Chapter 3: The Battle of the Dinner Table
"Shiryami," Kyerind said, "if you were eavesdropping on us, then you know about the letter."
"I heard every word of it," Shiryami said. "It described Lilynris and Ashayie, then asked us to find out information about them, and then…" Shiryami could not speak the last part.
"Yes," Kyerind said. "I think they need to know our secrets, considering that we know theirs."
Shiryami narrowed her eyebrows, thinking. "Their secrets are more apparent to you, Kyerind, than to me."
"I'll explain," Kyerind said, sitting down on the bed. "When Lilynris showed me her keyring, I looked at all the keys and noticed that each one had an inscription on it. I couldn't read most of them. I think it's because Lilynris has a different written language than we do. The inscription on the last key was in the ancient alphabet, though, so I could read it. It said, 'The holder of this key may enter the accursed Two Rings and slay—you know who, Shiryami—who cursed my city and doomed me to live as an undead creature forever.'" Kyerind looked at Shiryami meaningfully.
"I see," Shiryami said after a few seconds. "I see. That explains several things. I happen to think that it's a worthy cause. He's twisted our entire lives into serving evil and wants us to murder Lilynris and Ashayie. I will not have anything to do with murdering Lilynris and Ashayie; I'm going to help them."
"Me too." Kyerind offered a hand, and Shiryami shook it.
"Kyerind! Shiryami! Come!" Aunt Brithinell screeched.
"Race you down the stairs," Shiryami said to Kyerind.
"No way. I know better than to race you."
"Good. You're increasing in intelligence." They ran down the stairs together and took their accustomed places at the dinner table. Aunt Brithinell sat at the front end of the table, with Meryisi and Kyerind on her right side and Shiryami, Ashayie, and Lilynris on the right. Uncle Hyhinmor sat at the other end of the table. They all joined hands, and Aunt Brithinell muttered a short prayer before they started eating.
"We don't get many visitors," Meryisi said to Lilynris and Ashayie after daintily eating a small piece of chicken. "What brings you two here?"
Shiryami tried to hide her nervousness. I never got around to telling them not to trust Meryisi, she thought, chewing on a bite of noodles.
"I am an explorer," Lilynris said. Shiryami noticed the guarded expression on her face. "During my travels around the world, I have uncovered many mysteries. And when I found the key to the Two Rings in my travels…how could I pass up the opportunity to enter this isolated place?"
"Not quite as isolated as you might think," Kyerind said. "There are many more people here. Did you see the village?"
"Of course!" Ashayie said. "Lilynris and I stocked up on a few things there, for the journey, before we met your father."
"And we certainly are glad to meet you," Uncle Hyhinmor said. "Like Meryisi said, we welcome visitors."
Shiryami remained silent, as usual. Any attempt to speak would be greeted by stares for a few seconds, then returning to the former conversation. But Ashayie whispered to her, "Why don't you talk?"
After a moment of surprise, Shiryami responded, "No one is interested in what I have to say."
Ashayie arched an eyebrow. "The silent ones may conceal the greatest mysteries of all, but how can anyone else learn those mysteries when the silent ones believe that no one will listen to their wisdom?" She noticed the others looking at her. "A proverb from the Eastern Glades that just sprang to mind," Ashayie explained swiftly.
"So you are from the Glades, but your speech is that of Kal Panning," Aunt Brithinell said. "How odd."
"How do you know what the speech of Kal Panning is like? Or the Glades, for that matter? After all, you have been isolated from those places your entire life. Lilynris is the only one who bears the key to enter this place, so therefore you cannot distinguish the accent." Ashayie looked at Aunt Brithinell suspiciously.
Look who just messed up! Shiryami thought.
"Anyway," Meryisi said, with her usual disparaging look at Shiryami, "there was someone in the village who suspected that you were from Kal Panning, Ashayie. Of course, Roredyn says these things about everyone. He likes to stir up trouble. There are people like that wherever you go, no matter how hard you try to avoid them. You can travel all around the world and still find people like that."
"Oh yes," Lilynris said, her secret look still on her face.
Meryisi, obviously thinking she was getting somewhere, continued on. "Of course, even in your own house, you find people that are always stirring up trouble."
