Read Online Moonkind (Winterling) by Sarah Prineas - Free Book Online

him then and gave him a slab of bread and cheese. He’d rather have a nice, plump rabbit, but bread and cheese would do. He took a big bite.
    “The question is,” Arenthiel went on musingly, “what is to be done about their glamories?”
    Then the bite turned to ashes in his mouth. He gulped it down. “The Birch-Lady. I’m the one who did that to her,” he said.
    He set down his food then and crossed the room to show Arenthiel his web-stained hand. He started to explain about where the glamorie came from, and the shadow-spinner spider.
    “Yes, yes,” Arenthiel interrupted impatiently. “I know more about the spiders than you do.”
    Rook narrowed his eyes, suspicious. “You do? Why?”
    “Can I tell you a story?” Arenthiel asked.
    A story ? “No, you can’t tell me any stupid story,” Rook answered.
    “Too bad. I am.” Arenthiel settled in. “The Lords and Ladies didn’t always wear the glamories, Puck. They were once like your Lady, Gwynnefar. True to their people and their lands. But!” He raised a bony finger. “One of the High Ones corrupted them. He was beautiful and he wanted glittering, unchanging people around him always, and he found the spider to spin a still, chill beauty out of moonlight. He gave the glamories to the people and made them Lords and Ladies. He thought he was making them powerful, but he was wrong. He was making them slaves.”
    “You did this?” Rook asked, startled. “You were one of the High Ones?”
    “Well, I still am, in a way,” Arenthiel said with a dry cough. “It’s just not as obvious as it was before.”
    “Because you’re a troublemaker,” Rook added. Arenthiel was right—it took one to know one.
    Arenthiel’s answer was a snort of laughter. “That’s right. Now, go on. You can see why this interests me. Tell me how you took the glamorie from the Forsworn.”
    “I didn’t think it would hurt her,” Rook tried to explain. He told Aren about the horrible moment when he’d touched the Birch Lady and she’d shriveled up and howled when her glamorie had been stripped away.
    “Oh, dear. That is very bad, Robin. You weren’t careful,” Aren said. “Neither was Gwynnefar. It was a stupid mistake the two of you made, forcing a change like that.”
    “It was, yes,” Rook found himself agreeing. Really, they were lucky the Birch-Lady hadn’t died of it. Maybe she still would. “I promised Fer I wouldn’t use this again.” He raised his web-stained hand.
    “Hmmmm. See that you keep that promise.” The ancient creature sighed and was silent for a while, sitting with his eyes closed.
    Maybe he’d fallen asleep. Rook went back to his bread and cheese.
    “Well, then,” Arenthiel said suddenly. “When you go to the Summerlands, you’ll have to—”
    “No,” Rook interrupted. “I told you. Fer doesn’t want to see me. I’m not going there.” At least, not yet. “I have to do something first to show her she can trust me.”
    “Trust, is it?” Arenthiel said with a toothless grin. “Well, then.” He was silent for a few moments. Then he yawned. “It’s time for my nap.”
    “Then go to sleep,” Rook said grumpily.
    “In a moment.” The bony finger came up again, pointed. “But first tell me what you’re going to do, Puck.”
    That was the question. He thought back to what had happened. “One of the Forsworn is the Sea-Lord. I’ve been to his lands before. I can go there again and see how his broken oath is affecting his lands.”
    Old Arenthiel nodded. “It could be nothing. Or it could be very bad. You must find out, then come back and tell me.”
    Rook gave a shrug as his answer. He wasn’t taking orders from Old Scrawny, whether he was really a High One or not.
    Aren frowned, suddenly serious. “We must be careful, Robin.” He waved a wrinkled claw of a hand. “Yes, yes, I know there is no we for you and me. That’s fine. But listen to me now. Somehow the Forsworn must be persuaded to remove their glamories and fulfill