Edited 1/29/22 - Please let me know your thoughts throughout the story, I'd love to hear for you :)
I did research before I wrote this chapter- a lot of research- about festivials and found festivals that would have happened for pretty much any reason- the sun came up, oh, lets a festival for it! As for the reason for this festival and its real however it usually happens in a different season
I do not own the Inheritance Cycle. The Pellinor book series was used to help with some details- those I also disclaim.
Enjoy,
The Festival of Shining Waters
That night Rose dreamed she was flying on a red dragon. For a moment she thought she was riding Thorn, and she reached out her mind to mend with it but all she felt a savage hatred that burned and twisted in her mind. She quickly withdrew her mind, and noticed that the dragon's scales shone a darker color, it was less bulky and much larger than Thorn. She was sitting on the dip of its neck on top of a molded leather saddle somewhere high in the sky, higher than she had ever been before, and there was someone sitting behind her. Looking behind her, she saw a tall man veiled by a very dark, very long cloak, his hands darted in and out of the shadows of his cloak as he was cutting a smooth round fruit with a small knife. She couldn't see his face, but his eyes gleamed under the hood. "You cannot hide from me, Dragon Rider," a dark voice said from around her, somehow she knew it did not belong to the man. "I have seen you and your dragon. Your enchantress' charms do not work against me. I will find you and you will serve me." The voice began to laugh, but it was an empty laugh void of any emotion, cold and dark like the night itself.
The dream shifted, and she was standing on a street of a stinking city with low buildings and high walls. There were no people in the streets at all, only filth and rats and stinging insects. She watched as a rat scattered out from under a four wheeled cart and past her to a square structure, the only building that was taller than the guard walls. The rat squeaked at her foot and scampered over the paved path, straight into the barred windows of the tower. A breeze blew through the city, rolling scraps of paper and rubbish. She lifted her foot as a paper rolled across the ground and swatted at an insect as it flew close to her face. "Look to the north," a voice like a whisper said. She looked around, then faced the north looking at the barred tower. "Look to the north," it repeated.
The dream passed into other dreams that Rose didn't remember but when she woke, she felt an uneasy despair.
The next morning Rose was so stiff she could hardly move, she felt as if she were bruised all over. She turned over with a groan and sat up disconsolately. As Thorn was still asleep, she dug through her pack for food cautiously, watching the calmed ocean stir below. The day was overcast and drear, and a dim pale light filtered into the cave, seemingly draining the world outside of color, expect for the sea which had shifted from its inky color to a mellow green. The echoing of the waves below seemed unnaturally loud, even threatening.
She had just finished a light meal, when Thorn woke up.
We go? He asked groggily.
Rose nodded. "We have a few days of recreation, and I wish to see Teirm," she said. Glancing at him, she remembered his ill state the night before. "How do you feel?"
I do not yet know.
"If need be, I wouldn't mind us staying here," she said with a sigh.
Thorn expanded his wings as far as he could in the cave and shook them, then folded them back. I would mind, he said. I need to fly.
She stood up with a smile, and tucked her sword beneath the sheepskin, fastening the hunting knife in its place. Tornac hadn't put much thought when he made the sword, she had realized the day before, had he put more thought into he might not have made it appear so grand. The sword was far too remarkable for what she was hoping to accomplish, and though she did not wish to be away from it Rose thought it best to leave the blade behind.
"I doubt the sheepskin will be needed today," she said tying the undyed cap to her belt, "I think it would be best if you flew me halfway to Teirm and left me near a path, so that no one notices you. As long as you don't fly too far, we should be able to keep in contact." After filling a small drawstring bag with food, she turned to Thorn. "I'm ready when you are."
Eager to go, are we? Thorn said.
Rose stiffened then bit her lip. "Yes, I am," she said with a sigh. "I've never been on my own, not truly. I'm finding it rather exciting to go somewhere without an escort or a herd of sentries or an overbearing guardian following behind, watching my every move."
You are not alone, he said blinking at her, his tail sweeping across the ground.
"I know," she said, flinching out of the way of Thorn's tail. "Though you're quite different than any other company I've kept before." With a frown, she looked at Thorn out of the corner of her eyes and rubbed her hands together. "Shall we go?"
Yes, Thorn said leaning down, allowing her to climb onto his back.
Once on top, she sat at ease, gripping the spike that jutted from his spine with a light hand. That was until he moved forward and jumped out of the entrance to cave at a steep dive towards the sodden rocks below. Rose shut her eyes and leaned close against his back, holding tightly onto the spine, struggling to balance herself.
