Looking down the south road again, Meliara?"
The voice startled me. I turned and saw my oldest friend, Oria, peering in around the door tapestry. Though I was the countess and she the servant, we had grown up together, scampering barefoot every summer through the mountains, sleeping out under the stars, and dancing to the music of the mysterious Hill Folk. Until last winter, I'd only had Oria's cast-off clothing to wear; now I had a couple of remade gowns, but I still wore the old clothes to work in.
She smiled a little as she lifted the tapestry the rest of the way and stepped in. "I tapped. Three times."
"I was looking at the road. Why should I look at the road? I was just thinking--and enjoying the sunshine."
"Won't last." Oria joined me at the window. "A whole week of mild weather? That usually means three weeks of blizzard on the way."
"Let it come," I said, waving a hand. I was just as glad to get off the subject of roads as I was to talk about all the new comforts the castle afforded. "We have windows, and heat vents, and cushions. We could last out a year of blizzards."
Oria nodded, but--typically--reverted right back to her subject. "If you weren't looking down the road, then it's the first time in weeks."
"Weeks? Huh!" I scoffed.
She just shrugged a little. "Missing your brother?"
"Yes," I admitted. "I'll be glad when the roads clear--Branaric did promise to come here." Then I looked at her. "Do you miss him?"
Oria laughed, tossing her curly black hair over her shoulder. "I know I risk sounding like an old woman rather than someone who is one year past her Flower Day, but my fancy for him was nothing more than a girl's dream. I much prefer my own flirts now." She pointed at me. "That's what you need, Mel, some flirts."
I too had passed my Flower Day, which meant I was of marriageable age, but I felt sometimes as if I were ten years younger than Oria. She had lots of flirts and seemed to enjoy them all. I'd never had one--and I didn't want one. "Who has the time? I'm much too busy with Tlanth."
The voice startled me. I turned and saw my oldest friend, Oria, peering in around the door tapestry. Though I was the countess and she the servant, we had grown up together, scampering barefoot every summer through the mountains, sleeping out under the stars, and dancing to the music of the mysterious Hill Folk. Until last winter, I'd only had Oria's cast-off clothing to wear; now I had a couple of remade gowns, but I still wore the old clothes to work in.
She smiled a little as she lifted the tapestry the rest of the way and stepped in. "I tapped. Three times."
"I was looking at the road. Why should I look at the road? I was just thinking--and enjoying the sunshine."
"Won't last." Oria joined me at the window. "A whole week of mild weather? That usually means three weeks of blizzard on the way."
"Let it come," I said, waving a hand. I was just as glad to get off the subject of roads as I was to talk about all the new comforts the castle afforded. "We have windows, and heat vents, and cushions. We could last out a year of blizzards."
Oria nodded, but--typically--reverted right back to her subject. "If you weren't looking down the road, then it's the first time in weeks."
"Weeks? Huh!" I scoffed.
She just shrugged a little. "Missing your brother?"
"Yes," I admitted. "I'll be glad when the roads clear--Branaric did promise to come here." Then I looked at her. "Do you miss him?"
Oria laughed, tossing her curly black hair over her shoulder. "I know I risk sounding like an old woman rather than someone who is one year past her Flower Day, but my fancy for him was nothing more than a girl's dream. I much prefer my own flirts now." She pointed at me. "That's what you need, Mel, some flirts."
I too had passed my Flower Day, which meant I was of marriageable age, but I felt sometimes as if I were ten years younger than Oria. She had lots of flirts and seemed to enjoy them all. I'd never had one--and I didn't want one. "Who has the time? I'm much too busy with Tlanth."
( Sherwood Smith )
[ Court Duel ]
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