vows, I will take you into my service. Training the minds of young acolytes is one of the most important tasks in the abbey.' He gave Fyn a friendly smile but his eyes were hard and meaningful. 'You could go far with me as your master. Few have the influence I wield.'
Firefox hinted that Master Wintertide's friendship would not further Fyn's career. But he had never expected that kind of return from friendship. Hiding his distaste, he gave the bow of an acolyte to a master.
'I thank you.' He didn't want to actually say no, the acolytes master could make his life miserable. 'I will think deeply on this.'
'You do that. Meanwhile, take this youth with you.' He nodded to the Overhill boy. 'Escort him to Master Wintertide when we reach the abbey.'
Fyn nodded. By ordering him to mind the new boy, Firefox was reminding him how little control he had over his own life.
Young Overhill shifted uneasily. Fyn took pity on him. 'What's your name?'
'Joff of Overhill, but… I suppose I'll have a new name at the abbey.'
'Not until you are ready to become a monk.' Fyn led him towards the waiting sleds. 'I haven't chosen my monk name yet. Come on. We'd better strap on the sled.'
'Ho, Fyn, what was that all about?' Lonepine asked when he returned.
'I'm to watch out for Joff,' Fyn explained.
'Good.' Lonepine grinned. 'We can take turns pulling the sled.'
'Will you take up Master Firefox's offer?' Joff asked Fyn.
'The master offered you a place? Why didn't you say?' Lonepine demanded.
Fyn shrugged. He didn't want to talk about it here, where anyone might overhear.
'It would be a wise move.' Lonepine winked. 'Then you won't have to compete with me to be weapons master!'
Fyn laughed and mock-punched him, but his heart was not in it.
Piro waited in her mother's private chamber down one end of the solarium. Listening for the distinctive
After taking off her head-dress and cloak, Piro sat in front of the fire to get warm. Her cheeks still stung from standing on the battlements in the cold breeze to see the last of the monks glide off across Sapphire lake.
Staring into the flames, Piro wound her cap's red satin ribbons through her fingers. Her eyes felt gritty from lack of sleep and loud sounds made her jump. The dream about Byren was only one of many nightmares. Since looking into the Mirror of Insight her dreams had been haunted. Every night as soon as she drifted off, she saw wyverns rampaging through the castle corridors, eating in the great hall, drinking and laughing while her people went in fear of them. She dreaded falling asleep.
Piro was desperate enough to turn to her mother. How did the queen hide her Affinity? How could she have let her own father ride to his death? The more Piro thought about it, the more she realised she did not know her mother, had never known her.
'What are you doing, sitting here all alone?' her old nurse asked, bustling in with an armful of freshly laundered linen. She began folding things, slipping lavender bags between the layers as she tucked them away in various chests.
'Where's mother?'
'With your father, entertaining the Merofynian ambassador. He'll be going back soon. When next we see him it will be the Jubilee and Isolt Kingsdaughter will be with him.' The old nurse frowned at Piro. 'You must be on your best behaviour next time you see Rejulas — '
'I can't face him, Seela. I don't know what to do. My Affinity is getting worse!' Piro gestured wildly, cap swinging by its ribbons. 'Rejulas handed me a slice of perfectly good sweet bread with cream but when I tried to eat it I nearly choked. Father later ate the whole loaf so there was nothing wrong with it. If the Affinity wasn't trying to tell me to beware Rejulas, what does it mean?'
'It means you can't trust what you see, hear or feel. Ahh, Piro!' Seela's face creased with sympathy. 'To be god-touched is not a pleasant thing. Your mother's had to live with it all these years, never knowing if the nightmares she has are visions or simply bad dreams. As for Rejulas, I know what you're like. You went into the trophy chamber all churned up with anger and resentment. No wonder you couldn't eat.'
'No. It wasn't me. It was a message from the gods. I'm sure of it.'
Seela rolled her eyes.
Piro put her hands on her hips, cap dangling. 'I'm going to ask mother.'
'No, don't trouble her.' Seela closed the chest and came over to Piro, taking the cap from her and smoothing the crumpled ribbons. 'I didn't tell her about your Affinity. Don't disappoint her.'
Piro's shoulder's slumped. 'I'm sorry if I'm a disappointment to her.'
'You misunderstand me. She'd be disappointed in herself. We'll keep this a secret, you and I.' Seela summoned a smile. 'From what your father says Rejulas is a brave, clever man.'
'I still don't trust him.'
'Words are cheap, deeds ring true. This is what I told your mother when she was fretting about coming here. She was only a little thing, eight years old. I told her, only by King Rolen's actions can we know if he is trustworthy. Give him a chance to prove himself. And she did and look what happened!' Seela took Piro's hand. 'The best thing you can do is close your heart and mind against the Affinity, just as your mother has done, and do your duty as a kingsdaughter.'
Piro sighed. Since this was also Fyn's advice, she nodded. 'All right, but I can't sleep for the nightmares.'
'We can banish those. A little sleeping draught will do the trick. Your mother has been taking it for years. Whenever it gets bad we say she's having one of her turns and she retreats to her private chamber so that I can dose her. I'll water down some dreamless-sleep for you this very night. You're worrying needlessly.' Seela patted Piro's arm. 'I know. Let's prepare a performance for the visiting nobles. We can get the costume chest out and do one of the midwinter pageants!'
Piro nodded slowly. Usually she enjoyed performing but now it all seemed so trivial.
Seeing her expression, Seela clucked her tongue. 'Dreamless-sleep will settle the nightmares. It works on your mother. You'll see.'
And Piro had to be satisfied with this as Seela bustled off. Alone again, she paced the chamber. It was all very well to say that Rejulas's action would tell her what kind of man he was, but what if she was already married to him when she discovered he could not be trusted? How would she escape him?
Fyn arrived at the abbey as the sun was setting behind the Dividing Mountains. After pulling the sled for three days solid, his thighs and shoulders ached. All he wanted to do was rest, but first he had to take Joff to the boys master. This happened to suit him, since he wanted to ask Master Wintertide's advice.
He dumped his travelling pack on his bunk and turned to Joff, who was standing in the acolytes' dormitory looking out of place while the others unloaded their packs, checked the work roster then shuffled off to line up for the hot baths.
'Come on, Joff.' Fyn headed for the corridor, pointing out the rooms as they passed them. 'This wing of chambers houses the acolytes in order of rank, oldest at this end, the youngest down here.' He passed that door and entered the spiral central stairs, gesturing upwards. 'The hothouses are high above in the crater's mouth, set on the shores of Lake Halcyon. That's where we bring on the seedlings so the farmers can make an early start with their planting. Otherwise they'd never get two crops harvested each summer.'
Joff nodded as they headed down the steps. As a farmer's son, he would be familiar with monks delivering hothouse seedlings.
'Fyn?' Lonepine called over the acolytes' balcony. 'You're rostered to work in the gardens tonight.'
Fyn cursed under his breath.
'But we've only just got back,' Joff muttered. 'How could you be rostered to work? That's not fair.'
'Who said abbey life was fair?' Fyn muttered, then took pity on Joff's confusion. 'No. It's not fair. But that's the way it is. The acolytes master is warning me.'
'Why?'
