Finding:
Its night and we've reached Cria. Teyka is still a little grumpy at not being able to send Lanna and Tamick back, and I'm still a little spooked at riding a horse, but otherwise we are all fine. I eat dinner-roast duck and buttered bread-slowly, savoring the rich flavor. Lory gave us enough money to stay at inns every night of our journey-not that there will be one at every place we stop-and more besides. We can easily pay for a room for Tamick-Lanna will be sharing with me and Teyka-and get a fancy dinner tonight and probably on other nights too. I've just taken a warm bath and washed my hair so that it's rid of burs and tangles. It goes to me waste, which makes it tangle easily and bothersome to comb.
I go to bed early, thinking of how tired I was this morning. I dream about the Green Lady. She appears above the well in Snowsdale and she's a healer. She reminds me, in a way, of Daine's ma, Sarra. She has basically the same job as Sarra did, except people are much more respectful of her. We think of her as Snowsdale's goddess. In my dream she tells me that Daine is still alive, and not to give up my search. Even in my dream I think-how would the Green Lady know about Daine? She came after Daine left, and Daine's hardly ever talked about. I suppose she can read all our minds.I'm really not sure of things like these. I wonder if the Green Lady is really trying to speak to me, or if it's just a dream. I hope it's the former.
When I wake up it's still dark, but almost morning. I fish a roll out of my pack and eat it hungrily. I'm not tired anymore. I think, It's funny. Tired and not hungry one morning, but fully awake and hungry the next. I go over to Lanna's bed, then Teyka's. I don't want to wake them, what if they get angry with me? I wonder if Lanna and Tamick will go back now that we've reached Cria. Knowing them, I doubt it. I think now about what I know of Tortall. Some of the stories are very strange. A woman is a knight and the King's Champion, and they let women into the army. Except for having to ride, it would be fun to be a knight or a soldier.in any case; I'm too young for either. I can't wait until I'm old enough. For now, I just want to find Daine. Someone knocks on my door. It's Tamick.
"We're going to come with you to Corus," he says.
"I thought so," I reply. He grins.
"Umm, I just have this feeling that you want to go somewhere else besides Corus."
"Yes, I want to find Daine. I don't believe she's dead. I dreamed about the Green Lady. She told me that that was true and I should keep looking."
"Daine-oh, Daine. You don't think she's dead? She was living in the mountains, Laona."
"The Green Lady-I mean, in my dream she said that Daine was still alive. I'm going to try to get Dayven to come with me. And Teyka, if I can." I don't need to explain to Tamick about Dayven. Everyone in Snowsdale knows about my brother, the greatest mage ever seen in our small town. He's like a legend in Snowsdale, our town hero.
"Dayven. I can't wait to meet him. I wonder what he'll be like. And do you really think Teyka will help you? She-she thinks Daine's crazy. And I don't think she likes her very much. She's always saying bad things about her."
"Well.I don't know. I think you better go. You're not supposed to be in the same room as me." It's light now. I sit on my bed and think. Tamick's right. I'm going to have a hard time convincing Teyka to help me look for Daine. That's why I'm not telling her about my search yet. But.I have a plan. If I do tell her about it now, while I'm not to far from Snowsdale, and she says no I can run away and look for Daine alone. But if she says yes then I'll travel with her to Corus and have the benefit of two mages helping me. Yes, that makes sense. If I tell her when we get to Corus, she can lock me up, and I'll be too far away from Snowsdale to find Daine anyway. I'll tell her over breakfast.
"Wait," I say to Tamick, who is opening the door.
"What is it?" he asks.
"I'm going to-I thought up a plan for my search just now. I'll tell Teyka at breakfast. If she agrees with me, I'll stay with her. But if she doesn't, I'll run away. Do you want to come?"
"Not if it means going home. But otherwise, of course. Don't tell Lanna. She won't let you go."
"I won't go back to Snowsdale, I'll just stay up in the forest around there. Maybe I'll look around Cria a bit first. She could have gotten here, easily." After Tamick leaves, I mentally compose my speech that I'll make to Teyka.
At breakfast, I start it.
"I didn't come with you just to see Dayven," I tell her. "I want to search for Daine. You remember her, don't you?" I don't wait for a nod. Instead, I continue. "I was planning to ask you and Dayven to help me on my search. It would be very helpful to have two with the gift join my search. I thought we could journey back to this area once we met up with Dayven. What do you think?"
"What do I think? Daine? That crazy fatherless girl who left Snowsdale- and good riddance-years ago? Of course you can't. She'll probably try to kill you if she's still alive-and you'd rather do this than spend time with Dayven?" I've never seen her this mad before. I guess I know my answer. I share a look with Tamick. We've planned to meet in an hour at the front of the inn, if this should happen. I ready my bags. I plan to take only a few outfits-I haven't worn a dress since I've left Snowsdale, since Teyka agrees with me in their uncomfortable. I also take a small necklace that I found one day on the ground near my house. No one in my 'family,' which consists of Lory's family and Teyka, knows about it. It's a small green stone cut in the shape of the Great Mother on a leather cord that fits me perfectly. I also stuff some dried meat, a loaf of bread, a canteen full of water and some dried fruit into a large leather pouch. Then it is time to go.
