no-one worries about you,' Imayne replied.

'That won't be necessary,' Ranna answered quietly.

'Why not?' Imayne asked, surprised. 'Surely, someone will be wondering where you are? Your parents?'

Ranna shifted a little. 'I lived with... my sisters. I am sure they will not worry.'

Imayne couldn't ignore the tone in Ranna's voice, but she decided against asking anything more. Instead, she reached out to feel Ranna's forehead with her hand.

'You are still a little feverish,' she commented. 'I have been trying to cool you down ever since you were brought here, but nothing seems to have worked yet.'

Ranna frowned. She wasn't able to catch illnesses. 'I do not have a fever,' she said. 'I feel completely well. I have always been a little warmer than usual,' she added, noticing Imayne's sceptical expression.

'Are you sure, Miss?' Imayne asked. 'You feel a little too warm to me.'

'I am fine,' insisted Ranna. 'You look tired. Should you not be resting now? I thought hu… people... needed to sleep at night.'

Imayne sighed wearily. 'I am a little worn out,' she admitted, 'but I have to see to Queen Merenne now. She is eight months gone with child and the baby's kicking has been keeping her awake for days. Myself and the other healers have tried every remedy we can think of to try and help her, but nothing has had much effect so far. We are running out of ideas, if I am honest, but we have to keep trying. I will come back to check on you once I have seen to the queen.'

Ranna nodded and watched Imayne leave, then she relaxed against the pillows. She found that she quite liked Belisaere already, even though she had only really seen this one room. If she acted like a human, Ranna thought, she might be allowed to stay, although she assumed that the king would be the one to decide that. A thought suddenly came to her, and she got out of the bed and hurried out of the room.

'Imayne!' she called, quickly catching up with the healer.

Imayne turned and was surprised to see Ranna so close behind her. 'Mistress Ranna! Is everything alright?'

'Yes,' Ranna answered. 'I have just had a thought. I have a small talent for singing people to sleep, and I was thinking, since you said you were running out of ideas to help the queen, maybe I could try that?'

'Singing people to sleep?' Imayne repeated sceptically. She hesitated for a while, and then shrugged her shoulders. There was something about Ranna that she immediately trusted. 'I suppose I could let you try. We are running short of ideas, after all. Come with me.'

Ranna started to follow Imayne, but then she paused. 'How am I supposed to act in front of the queen?' she asked hesitantly. 'I haven't been in a place like this before – a royal palace, I mean – and the last thing I want to do is say or do something wrong or inappropriate.'

Imayne laughed. 'I am sure you will be fine. I expect you will find most things very similar to how they are at your home. You will just need to remember to curtsey in front of the king, the queen, and the king's two sisters.'

Ranna nodded, and then followed Imayne out of the room and through several corridors, until they reached the double doors that lead to the queen's birthing room. The two guards flanking the doors stood aside to let them pass – Ranna thought it odd that they did not ask who she was – and Imayne softly opened the door. She led Ranna into a dark, richly decorated room, with a comforting fire glowing in the fireplace opposite an ornate four-poster bed. Queen Merenne lay on the bed and, as Imayne had said, she was very obviously pregnant.

'Imayne,' the Queen said wearily, smiling when she saw the healer.

'Good evening, your Majesty,' Imayne answered, curtseying.

Merenne looked at Ranna, who was standing beside Imayne, trying to see exactly how to curtsey. 'Who have you brought with you?'

'This is Mistress Ranna,' replied Imayne. 'The young woman his Majesty found yesterday afternoon. She says she may be able to help you, if you would be willing to let her try. She has told me that she has a talent for singing people to sleep.'

Merenne raised her eyebrows sceptically for a moment and then smiled again. 'I am willing to try anything that may work,' she said, placing a hand to her belly and wincing as her baby kicked again. 'Go ahead, Mistress Ranna.'

Ranna gave a small curtsey, hoping that she had done it right, and sat down on the chair beside the bed. Imayne watched her without bothering to hide her curiosity. Ranna took a deep breath, and then she started to sing, her sweet voice washing over the queen like a wave of soft, refreshing water. Merenne wanted to listen to the whole song, but her eyelids were drooping already and she didn't have the energy to lift them. Within seconds, she was asleep.

