People of the Masks (retail) by Kathleen O'Neal Gear & W. Michael Gear

Author:Kathleen O'Neal Gear & W. Michael Gear
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 2010-12-27T23:00:00+00:00

Nineteen

Blue Raven sat cross-legged on the snow between Silver Sparrow and his former wife. While Sparrow went about fixing cornmeal gruel for breakfast, Matron Dust Moon tried to appear casual, plaiting her silver hair into a thick braid, but her gaze never left Blue Raven, and he felt it like an icy dagger in his chest.

The pink echoes of sunrise danced through the Cloud Giants, giving a rainbow shimmer to parts of the morning sky.

Blue Raven sipped the cup of tea they had offered, and said, “This is excellent.”

“Thank you,” Dust Moon replied. “It’s my own mixture.”

“Do you purposely dry the rose petals, or let them dry naturally on the plant?”

“I pick them fresh and dry them near a fire. The flavors keep longer.”

Silver Sparrow added dried blueberries to the bubbling cook pot and stirred it with a horn spoon. “She first blended that tea thirty-three winters ago. It was autumn, the Moon of Blazing Leaves, and Dust had been out with our oldest son picking berries at a hunting camp north of here called Cranberry Bog. She started gathering a little of this and some of that, and when she brewed it that night for supper, we all thought it delicious. She’s made it ever since.” Sparrow smiled fondly, but not at Dust Moon, at the cook pot.

Pain briefly lit the matron’s eyes, but just as quickly vanished. Silver Sparrow glanced up at her, and clenched, his jaw.

Blue Raven did not know much about women, but he knew something about men. Silver Sparrow still loved Dust Moon.

Sparrow got to his feet. “Dust, while this finishes cooking, I think I will go and look for some of our things that blew away in the storm last night.” He turned to Blue Raven and his eyes narrowed. “Just as a precaution, let me tell you that Dust Moon carries a stiletto and a knife, and knows how to use them. I taught her. In addition, I will always be in sight of camp. My eyes will rarely be off you, Blue Raven. Understand?”

“Yes. I do.”

Silver Sparrow walked toward the trees to Blue Raven’s left.

Blue Raven waited until he’d passed beyond hearing range, then said, “He treats you as a wife, Matron, not a former wife.”

She continued braiding her hair. “Well, he’s been doing it for most of his life. He can’t help it.”

“How long were you joined?”

“Thirty-five winters.”

Blue Raven propped his elbows on his drawn-up knees. Dust Moon watched him, the wrinkles in her forehead deepening. As the light shifted, the boulder behind. her glittered and sparkled. “Divorcing must have been difficult after so long. I, myself, have never been married, but I’ve heard divorced people say they felt as if they had lost a part of themselves.”

The coldness in her eyes thawed a little. She pulled a cord from her pack and tied it around the end of her braid. “Why did you never marry?”

Blue Raven found himself riveted by those dark confident eyes. Despite her age, she was a beautiful woman.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.