Then before Thorn's head broke the water, he flared out his wings and glided over the water. Rose opened her eyes as he lowered himself even farther, extending his claws into the water creating a glistening green stream, spraying them both with chilling beads of water. Thorn swiveled his head around at Rose, who was clinging desperately to his spike so to not fall off, before he turning away blinking and thrusting his wing down rising into the sky once more.
I despise it when you do that, said Rose as he leveled out.
Thorn sent her a tendril of amusement in reply, and playfully folded his wings back forcing them into a slight plummet towards the sea for a few feet before rising on the wind. Rose didn't speak a word to him, hanging silently onto his spike, her mouth clamped shut against the twisting sourness in her belly. She had her head turned down near her shoulder with her eyes firmly close, listening eagerly for the noises that where associated with Thorn as he landed, instead she only heard the replicating beating of air and the thin whistle of the dragon's wings. For a time she rebuffed Thorn's attempts to communicate with her, withdrawing herself completely from his mind and listening only the sounds that surrounded them.
After a long moment, but the moment came none too soon, Thorn landed in a dingle of trees, and Rose hurriedly turned off of his back. She landed on her hands and knees, on top from knobby root, which caused a radiating pain to crawl up her legs and into her back. Quickly standing up, she spun around and angrily faced Thorn. Feeling Thorn press against her mind she made a face at him, then turned away and tucked her braided hair into the undyed cap. Rose felt him press against her mind yet again, this time more urgently, and she reluctantly allowed him in.
She felt him pass into her mind, lightly examining her emotions and sending her his own as he did so. This left her shifting impatiently from foot to foot, with her bottom lip wedged firmly between her teeth. After a time she felt him recede slightly from her.
Are you done now, Thorn? she asked. I would like to be going.
Thorn switched his tail across the ground. Yes, he said as he crouched to the ground readying himself to jump into the air.
Nodding, Rose turned away towards the twisting deer trail which led to the road. Not long after she reached the sheltering of the trees, she felt her juvenile annoyance towards Thorn fade and diminish completely. She turned and watched as Thorn faded to the skies, before turning back down the trail and walked in silence.
The clearing Thorn had landed in was less than a league south from Teirm, but the walk still took Rose most of the morning before she reached the high white walls of the city. As Rose neared the walls of the city, she could see from on top of steep hill, to the north the sea cliff where she and Thorn had spent the previous night ebbed away to a rocky shore with many numbers of docks. From the distance, the seaport city of Teirm seemed to have been buildings of scattered stones. Most of the buildings were constructed white or tan, some were of a strange pink stone, but all gleamed like blocks of salt amid the cobbled roads and dark green gardens of cypresses and laurels and olives. Teirm was a busy trading port, its harbor well protected against both storm and attacks by brigands, by a tangle of reefs and currents, by the peculiarly ascending structures, and by the arms of its encircling ramparts.
As Rose neared the towers, she began to feel apprehensive. Much sooner than she would have like she arrived at the tall gates, thick oak stoutly barred with black steel. Over the gates a yellow pennant stirring in the wind, stitched into the emblem was a rough outline of a roaring lion and under it an arm holding a blossoming lily. Two guards clad in a rich purple stood at the entrance, the metal tips of their pikes that blocked the path into the city gleaming from the veiled sun. "Wha's yer name and yer business here?" asked one of the guards in an uninterested tone.
"I'm called Wyn," she said looking down at the ground, hoping the hat would cover enough of her face. "I'm here because my da left his lunch at home,"- she nudged the cloth sack at her waist- "and my ma told me t' bring it for him."
"Is that so?" The guard shifted towards her.
"Yeh, sir," Rose said still looking at the ground, "it is."
She could feel his eyes studying her, as he was deciding whether or not to believe her story. Biting the inside of her cheek, she whispered a silent prayer that he would.
"And what village are yer comin' from?" said the guard suspiciously.
Rose started and bit her lip hesitantly. She felt like kicking herself, why had she not thought of this? As quickly as she could she ran a mental list of the name of the towns and villages that remembered where in the area, but she could only remember two. She opened her mouth, but the other guard saved her from a hasty lie.
"Leave the lad alone, Nab," said the other guard withdrawing the pike from in front of her.
The guard called Nab glared angrily at his colleague before grudgingly withdrawing his pike from the entrance, allowing her into the city.
