The Starthorn Tree by Kate Forsyth

Author:Kate Forsyth [Forsyth, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Published: 2012-08-23T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY

In the dark stuffiness of the hollow tree, the children all slept late. They woke to find long rays of sunlight striking down through the soaring trunks of the trees, the sky a shifting canopy of green and gold.

Lisandre’s dress was hung up to dry from a branch, a waterfall of shimmering red silk. Scrambling out of the hollow tree, their eyes dry and scratchy, their mouths tasting like a bear’s den, all were stricken into an awed silence. There was no sign that the dress had ever been torn by thorns, ripped by rocks, slashed by gibberhog tusks, bedraggled by mud and rain, slept in or scrambled in. It looked like it had never been worn.

‘Leeblimey!’ Mags said. Once again there was a fierce yearning in her face. She stepped forward almost blindly, and lifted one finger to stroke the sensuous crimson shimmer.

‘Do not dare lay your filthy fingers upon my dress,’ Lisandre said fiercely. She stepped forward, tears on her face, and embraced a startled and wan-faced Briony. ‘Thank you!’

‘It was me pleasure,’ Briony answered, very gently. She yawned and added, without any acerbity whatsoever, ‘Though it may have been better if I’d mended it for you the night before we visit the Erlrune, for I have used up all me silks now and we still have some way to go.’

‘I shall not wear it,’ Lisandre said, her mouth still soft and quivering with surprise and pleasure. ‘Can we fold it so it will not crush? How did you do it? I did not mean . . . I’m sorry, Briony,’ she said in a rush. ‘It was horrible of me to make you sit up all night like that. I did not really mean you to. I was just . . . I was upset . . .’

Briony nodded. ‘’Tis still damp, I’m a-feared. Do you really want me to carry it for you? I admit, I’d be sorry to see it being torn again.’

‘I’ll carry it,’ Lisandre said in a sudden rush. ‘You’ve carried all my things as well as your own all this way. I’ll take a turn today.’

‘That would be nice,’ Briony said. ‘Though the sack’s not heavy, except when I have to carry your cloak as well. That does get a bit awkward.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Lisandre said. ‘I did not think . . .’

‘What will you wear if we’re to carry your dress?’ Briony said. ‘We have no spare clothes.’

Lisandre look down at herself, startled, and realised she was standing in nothing but her lacy underwear. She coloured with embarrassment, instinctively wrapping herself in her arms.

‘You may wear me pinafore,’ Briony said. ‘’Tis just as long as a dress, really.’

Lisandre nodded. ‘If you don’t mind.’

‘Of course I don’t mind,’ Briony answered with a smile. Her eyes were a brilliant sunshiny green, her rather peaky face flushed now with pleasure.

Lisandre was rather an odd sight in the long, drab-coloured pinafore, with the long, lace-trimmed pantaloons poking out beneath, and Durrik’s heavy brogues on her feet.

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