urgency, to his voice that had not been there before.
When he left her room, after pointing out a cord on the wall that she could pull if she needed anything, Kira looked again at the robe displayed on the table. So many colors! So many shades of each color! Despite his reassurance, autumn-start was not that far away.
Today, Kira decided, she would examine the robe and plan. Tomorrow, first thing, she would find Annabella and plead for help.
8
Matt wanted to come.
"You be needing me and Branch for protectors," he said. "Them woods is full of fierce creatures."
Kira laughed. "Protectors? You?"
"Me and Branchie, us is tough," Matt said. He flexed what passed for muscles in his scrawny arms. "I only
look
wee."
"Jamison said it was safe as long as we stay on the path," Kira reminded the boy. Secretly, she thought it would be fun to have both of them, boy and dog, for company.
"But suppose you was to get lost," Matt said. "Me and Branch can find our way out of anywheres. You be needing us for certain iffen you get lost."
"But I'll be gone all day. You'll get hungry."
Triumphantly Matt pulled a thick wad of bread from the voluminous pocket of his baggy shorts. "Filched this crustie from the baker," he announced with pride.
So the boy won, to Kira's delight, and she had company for the journey into the forest.
It was about an hour's walk. Jamison was correct; there seemed to be no danger. Although thick trees shaded the path and they could hear rustling in the undergrowth and unfamiliar cries of strange forest birds, nothing seemed threatening. Now and then Branch chased a small rodent or nosed about an opening in the earth, frightening whatever small animal made its home there.
"Probably there be snakies all in here," Matt told her with a mischievous smile.
"I'm not afraid of snakes."
"Most girls be."
"Not me. There were always small snakes in my mother's garden. She said they were friends to the plants. They ate bugs."
"Like Branchie. Look, he catched him one now." Matt pointed. His dog had pounced upon an unlucky creature with long thin legs. "That be called a daddy longlegs."
"Daddy longlegs?" Kira laughed. She'd not heard the name before. "Do you have a father?" she asked the boy curiously.
"Nah. Did onct. But now, me mum is all I got."
"What happened to your father?"
He shrugged. "Dunno.
"In the Fen," he added, "things is different. Many gots no pa. And them that gots them, they be scairt of them, 'cause they hit something horrid.
"Me mum hits too," he added, with a sigh.
"I had a father. He was a fine hunter," Kira told him proudly. "Even Jamison said so. But my father was taken by beasts," she explained.
"Aye, I heared that." She could see that Matt was trying to look sad for her benefit, but it was difficult for a boy whose temperament was so merry. Already he was pointing at a butterfly, gleeful at the bright spotted orange of its wings in the dim forest light.
"See this? You brought it with my mother's things, remember?" She lifted the rock pendant from the neck of her shift.
Matt nodded. "It be all purply. And shiny-like."
Kira dropped it back gently inside her clothing. "My father made it as a gift for my mother."
Matt wrinkled his face, thinking that over. "Gift?" he asked.
Kira was startled that he didn't understand. "When you care about someone and give them something special. Something that they treasure. That's a gift."
Matt laughed. "In the Fen, they don't have that," he said. "In the Fen, iffen they give you something special, it be a kick in your buttie.
"But that's a pretty thing you got," he added politely. "You be lucky I saved it."
It was a long journey for Kira, dragging her twisted leg. Her stick caught at roots knotted under the earth of the path, and she stumbled from time to time. But she was accustomed to the awkwardness and the ache. They had always been with her.
Matt had run ahead with Branch, and they returned to her, excited, announcing that the destination
When he left her room, after pointing out a cord on the wall that she could pull if she needed anything, Kira looked again at the robe displayed on the table. So many colors! So many shades of each color! Despite his reassurance, autumn-start was not that far away.
Today, Kira decided, she would examine the robe and plan. Tomorrow, first thing, she would find Annabella and plead for help.
8
Matt wanted to come.
"You be needing me and Branch for protectors," he said. "Them woods is full of fierce creatures."
Kira laughed. "Protectors? You?"
"Me and Branchie, us is tough," Matt said. He flexed what passed for muscles in his scrawny arms. "I only
look
wee."
"Jamison said it was safe as long as we stay on the path," Kira reminded the boy. Secretly, she thought it would be fun to have both of them, boy and dog, for company.
"But suppose you was to get lost," Matt said. "Me and Branch can find our way out of anywheres. You be needing us for certain iffen you get lost."
"But I'll be gone all day. You'll get hungry."
Triumphantly Matt pulled a thick wad of bread from the voluminous pocket of his baggy shorts. "Filched this crustie from the baker," he announced with pride.
So the boy won, to Kira's delight, and she had company for the journey into the forest.
It was about an hour's walk. Jamison was correct; there seemed to be no danger. Although thick trees shaded the path and they could hear rustling in the undergrowth and unfamiliar cries of strange forest birds, nothing seemed threatening. Now and then Branch chased a small rodent or nosed about an opening in the earth, frightening whatever small animal made its home there.
"Probably there be snakies all in here," Matt told her with a mischievous smile.
"I'm not afraid of snakes."
"Most girls be."
"Not me. There were always small snakes in my mother's garden. She said they were friends to the plants. They ate bugs."
"Like Branchie. Look, he catched him one now." Matt pointed. His dog had pounced upon an unlucky creature with long thin legs. "That be called a daddy longlegs."
"Daddy longlegs?" Kira laughed. She'd not heard the name before. "Do you have a father?" she asked the boy curiously.
"Nah. Did onct. But now, me mum is all I got."
"What happened to your father?"
He shrugged. "Dunno.
"In the Fen," he added, "things is different. Many gots no pa. And them that gots them, they be scairt of them, 'cause they hit something horrid.
"Me mum hits too," he added, with a sigh.
"I had a father. He was a fine hunter," Kira told him proudly. "Even Jamison said so. But my father was taken by beasts," she explained.
"Aye, I heared that." She could see that Matt was trying to look sad for her benefit, but it was difficult for a boy whose temperament was so merry. Already he was pointing at a butterfly, gleeful at the bright spotted orange of its wings in the dim forest light.
"See this? You brought it with my mother's things, remember?" She lifted the rock pendant from the neck of her shift.
Matt nodded. "It be all purply. And shiny-like."
Kira dropped it back gently inside her clothing. "My father made it as a gift for my mother."
Matt wrinkled his face, thinking that over. "Gift?" he asked.
Kira was startled that he didn't understand. "When you care about someone and give them something special. Something that they treasure. That's a gift."
Matt laughed. "In the Fen, they don't have that," he said. "In the Fen, iffen they give you something special, it be a kick in your buttie.
"But that's a pretty thing you got," he added politely. "You be lucky I saved it."
It was a long journey for Kira, dragging her twisted leg. Her stick caught at roots knotted under the earth of the path, and she stumbled from time to time. But she was accustomed to the awkwardness and the ache. They had always been with her.
Matt had run ahead with Branch, and they returned to her, excited, announcing that the destination
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