Cautiously, she walked past the guards into the city, a hand on her knife, and stared at the buildings with interest. They were squat and plainly square, but the further she went into the city the taller the buildings got, with a flat roof covered in slate shingles with a bordering of decorative metal rails, and not as scattered as she originally had thought. The doors and windows were narrow and deep set, bordered with strange carvings, some grotesque, some of surpassing beauty, and runes. Many of the homes were empty, their windows darker with streaks of dust and filth, grass and weeds growing from the cracks in their stone-tiled yards.
The twisting alleys gave way to wide streets flagged with stone that threw the sunlight back blindingly. Here there was little vegetation, and she did not hear the squabbling cheep chirp of bird. High above the streets the citadel was austere, seeming to eschew mere prettiness. There was something that bothered Rose, but at first she couldn't put a finger on it, and it took her a while to figure out what it was. She couldn't hear the voices of children anywhere, there was no children playing in the lines, or laughing in hidden gardens. The people who walked the street were adult and grave, most of them carrying a large weapon, and very few of them were women.
She spent the majority of the day wandering, and as the skies cleared of the heavy clouds revealing that the sun was in the middle of sky, a deep bell chimed and echoed deafening throughout the streets. She cringed, struggling to not cover her ears and turned away. Not long after the noon bell rung, she reached the harborside which unlike most of the city was thriving with activity.
The quay was crowded with baskets of blue and silver fish packed in salt, giant coils of rope, pots filled with lobster and tongued mussels, and dozens of arguing people. Many traders were bargaining, scoffing in disbelief at the prices offered, and talking up the value of their wares. Elsewhere fishers were bringing in their catch, shouting orders at eachother, and sailors were working on their boats or greeting friends, laughing and swearing. The teeming, noisy harborside was a shock after the silence of the city. You two-leggeds, Thorn said watching from their mind-touch, all you do is talk but rarely are words spoken.
She started, nearly stepping onto a massive loop of rope, having forgotten that she was still in touch with him as he has been quiet throughout the whole day.
It is not about the words spoken but the meaning that is hidden behind them, Rose countered, once she recovered. In the least that's how it is in UrĂ»'baen but these people are like birds, you scatter some feed on the ground and they fight to be first to get it, cheeping and twittering the whole while. She paused and glanced around at the crowd pausing at the sight of a tall man in a ragged cloak. After studying him for a moment, she said, How are the winds?
Much calmer than earlier, he said.
That is good, said Rose. I've seen all I can here. I'm going to head for that valley.
I will go back and wait for you to return.
Rose turned away from the noisy dockside, and walked on in silence.
On the morning of the fourth day that they spent near Teirm, the sun rose into the sky as perfectly blue as a robin's egg. During the previous days, Rose had spent either walking the streets of Teirm, in attempt to familiarize herself with the city, or flying with Thorn, learning how to balance herself better as he flew. Now she sat comfortably on his back, without fear of falling but was only when he was simply gliding with the winds.
The winding alleys and small streets of Teirm were packed with people dressed in bright clothing: emerald green and crimson and gold and azure and turquoise, so bright that Rose could see them from in the sky. As the afternoon wore on, more and more people swelled into the crowded streets.
Near evening, Rose questioningly looked down at the sea of colors. She hadn't realized there were some many people in Teirm. I wonder what's going on down there, she said, a light breeze played through her hair.
Do you wish to find out?
Yes, said she after a moment's pause, shifting into a more sable position as Thorn dived towards the ground. Once he had landed in the usual knoll of crushed heather, she jumped from his back and jogged to the broken trail ignoring the protecting squawks of birds. Are you going keep to skies? If so, tell me if you see her. I'll only be but a moment.
I will, he said.
She felt a cooling draft of wind come from Thorn's wings, as she stepped around a tree. Wandering the city had become pall, and she hadn't the intention of to go into Teirm that day, wishing to spend it with Thorn as they watched the path or the sun play over the sea. Without the intent of meeting human life she had left the woolen hat in the cave, and her hair hung unfastened down her back, this was something she was sure she would regret later.
As Rose neared the walls of Teirm, she began to run her fingers through the tangle of hair before she quickly gave up her attempts and walked on. She passed through the gates unchallenged, the guards looked on forlornly as if they didn't see her, and squeezed her way through the streets feeling breathless. The instant she pressed into crowd, she felt as she had jumped into a surge of sweltering water.
The brightly colored crowd pushed her steadily towards the waterfront, where it was more crowded and more noisy and hot. Children wiggled their way between people's legs, some wearing masks of dried feathers and silk, some had their faces painted with little cats and foxed and birds and fish, yet all the child wore bells in their hair. The sounds of bell tones filled the air like a wild music.