After a while, Ranna stopped singing and looked around for Imayne. She was sitting by the glowing fire, and she too was fast asleep. Ranna stared at her for a while, and then walked silently to her and gently shook her shoulder.

'Imayne!' she whispered. 'Wake up!'

Imayne stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She looked at Ranna for a moment, puzzled as she tried to wake up properly and work out where she was. Then she suddenly remembered that she was in the royal bedchamber, and she stood up quickly, straightening her skirt. Her eyes wandered to the bed, where Merenne was deep in a much-needed sleep, and then back to Ranna.

'Incredible!' she exclaimed under her breath. 'It really worked! You even made me sleep too!'

Ranna smiled, then she and Imayne headed for the doors and quietly left the room. As they walked back along the passageway, a richly-dressed man turned a corner and started walking towards them, and Imayne instinctively dropped into a curtsey. Ranna quickly did the same, and she assumed that this man was the king. King Anstyr, she remembered Imayne telling her.

'Your Majesty,' Imayne said quietly as the king neared them.

'Imayne,' he replied, motioning for both women to rise from their curtseys. 'Is my wife well?'

'She is, Sire,' Imayne answered. 'She is sleeping now.'

'Sleeping?' Anstyr asked, clearly surprised.

'Yes, your Majesty. Mistress Ranna has an extraordinary talent for singing people to sleep,' Imayne explained.

Anstyr looked at Ranna and nodded. 'You have my thanks, Lady Ranna,' he said. 'My wife has been much in need of sleep for a long time. I am sure that she also will be grateful when she wakes.'

Ranna curtseyed again, but didn't say anything. She didn't know what sort of reply would be appropriate. The curtsey seemed to be acceptable, at least.

'I bid you good night, ladies,' the King said. Evidently, he had not been expecting Ranna to say much anyway. Ranna and Imayne both curtseyed again, and Anstyr turned another corner and disappeared along the corridor that led to his bedchamber.

'That went very well,' Imayne commented as she started leading Ranna back to her room. 'And I expect the sleep will do the queen some good.'

Ranna nodded, although she had been too busy admiring the paintings she had passed to really listen to Imayne. Presently, they stopped outside the door to Ranna's room and Imayne felt her forehead again.

'You still feel feverish,' she said, frowning, 'but apart from that, you seem to have recovered. I hope you have a good night, Mistress Ranna.'

'You too,' Ranna answered. She watched Imayne walk away, and then she rested her hand against her own forehead, curious as to why Imayne said she was feverish. She didn't feel warm at all. Humans must have an odd perception of temperature, she thought to herself as she lay down on her bed and made herself fall asleep.

* * * * * *

The following morning, Ranna awoke early and was soon out of her bed and admiring the view from her window. Now that it was light, she could see part of a harbour, already bustling with people, and beyond that, the blue-grey expanse of the sea. She was staring at the waves as they crashed against the wooden jetties of the harbour in an almost hypnotic way when she heard a soft knocking at her door.

'Come in,' she called, reluctantly looking away from the sea.

The door opened and Imayne entered the room, smiling in her usual, friendly way and carrying a large, relatively flat box. 'Good morning,' she said brightly. 'I hope you slept well.'

'I did,' Ranna answered, smiling back at her.

'I have just been to see the queen,' Imayne said excitedly, 'and she is looking so much better. She is so grateful to you, and she wishes to meet you so she can thank you in person. She also wanted me to give you this,' she added, passing the box to Ranna, who looked at it with increasing curiosity. 'A gift, to show how grateful she is for what you did last night.'

Ranna set the box down of her bed, removed the lid, and lifted up a long gown of crimson velvet, elegantly embroidered with gold on both the long sleeves, the neckline and around the waist.

'It's beautiful,' Ranna said, admiring the heavy, rich fabric of which the gown was made.

Imayne nodded enthusiastically. 'I will help you put it on, shall I?'

Ranna nodded and Imayne helped her slip on her new gown over the simple, pale gold dress she was already wearing.

'I knew you would look wonderful in it. The colour looks beautiful with your hair,' Imayne commented, circling Ranna so that she could fully admire the dress. 'You have got lovely hair,' she sighed, looking from Ranna's long, golden waves to her own hair and frowning at its mousey colour. 'Would you like me to comb it for you?'