"Who do you mean, Meryisi? Everyone here seems perfectly nice."
"Except for you, perhaps," Ashayie broke in.
Ashayie received two nudges from both sides of her, and Kyerind kicked her under the table.
I sure am enjoying this battle of words, Shiryami thought, eyeing Meryisi again.
"Well, Ashayie, perhaps the one who is stirring up trouble is you. After all, you never did explain your reason for coming here. Perhaps you are a simple explorer like Lilynris…or perhaps your reason is more sinister." Meryisi peered into Ashayie's eyes, fishing for secrets.
Uh oh, Shiryami thought. Ashayie isn't as good at fighting with words as Lilynris. She's going to slip here, I know it…Thinking rapidly, Shiryami said, "Did you know that Kyerind is a warlock?" She then directed a look to Kyerind: Agree with Aunt Brithinell.
Aunt Brithinell laughed slightly. "Shiryami, Shiryami. Where do you come up with your wild notions? I think Kyerind would know if he was a warlock, which is absolutely preposterous."
"Maybe you think so, Aunt Brithinell, but you hate magic of all sorts. I don't think you know anything about magic."
"Indeed? Well, Shiryami, there is one thing I know about magic. It is hereditary. And neither your uncle nor I are magic-users of any sort. Besides, if Kyerind were a warlock, the Master would have exterminated him years ago."
Aunt Brithinell then noticed that everyone had finished eating during the battle. "Meryisi, Shiryami, come help me clean up." She and Meryisi flew from the table. Shiryami began to get up, but first Ashayie whispered to her, "Good one, Shiryami. Thanks for rescuing me."
"Any time." Shiryami got out of the chair and followed her aunt and cousin into the kitchen along with several plates, which she immediately began to wash along with Meryisi.
"Kyerind a warlock, huh? Where did you come up with that one, Shiryami?" Meryisi whispered. "From that odd imagination of yours?"
Shiryami ignored her cousin and continued washing dishes.
"You know, the strangest thing happened to me this afternoon," Meryisi continued. "I was sitting on the couch, knitting a sweater for myself, and then…I was just frozen. It was like a bolt of lightning hit me."
Shiryami made sure to hide her face in the dishes, so as not to reveal herself.
"I always suspected that you were a witch."
"Like your mother said, Meryisi, magic is hereditary. Neither of my parents were magic-users either."
"And how would you know? You were only three when they rebelled."
Shiryami started rinsing the dishes. I'm going to keep this thread up as long as I can. Kyerind is probably telling Lilynris and Ashayie about the letter right now.
"If they were magic-users, they would have been able to save themselves back then. You can do your share of the work now, Meryisi, instead of just hovering above me." Shiryami moved away from the sink and back to the table, but Aunt Brithinell caught her.
"Shiryami…there's something that I'd like to talk to you about."
Shiryami spun around. "What?"
Aunt Brithinell drew the letter that Shiryami had seen earlier that day from her apron. "Read this. You're part of the family, so it's your business."
Shiryami unfolded the letter and read the words that she had heard Meryisi read earlier, then returned it. "What does this mean, Aunt?"
"It's the way to prove yourself to us. Learn all you can about Lilynris and Ashayie, and let us know about them. We'll see what the Crusader Major will think of them. Think about it, Shiryami. Your ticket into our family." Aunt Brithinell patted her shoulder. "Take this cake into the dining room."
Shiryami wordlessly took the cake and placed it on the center of the table.
"What happened?" Kyerind asked, listening.
"I assume that you told Lilynris and Ashayie our secrets?" Shiryami said, noticing her uncle's absence.
"He sure did," Ashayie said. "It didn't come as much of a shock to me, but I like to know these things for sure."
"Aunt Brithinell wants me to tell about you," Shiryami said, taking her seat.
"And?" Lilynris asked, eyeing her.
"What do you think I'm going to do, Lilynris? I don't want in this family. I don't want to betray you. I'm not going to do it. Being in that family is not something I want to do."
"Same here," Kyerind said. "I know all your secrets and you know mine; I'm sticking with you."
"Great," Lilynris said. "It looks like we won this battle. Hopefully we'll do as well in the battles to come."
