For once a greater fear than that of the Shadow Roads drove my flight, and for the first time in my life, the Roads seemed to aid me.
I returned to Father's Court barely chilled, rather than frozen and chattering my teeth, to find one of our interchangeable halls of lost places, this one stone-walled and tapestry hung. Stopping after three steps, I sniffed the air. "Please come out. This is not the time, and my nerves are too frayed by far to be a pleasant opponent in catch-the-mouse."
"You're no fun when you're serious," declared Colleen, stepping from behind a tapestry. "You're pale. Rand, are you well? What ails?"
Fire. Fire is what ails me, I thought. Fire and prophecy. Aloud, I said instead, "Is Jill here? Jill, come out. I have no patience for games."
A tabby cat slunk out of the shadows at the base of one wall and stood, resolving itself into my other sister. "Brother?" She asked, concerned.
I stepped forward and swept them into a three-part embrace. Jill squeaked, sounding almost like a kitten herself. Then they both embraced me back, purring soothingly. I buried my face in their shoulders, breathing in the reassuring scent of them, Jill's crushed chalk and silver birch, Colleen's thistle and juniper.
"Rand, what's wrong?" asked Colleen.
Pulling away from their embrace, I kept hold of their arms as I studied their faces. "If I told you that we had to run, leave this Court and flee as far as legs would carry us, would you go? Would you trust me, and follow me, and not ask why?"
"You know we couldn't. Father would find us, and the punishment would be worse than whatever fate you had us flee."
I sighed. "Would that I were half so sure as you. I must go meet with Father. Will you attend?"
"Gladly," said Jill, offering her hand. Colleen did the same.
Luck, of a kind, was with us; the King was not in attendance.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2014-10-31 04:42 pm (UTC)I returned to Father's Court barely chilled, rather than frozen and chattering my teeth, to find one of our interchangeable halls of lost places, this one stone-walled and tapestry hung. Stopping after three steps, I sniffed the air. "Please come out. This is not the time, and my nerves are too frayed by far to be a pleasant opponent in catch-the-mouse."
"You're no fun when you're serious," declared Colleen, stepping from behind a tapestry. "You're pale. Rand, are you well? What ails?"
Fire. Fire is what ails me, I thought. Fire and prophecy. Aloud, I said instead, "Is Jill here? Jill, come out. I have no patience for games."
A tabby cat slunk out of the shadows at the base of one wall and stood, resolving itself into my other sister. "Brother?" She asked, concerned.
I stepped forward and swept them into a three-part embrace. Jill squeaked, sounding almost like a kitten herself. Then they both embraced me back, purring soothingly. I buried my face in their shoulders, breathing in the reassuring scent of them, Jill's crushed chalk and silver birch, Colleen's thistle and juniper.
"Rand, what's wrong?" asked Colleen.
Pulling away from their embrace, I kept hold of their arms as I studied their faces. "If I told you that we had to run, leave this Court and flee as far as legs would carry us, would you go? Would you trust me, and follow me, and not ask why?"
"You know we couldn't. Father would find us, and the punishment would be worse than whatever fate you had us flee."
I sighed. "Would that I were half so sure as you. I must go meet with Father. Will you attend?"
"Gladly," said Jill, offering her hand. Colleen did the same.
Luck, of a kind, was with us; the King was not in attendance.