Suddenly she could hear a huge drum being hit in a solemn, commanding beat, and though it seemed impossible, the crowd parted and pushed back from the streets where there seemed to be hardly any space available at all. Rose craned her head to see an enormously stout man with a gilt and green drum that hung around his neck, and behind him a procession of tumblers and jugglers all dressed in bright colors. Some of the jugglers were throwing gold knives that flash in the sun or touches with a bright glow of flames at both ends. Rose watched the juggler as they landed in tumbling arcs onto each other's shoulders, or walked on their hands or on stilts, or built theirselves into human towers of a dozen.
After them came a column of dozens of children, some riding stocky ponies with saddles decorated with feathers or flowers, some walking, or some running with hoops and sticks. The girls were clad in dresses with several layers of flounces and lace with beribboned parasols laying over their shoulder, while the boys wore brilliantly striped trousers and shirts, a painted wooden sword swinging at their hip. Most children and masks mode of feathers, and glass, silk and mirrors that flashed in the light, some of the masks were broken or worn with age, all of them carried an unlit candle. Some of the children walked less enthusiastically, and one bumped in a tiny boy knocking him to the ground. Instead and bursting into tears, he scrambled up, and whacked the older kid on the rump before running off again in cheer, his mask lay broken on the ground.
A glint of light caught her eyes blinding her, and she looked across the road at Ailis. She was holding a triangular piece of mirror from one the masks, looking at her with an eyebrow raised questioningly. Ailis motioned her over with a hand but Rose shook her head passionately pointing to the street as a series of floats drawn by gorgeously harnessed horses passed by, causing Ailis to press her lips together.
With a deep breath, Rose returned her attention to the floats, each more extravagant then the last. And at last came the last float, a dozen of nobles stood in the middle of a replica garden from child's tale Little Addograt. Identifying the spindly Lord Risthart by the shine of his polished head, Rose ducked her head and looked away willing him not to notice her. As the float passed, an overwhelming sweet perfume drifted down into the applauding crowd.
"Did he recognize you?"
Rose started and looked up at Ailis, who was clapping along with the crowd, not looking at her.
"I don't think so," she said.
"That's a good thing," said Ailis emotionlessly.
Rose bit her lip and shifted. "Do you know who he was?"
"No," she said as she stopped clapping, "but you do. Would you like to go have an evening meal, or stand out here and clap for the next hour with the rest of the crowd?"
"Supper would be welcome."
Ailis nodded, and roughly grabbed her hand, shouldering her way through the crowd towards a small pub in the distance. Eventually they reached their destination, tavern called the Croaking Toad, where Ailis lead her to a small table in the corner as far from listening ears as possible. The sounds of talking and laughing and even the playing of a harp could be heard.
When Ailis said nothing, Rose asked, "What are the festivities in celebration of?"
"The glowing waters," said Ailis after a moment pause.
Rose looked at her disbelief. "Glowing waters?" she asked.
"Yes."
Rose waited, but nothing more was said. "Meaning?"
"That you are quite dense," said Ailis, closing her eyes.
"I didn't see you come into Teirm," Rose said after a very long moment of listening to harpist.
"So you were watching for me." Ailis sat up and examined her face. "You should know, then, that I arrived last night moments before the gates closed. And you? When did you and your friend get here?"
Rose hesitated. "Days ago," she said finally.
Ailis nodded and fell quiet. "I think, you'll enjoy watching the sea tonight more than the festivities that will proceed throughout the evening and night," she said after a long time. "It only happens once a few years, and when it does Teirm becomes quite passionate and the people tend to become," she paused and pursed her lips, "rather jaunty. I suppose that would be best way to say it."
"It's awfully overwhelming," Rose agreed.
"It is, isn't it," Ailis mussed, then shook her head. "After we eat, you best stay out of Teirm, I would dislike it if someone were to recognize you and report you to the Empire. I don't like to hear of my own, or those I travel with, proceedings. It always bodes ill." She paused again and looked around the room. "Then, again, we might just want to skip over the meal and leave Teirm all together."
"You've gotten in contact with those you needed to so soon?"
Ailis shook her head. "It's time for celebration here, no one would wish to talk to me," she said quietly almost to herself. "I'd only dampen what little joy they have. I was referring to the fact that the best view of the sea is from above." Ailis smiled wickedly at her and called the server over to order a meal. When the server left and a meal was ordered, Ailis continued, "As I said before, you'll like this night, quite a bit."