"Shiryami," Kyerind said, "if you were eavesdropping on us, then you know about the letter."
"I heard every word of it," Shiryami said. "It described Lilynris and Ashayie, then asked us to find out information about them, and then…" Shiryami could not speak the last part.
"Yes," Kyerind said. "I think they need to know our secrets, considering that we know theirs."
Shiryami narrowed her eyebrows, thinking. "Their secrets are more apparent to you, Kyerind, than to me."
"I'll explain," Kyerind said, sitting down on the bed. "When Lilynris showed me her keyring, I looked at all the keys and noticed that each one had an inscription on it. I couldn't read most of them. I think it's because Lilynris has a different written language than we do. The inscription on the last key was in the ancient alphabet, though, so I could read it. It said, 'The holder of this key may enter the accursed Two Rings and slay—you know who, Shiryami—who cursed my city and doomed me to live as an undead creature forever.'" Kyerind looked at Shiryami meaningfully.
"I see," Shiryami said after a few seconds. "I see. That explains several things. I happen to think that it's a worthy cause. He's twisted our entire lives into serving evil and wants us to murder Lilynris and Ashayie. I will not have anything to do with murdering Lilynris and Ashayie; I'm going to help them."
"Me too." Kyerind offered a hand, and Shiryami shook it.
"Kyerind! Shiryami! Come!" Aunt Brithinell screeched.
"Race you down the stairs," Shiryami said to Kyerind.
"No way. I know better than to race you."
"Good. You're increasing in intelligence." They ran down the stairs together and took their accustomed places at the dinner table. Aunt Brithinell sat at the front end of the table, with Meryisi and Kyerind on her right side and Shiryami, Ashayie, and Lilynris on the right. Uncle Hyhinmor sat at the other end of the table. They all joined hands, and Aunt Brithinell muttered a short prayer before they started eating.
"We don't get many visitors," Meryisi said to Lilynris and Ashayie after daintily eating a small piece of chicken. "What brings you two here?"
Shiryami tried to hide her nervousness. I never got around to telling them not to trust Meryisi, she thought, chewing on a bite of noodles.
"I am an explorer," Lilynris said. Shiryami noticed the guarded expression on her face. "During my travels around the world, I have uncovered many mysteries. And when I found the key to the Two Rings in my travels…how could I pass up the opportunity to enter this isolated place?"
"Not quite as isolated as you might think," Kyerind said. "There are many more people here. Did you see the village?"
"Of course!" Ashayie said. "Lilynris and I stocked up on a few things there, for the journey, before we met your father."
"And we certainly are glad to meet you," Uncle Hyhinmor said. "Like Meryisi said, we welcome visitors."
Shiryami remained silent, as usual. Any attempt to speak would be greeted by stares for a few seconds, then returning to the former conversation. But Ashayie whispered to her, "Why don't you talk?"
After a moment of surprise, Shiryami responded, "No one is interested in what I have to say."
Ashayie arched an eyebrow. "The silent ones may conceal the greatest mysteries of all, but how can anyone else learn those mysteries when the silent ones believe that no one will listen to their wisdom?" She noticed the others looking at her. "A proverb from the Eastern Glades that just sprang to mind," Ashayie explained swiftly.
"So you are from the Glades, but your speech is that of Kal Panning," Aunt Brithinell said. "How odd."
"How do you know what the speech of Kal Panning is like? Or the Glades, for that matter? After all, you have been isolated from those places your entire life. Lilynris is the only one who bears the key to enter this place, so therefore you cannot distinguish the accent." Ashayie looked at Aunt Brithinell suspiciously.
Look who just messed up! Shiryami thought.
"Anyway," Meryisi said, with her usual disparaging look at Shiryami, "there was someone in the village who suspected that you were from Kal Panning, Ashayie. Of course, Roredyn says these things about everyone. He likes to stir up trouble. There are people like that wherever you go, no matter how hard you try to avoid them. You can travel all around the world and still find people like that."
"Oh yes," Lilynris said, her secret look still on her face.
Meryisi, obviously thinking she was getting somewhere, continued on. "Of course, even in your own house, you find people that are always stirring up trouble."