I run down to the front porch of the inn where Tamick should be waiting with our horses. I didn't want to ride, but Tamick said it was necessary. How would we get anywhere if we were only going as fast as our feet could carry us? I see Tamick holding the reigns of the animals and also a sack that must hold his food and clothing.
"Are you ready?" I say.
"Yes," he replies. "You said you wanted to search Cria first?" I nod. "Then let's go." We ride slowly down the street, trying to blend in with the crowd. Neither Tamick nor I have ever been to Cria before, although Lory's oldest, a boy named Ennen, has once. He was right when he talked about the hugeness of the place. Once or twice I see people looking at us strangely, like we're not right in the head. I decide it must be because of the fact that they're from the city and we're not.
We pass on a shop with the sign 'Nerack Bennali-Horse Merchant.' Tamick wants to go inside.
"I'm sure they have saddles there-and mine's falling apart. It won't take long-can we please go in?"
"Of course," I tell him. "You are coming with me after all."
Inside a young man, about twenty-ish, greets us.
"Hello, I'm Drennan, Nerack's assistant. Nerack's out in the stables right now. What can I do for you?"
"We wanted to look at saddles," I say. "The horse it would be for is tied out front. And-do you know anyone named Verilidaine Sarrasri?"
"Isn't that-my old employer, Onua Chamtong, she worked for the riders down in Tortall, she had an assistant by that name. It's not common, is it? They're in Corus now-'r that's they were heading."
"Thank you," I tell him. Could it be? It's possible. He's right in that Verilidaine Sarrasri isn't a common name. And Corus! I can meet back up with Teyka and Lanna. I'm in a happy, dreamy state as I walk out of the shop and wait for Tamick to get his saddle. I ride joyfully back to the inn, forgetting even to be afraid of the horse. When we get back, our rooms are empty. The innkeeper comes in.
"Left an hour ago," he said. "Think they were looking for ye. Thought ye'd gone t'Corus. Are ridn' that way now, but if the girl is as scared of horses as she looks, ye won't catch 'em. Rode away at a full gallop, th'did."
Its night and we've reached Cria. Teyka is still a little grumpy at not being able to send Lanna and Tamick back, and I'm still a little spooked at riding a horse, but otherwise we are all fine. I eat dinner-roast duck and buttered bread-slowly, savoring the rich flavor. Lory gave us enough money to stay at inns every night of our journey-not that there will be one at every place we stop-and more besides. We can easily pay for a room for Tamick-Lanna will be sharing with me and Teyka-and get a fancy dinner tonight and probably on other nights too. I've just taken a warm bath and washed my hair so that it's rid of burs and tangles. It goes to me waste, which makes it tangle easily and bothersome to comb.
I go to bed early, thinking of how tired I was this morning. I dream about the Green Lady. She appears above the well in Snowsdale and she's a healer. She reminds me, in a way, of Daine's ma, Sarra. She has basically the same job as Sarra did, except people are much more respectful of her. We think of her as Snowsdale's goddess. In my dream she tells me that Daine is still alive, and not to give up my search. Even in my dream I think-how would the Green Lady know about Daine? She came after Daine left, and Daine's hardly ever talked about. I suppose she can read all our minds.I'm really not sure of things like these. I wonder if the Green Lady is really trying to speak to me, or if it's just a dream. I hope it's the former.
When I wake up it's still dark, but almost morning. I fish a roll out of my pack and eat it hungrily. I'm not tired anymore. I think, It's funny. Tired and not hungry one morning, but fully awake and hungry the next. I go over to Lanna's bed, then Teyka's. I don't want to wake them, what if they get angry with me? I wonder if Lanna and Tamick will go back now that we've reached Cria. Knowing them, I doubt it. I think now about what I know of Tortall. Some of the stories are very strange. A woman is a knight and the King's Champion, and they let women into the army. Except for having to ride, it would be fun to be a knight or a soldier.in any case; I'm too young for either. I can't wait until I'm old enough. For now, I just want to find Daine. Someone knocks on my door. It's Tamick.
"We're going to come with you to Corus," he says.
"I thought so," I reply. He grins.
"Umm, I just have this feeling that you want to go somewhere else besides Corus."
"Yes, I want to find Daine. I don't believe she's dead. I dreamed about the Green Lady. She told me that that was true and I should keep looking."
"Daine-oh, Daine. You don't think she's dead? She was living in the mountains, Laona."
