The Friends of Deceit
By Belgaer's Voice
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Tanith Lee.
Another A/N: This story ignores "Wolf Wing" and picks up where "Wolf Queen" left off. This is Claidi's journal while she and Argul are flying towards the House in Yinyay's tower.
Bit boring, really. We're coming up on the Waste, and I'm remembering that semi-awful time when I thought N was so dashing. Wonder if Daisy still has a thing for him. I can ask her when we get there then, can't I?
Because we're going back to the House, to see what has become of it; if they've forgotten me or hate me. Wonder if LJL will try to get me whipped. If that happened, Argul would all of a sudden stride into the room, all noble, and the Queen of Tronking Poetry would be struck speechless. Ha-ha.
But-
Oh, the most wonderful and horrible thought just came to me. My parents- they were slaves of the House. I wonder if they'll recognize me. I wonder if they think I'm dead, or dare I say it, that they are... dead themselves?
And-what is my real name? The one my parents really wanted me to have. Now, my being Claidi has felt almost like being an impostor. I don't want to have the name of Winter Raven, even though she's not all bad. I know this sounds hopelessly sappy, but I really do want a name of my own. I know if I asked Argul about this, and what name he'd like me to have, he'd look down his nose at me the way he does. I find I actually kind of like that look, so of course I'm going to go ask him about the name situation right now.
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Argul is so hopelessly frustrating. When I asked him in the library (where he always seems to be. Undoubtedly reading about the Towers and the Families and such) about my name, all he said was, "I would be perfectly happy calling you Claidi-baa." I might not have mentioned it before, but even WORSE than Claidis is Claidi-baa (and he didn't give me that look I've become so fond of). He didn't say anything as I stormed back up the stairs to this room. I can just imagine him now, though, laughing quietly at my bad temper and stupidity.
I'm going to go take a bath, mainly for lack of anything better to do. I'm far from bored now, though. I'll have plenty to think about.
---
Just finished dinner. It was lamb and green salad. The salad had an unusual- tasting vegetable in it; Yinyay and Argul both say it was called okra. The okra was actually quite good.
I talked to Argul about my parents over dinner (Yinyay was most gracious and left us alone). He partly helped; I'm not so much scared as I am anxious about it now, but I still wish that there were someone here I could ask for advice, kind of like a mother. I really can't ask Yinyay for motherly advice. No matter how helpful and kind she is, a mechanical doll is a mechanical doll.
We're definitely over the Waste now, and Yinyay says we should arrive at the House in three or four days. My nervousness is already starting to build up. But it will be wonderful to talk to Daisy and Pattoo again.
Please review. I'd really like to know what you think. If you think it sucks, by all means tell me so, and tell me how I can be better.