"Who do you mean, Meryisi? Everyone here seems perfectly nice."
"Except for you, perhaps," Ashayie broke in.
Ashayie received two nudges from both sides of her, and Kyerind kicked her under the table.
I sure am enjoying this battle of words, Shiryami thought, eyeing Meryisi again.
"Well, Ashayie, perhaps the one who is stirring up trouble is you. After all, you never did explain your reason for coming here. Perhaps you are a simple explorer like Lilynris…or perhaps your reason is more sinister." Meryisi peered into Ashayie's eyes, fishing for secrets.
Uh oh, Shiryami thought. Ashayie isn't as good at fighting with words as Lilynris. She's going to slip here, I know it…Thinking rapidly, Shiryami said, "Did you know that Kyerind is a warlock?" She then directed a look to Kyerind: Agree with Aunt Brithinell.
Aunt Brithinell laughed slightly. "Shiryami, Shiryami. Where do you come up with your wild notions? I think Kyerind would know if he was a warlock, which is absolutely preposterous."
"Maybe you think so, Aunt Brithinell, but you hate magic of all sorts. I don't think you know anything about magic."
"Indeed? Well, Shiryami, there is one thing I know about magic. It is hereditary. And neither your uncle nor I are magic-users of any sort. Besides, if Kyerind were a warlock, the Master would have exterminated him years ago."
Aunt Brithinell then noticed that everyone had finished eating during the battle. "Meryisi, Shiryami, come help me clean up." She and Meryisi flew from the table. Shiryami began to get up, but first Ashayie whispered to her, "Good one, Shiryami. Thanks for rescuing me."
"Any time." Shiryami got out of the chair and followed her aunt and cousin into the kitchen along with several plates, which she immediately began to wash along with Meryisi.
"Kyerind a warlock, huh? Where did you come up with that one, Shiryami?" Meryisi whispered. "From that odd imagination of yours?"
Shiryami ignored her cousin and continued washing dishes.
"You know, the strangest thing happened to me this afternoon," Meryisi continued. "I was sitting on the couch, knitting a sweater for myself, and then…I was just frozen. It was like a bolt of lightning hit me."
Shiryami made sure to hide her face in the dishes, so as not to reveal herself.
"I always suspected that you were a witch."
"Like your mother said, Meryisi, magic is hereditary. Neither of my parents were magic-users either."
"And how would you know? You were only three when they rebelled."
Shiryami started rinsing the dishes. I'm going to keep this thread up as long as I can. Kyerind is probably telling Lilynris and Ashayie about the letter right now.
"If they were magic-users, they would have been able to save themselves back then. You can do your share of the work now, Meryisi, instead of just hovering above me." Shiryami moved away from the sink and back to the table, but Aunt Brithinell caught her.
"Shiryami…there's something that I'd like to talk to you about."
Shiryami spun around. "What?"
Aunt Brithinell drew the letter that Shiryami had seen earlier that day from her apron. "Read this. You're part of the family, so it's your business."
Shiryami unfolded the letter and read the words that she had heard Meryisi read earlier, then returned it. "What does this mean, Aunt?"
"It's the way to prove yourself to us. Learn all you can about Lilynris and Ashayie, and let us know about them. We'll see what the Crusader Major will think of them. Think about it, Shiryami. Your ticket into our family." Aunt Brithinell patted her shoulder. "Take this cake into the dining room."
Shiryami wordlessly took the cake and placed it on the center of the table.
"What happened?" Kyerind asked, listening.
"I assume that you told Lilynris and Ashayie our secrets?" Shiryami said, noticing her uncle's absence.
"He sure did," Ashayie said. "It didn't come as much of a shock to me, but I like to know these things for sure."
"Aunt Brithinell wants me to tell about you," Shiryami said, taking her seat.
"And?" Lilynris asked, eyeing her.
"What do you think I'm going to do, Lilynris? I don't want in this family. I don't want to betray you. I'm not going to do it. Being in that family is not something I want to do."
"Same here," Kyerind said. "I know all your secrets and you know mine; I'm sticking with you."
"Great," Lilynris said. "It looks like we won this battle. Hopefully we'll do as well in the battles to come."