Caught in Crystal by Patricia C. Wrede

Author:Patricia C. Wrede [Wrede, Patricia C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-1-4532-3363-4
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Published: 2011-09-23T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

SEVENTEEN

KAYL COLLECTED MARK AND Dara and left the Star Hall. No one objected. The children were subdued at first, but the excitement of seeing Kith Alunel took over all too quickly. Soon they were arguing and running about as much as ever, despite the cold. Remembering her promise, Kayl took a route that led toward the center of the city, where the nobility lived.

She let Mark and Dara chatter at each other while she considered what had happened at the Star Hall. She should have asked for a look at the records Stennis had been waving, she thought. No, that wouldn’t have solved anything; she didn’t believe Stennis had been lying anyway. Something must have affected her memory, hers and Barthelmy’s. And Glyndon’s?

Oddly, the thought was comforting. Kayl resolved to discuss it with him as soon as she got back to the inn, and forcibly turned her attention to the other things she had learned. She understood, now, the odd attitude of the Shee drillmaster toward the magicians of the Sisterhood; without magic, what good was a sorceress or demon-friend? Poor Barthelmy…

Kayl wrenched her thoughts away from that fruitless and depressing line of thought, and went on. The Ri Astar Diary and the crystal it spoke of sounded fascinating. Kayl wished she had more than the few scraps of information the Elder Mothers had let fall. Still, it was not quite fascinating enough to persuade Kayl to return to the Twisted Tower, even if the Elder Mothers decided to ask her. She understood their desperation—the Sisterhood must be falling apart, if magic was so curtailed! But it was their problem, not Kayl’s. She squashed a tendril of guilt at the thought and repeated it firmly. She did not owe the Sisterhood anything. They would have to solve their problems themselves; Kayl had enough of her own.

Two of Kayl’s most importunate problems distracted her at that moment by throwing balls of snow at her. Kayl’s dodge was too slow, and the snow spattered against her shoulder. She laughed and called Mark and Dara to order. Mark objected, but Kayl was firm; she did not want them catching innocent passers-by with their missiles.

“I have better aim than that!” Mark said indignantly.

“Possibly,” Kayl said. “But I still say no. There’ll be other times.”

“Huh.” Mark kicked, sending a fat lump of snow skittering into the street. “You said that last year, and all the snow melted.”

“You forget that Kith Alunel is considerably farther north than Copeham,” Kayl said. “And winter is just beginning. In another month the Frost Fair will start.”

“Frost Fair? What’s that?”

“It’s a little like the Fall Festivals, only much larger. There are flame-jugglers, ice sculptors, knife-throwers, and all kinds of entertainers. People come from all over; even the King and his court spend a day or two at the Frost Fair. You’ll see it, if we’re still here in a month.”

“Really? Will you take us?”

“I suppose,” Kayl said with a mock show of reluctance. “If you and Dara are interested.” She glanced back and stopped.

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