I do not own the Abhorsen series….as you all know.
Now, on to the story!
Terrasyn brushed away tears as she strode blindly down the corridor. Her lips had a tendency to turn red when she was crying, and she could feel their warmth as she snuffled into her hand. She was overwhelmed. The meeting with Lirael had lowered her already failing spirits so substantially that she was overcome with the need to sit. She leaned against the rail of the corridor and slid to the ground.
She heard her conversation with Lirael run repeatedly in her head. Her sadness bloomed to sudden anger. Lirael felt so alone that she had forgotten that Terrasyn, too, was in the same dilemmano Sight and friendless. Well, except for Nienna, the one who had shared marzipan with Terrasyn.
Slowly, her anger cooled and her tears dried. Sitting up, she suddenly remembered what she had come to the Library for: reference, what it was best at.
She peered up and down the corridor before gracefully rising to her feet. She smoothed the front of her blue tunic. Child's tunic, she thought. The one that Lirael and I both share. Her anger threatened to rear up again, but her inner reservoir washed over it, quelling it.
Her hands shook only a little as she walked down the hall. Finally she reached a room with books on the subject she was looking for: Dreams.
Nienna was on Kitchen duty again. It was always passed on to the younger Clayr, and she happened to be on the bottom of the pecking order. No Sight, and the daughter of a wandering traveler who had stayed only one night. Her mother was like that, though. Nienna had countless siblings populating the Glacier, some of whom left it altogether to work a living as common peasants. Nienna had been raised by the head of the Birthing Room, a beautiful (if plump) Clayr named Haellia. Haellia was an ebullient and cheery Clayr, acting midwife to most of the mothers in the Glacier. Nienna's mother was one she knew all too well. When Nienna was born, Haellia had taken pity on her and raised her as her own, teaching her midwifery. Nienna was ready to become an Apprentice to her surrogate mother, but the Nine Day Watch had not approved a new worker in the Birthing Rooms. Because of all the danger outside of the Glacier, travelers came more often to take refuge in the Glacier. The Lower Refectory was often packed, and the number of newborns had therefore increased.
Nienna wiped her hands on her apron and untied it. She hung it on a hook, and before anyone could object, slipped away.
Heading to the children's rooms, she passed many Clayr on their way to lunch. Smiling and nodding to each one until she thought her smile would crack, she hurried down the hall.
Before she could see the Children's Rooms, she could hear them. The children were caterwauling and bouncing around. There was an abundance of plant life in these rooms, the theory being that the greenery would calm them down. Nienna glanced around the wide, airy rooms with thick mattresses on the floor and downy blankets covering them. The oldest child she could see was little Kamaria, sitting on her mattress and reading. The Clayr on duty was fun-loving Samaria (Kamaria's mother), but poor Samaria looked hassled and distraught. Before Samaria could recruit Nienna to help, Nienna slipped away, suppressing a smile.
Where is Terrasyn? Wondered Nienna. Nienna didn't know Terrasyn very well, but she had seemed quiet and reserved. Where would a reserved Clayr go? She thought, letting her feet carry her.
"Oomph!" Grunted a voice. Nienna had bumped into somebody, and she was knocked back several feet before catching herself.
"I'm sorry, my mind was else…where…" Nienna apologized, but her voice blew away before it exited her mouth. "Mother?"
The Clayr she had bumped into was wearing white robes and a circlet, but that could not disguise her. Nienna doubted if her mother, Vearae, could recognize her. She had seen her several times about in the Glacier, and Haellia had made sure that Nienna knew whom her mother was. However, she was fairly certain that her mother did not know her face.
"I'm sorry, but…who are you?" the other Clayr asked hesitantly.
"I'm Nienna, one of your daughters. The one who was raised by Haellia," she said. Nienna did not begrudge her mother for letting someone else raise her. Her childhood with Haellia had been the best that she could have asked for. Yet, as though she should, Nienna felt a twinge of hurt that her own mother did not know who she was.
"Oh!" the Clayr murmured. "II am sorry…" She seemed at a lost for words. Nienna could not help but notice that her mother was heavily pregnant again. Nienna felt her throat contracting as she felt tears rise in her eyes.
Taking a deep breath, she looked at her mother and said, "It's quite all right, Haellia was a good mother." Nienna didn't mean it spitefully, but her Vearae pulled her bottom lip in.
"I've got to be going now," said Vearae, chewing her lip. "I'll see you later, maybe." She seemed to ask a question.
"Yes, maybe," answered Nienna, feeling that she would not converse with her mother again for a while.
Vearae smiled and waddled down the hall. Nienna watched her and swallowed to open her throat.
"The Library!" She exclaimed out loud. When her eyes had followed her mother down the hall, they had hit on a familiar sight: the Great Library. Without a doubt, Nienna knew that Terrasyn would be there.