After she had finished brushing Ranna's hair, Imayne led her back to the queen's room. Merenne was awake and sitting up in bed, reading a book. As Ranna and Imayne entered the room and curtseyed, she looked up and placed the book down beside her.

'Good morning,' Merenne said, smiling warmly at them. 'I see you are wearing the gift I sent you, Mistress Ranna.'

'How could I not wear it?' Ranna answered. 'It is such a beautiful gown; I must thank your Majesty for it.'

'I must thank you, Mistress Ranna,' Merenne said. 'I have not slept that well in weeks.' She gestured for Ranna to come closer to the bed, and then continued in a quieter voice. 'Imayne has told me that you do not wish for a message to be sent to your family to tell them where you are. May I ask why this is?'

Ranna hesitated as she thought about how to answer. 'My sisters will not worry,' she replied simply, infusing her voice with the same spell for inattention she had used on Imayne the previous night.

Merenne was curious, but something stopped her pressing Ranna for more details. 'If you do not mind, then, I would like you to remain here in Belisaere for the time being. I am likely to need you to sing for me again tonight and perhaps for most nights until the baby is born.' She gave a light laugh and added, 'You can be my sleep-bringer.'

Ranna copied Merenne's laugh. 'I would very much like to stay here, your Majesty,' she answered.

Merenne smiled. 'Thanks you. May I invite you to sit with me at the feast tonight? I am looking forward to it – I have been too tired to attend any of the feasts this winter.'

'I would be honoured, your Majesty,' Ranna answered, curtseying again.

Merenne nodded. 'I hope you both have a pleasant day.'

Ranna and Imayne curtseyed and left the room. Once they were outside, Ranna asked, 'What is the feast for tonight?'

Imayne stared at her for a moment and then laughed. 'Oh, one of the many feasts that the king holds during the Mid-Winter festival. I can't tell you what they are like – they are only for the people who have been invited, and I have never been honoured with an invitation – but I expect it will be a more extravagant version of the other ones going on all around the city. Would you like me to show you around the city?' she asked, suddenly remembering that Ranna did not know Belisaere at all.

Ranna nodded, and Imayne started to lead her out of the palace. On the way, she stopped to show Ranna the Great Hall, and Ranna couldn't help but admire the intricately decorated walls, the gilt-framed portraits, and the ornate carvings of the royal family's crest positioned above every set of double doors.

'This is where the feast will be held this evening,' Imayne told her. 'And, in just over a week, there will be a dance to mark the end of the festival. You will be invited, of course, although I expect the queen will be resting still. That will be held in the main courtyard. Would you like to see it?'

After viewing the main courtyard and the impressive fountains nearby, Imayne led Ranna down Palace Hill and into the main part of Belisaere. Despite the winter chill, the city was crowded with people enjoying the ongoing Mid-Winter festivities: buying and selling various goods, sampling a variety of foods from all over the kingdom, watching entertainers, dancing... On Ranna's request, Imayne took her down to the sea and showed her the harbour. As it started to grow darker and colder, they walked back up to the palace for the evening feast. As Imayne had said, the Great Hall was full of people and Ranna was glad when she caught sight of Merenne, who led her to the raised table at the front of the Hall where the royal family sat with their chosen guests.

* * * * * *

For the next week, Ranna thoroughly enjoyed being in Belisaere. Each day, she and Imayne explored the various stalls and exhibits, all set up purely for the Mid-Winter festivities. Imayne always found or remembered something she had forgotten to show Ranna before and, very quickly, they became close friends. Ranna also developed a good friendship with Merenne, who asked her to sing her to sleep every night. As a result, Ranna found herself being invited to sit with the royal family at every evening feast, whether Merenne was there or not. The Great Hall was always packed with people, and, while Ranna enjoyed the constant partying that went on during the day, she always looked forward to returning to the quiet, peacefulness of her room in the evenings.

Or she did, until one evening, the day before the Mid-Winter festival ended, when she walked into her room and found five instantly-recognisable women in there, four of them sitting quite comfortably on her bed.


Hope you liked it. Please review!