"The Green Lady-I mean, in my dream she said that Daine was still alive. I'm going to try to get Dayven to come with me. And Teyka, if I can." I don't need to explain to Tamick about Dayven. Everyone in Snowsdale knows about my brother, the greatest mage ever seen in our small town. He's like a legend in Snowsdale, our town hero.
"Dayven. I can't wait to meet him. I wonder what he'll be like. And do you really think Teyka will help you? She-she thinks Daine's crazy. And I don't think she likes her very much. She's always saying bad things about her."
"Well.I don't know. I think you better go. You're not supposed to be in the same room as me." It's light now. I sit on my bed and think. Tamick's right. I'm going to have a hard time convincing Teyka to help me look for Daine. That's why I'm not telling her about my search yet. But.I have a plan. If I do tell her about it now, while I'm not to far from Snowsdale, and she says no I can run away and look for Daine alone. But if she says yes then I'll travel with her to Corus and have the benefit of two mages helping me. Yes, that makes sense. If I tell her when we get to Corus, she can lock me up, and I'll be too far away from Snowsdale to find Daine anyway. I'll tell her over breakfast.
"Wait," I say to Tamick, who is opening the door.
"What is it?" he asks.
"I'm going to-I thought up a plan for my search just now. I'll tell Teyka at breakfast. If she agrees with me, I'll stay with her. But if she doesn't, I'll run away. Do you want to come?"
"Not if it means going home. But otherwise, of course. Don't tell Lanna. She won't let you go."
"I won't go back to Snowsdale, I'll just stay up in the forest around there. Maybe I'll look around Cria a bit first. She could have gotten here, easily." After Tamick leaves, I mentally compose my speech that I'll make to Teyka.
At breakfast, I start it.
"I didn't come with you just to see Dayven," I tell her. "I want to search for Daine. You remember her, don't you?" I don't wait for a nod. Instead, I continue. "I was planning to ask you and Dayven to help me on my search. It would be very helpful to have two with the gift join my search. I thought we could journey back to this area once we met up with Dayven. What do you think?"
"What do I think? Daine? That crazy fatherless girl who left Snowsdale- and good riddance-years ago? Of course you can't. She'll probably try to kill you if she's still alive-and you'd rather do this than spend time with Dayven?" I've never seen her this mad before. I guess I know my answer. I share a look with Tamick. We've planned to meet in an hour at the front of the inn, if this should happen. I ready my bags. I plan to take only a few outfits-I haven't worn a dress since I've left Snowsdale, since Teyka agrees with me in their uncomfortable. I also take a small necklace that I found one day on the ground near my house. No one in my 'family,' which consists of Lory's family and Teyka, knows about it. It's a small green stone cut in the shape of the Great Mother on a leather cord that fits me perfectly. I also stuff some dried meat, a loaf of bread, a canteen full of water and some dried fruit into a large leather pouch. Then it is time to go.
I run down to the front porch of the inn where Tamick should be waiting with our horses. I didn't want to ride, but Tamick said it was necessary. How would we get anywhere if we were only going as fast as our feet could carry us? I see Tamick holding the reigns of the animals and also a sack that must hold his food and clothing.
"Are you ready?" I say.
"Yes," he replies. "You said you wanted to search Cria first?" I nod. "Then let's go." We ride slowly down the street, trying to blend in with the crowd. Neither Tamick nor I have ever been to Cria before, although Lory's oldest, a boy named Ennen, has once. He was right when he talked about the hugeness of the place. Once or twice I see people looking at us strangely, like we're not right in the head. I decide it must be because of the fact that they're from the city and we're not.
We pass on a shop with the sign 'Nerack Bennali-Horse Merchant.' Tamick wants to go inside.
"I'm sure they have saddles there-and mine's falling apart. It won't take long-can we please go in?"
"Of course," I tell him. "You are coming with me after all."
Inside a young man, about twenty-ish, greets us.
"Hello, I'm Drennan, Nerack's assistant. Nerack's out in the stables right now. What can I do for you?"
"We wanted to look at saddles," I say. "The horse it would be for is tied out front. And-do you know anyone named Verilidaine Sarrasri?"
"Isn't that-my old employer, Onua Chamtong, she worked for the riders down in Tortall, she had an assistant by that name. It's not common, is it? They're in Corus now-'r that's they were heading."
"Thank you," I tell him. Could it be? It's possible. He's right in that Verilidaine Sarrasri isn't a common name. And Corus! I can meet back up with Teyka and Lanna. I'm in a happy, dreamy state as I walk out of the shop and wait for Tamick to get his saddle. I ride joyfully back to the inn, forgetting even to be afraid of the horse. When we get back, our rooms are empty. The innkeeper comes in.
"Left an hour ago," he said. "Think they were looking for ye. Thought ye'd gone t'Corus. Are ridn' that way now, but if the girl is as scared of horses as she looks, ye won't catch 'em. Rode away at a full gallop, th'did."