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Authors: Daisy Banks
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yourself ill.”
“Nonsense. I fast so my mind will be clear. In the same way you made your mind quiet, I must make mine open. Do you think you can have the new dress ready to wear for the day after tomorrow?”
A surge of joy raced through her blood, competing with the sweetness from the honey. The red cloth was hers to make the best gown she could. “I’ll try.”
“Please do. I would rather you have a better gown to wear than the brown thing. You can’t go to the castle in my old tunic. This is important. I want the lady to like you.”
“Why is it important the lady likes me?” Despite the thrill of a new red gown, she didn’t like the look in his eyes, not one bit. He planned something. She wanted to know what it might be.
“I hope Lady Cassandra will take you into her enclave so you may study there with her other students. They should have discovered your talent and the mark years ago. Then you would have gone to her when you were a child, not been sent to me as a—”
She grinned. “Woman.”
“I was about to say maiden.”
She shook her head. “Thabit, I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to stay at the castle. This is where I belong now. The mark made me yours. That’s the rule—it’s the sign I am yours. They said it was true. I want to be yours.”
He sighed. “Well, you cannot be.”
“Please, why not?”
“If I teach you, it would be wrong. Also, such a responsibility as teaching a student would slow up my work. You have to learn control. If I do not find you a suitable teacher, what will you become?”
She searched his expression for a sign she could alter his decision. “I promise I’ll try really hard if you’ll teach me.”
He gave no response to the best bargain she could come up with, but determination filled her. If he left her at the castle, she’d run away to come back here. He’d turned the world from a fearful horror to a place she liked, somewhere she felt important and in reach of a wealth of knowledge and beauty. Most of all, she would be with him. She had no comparison for anything better.
Thabit stood. “For once and for all, Nin, you cannot be mine. I will not allow it. You are far too immature to make such a decision, far too unskilled, and I do not…” He ran a hand over his pale forehead.
“Don’t like me?” Her throat caught tight.
He closed his eyes. “No, you are again mistaken. I do like you, Sparrow, very much.” He sighed. “I am going to meditate now. I shall make the seeing brew tonight. I will not be finished until dawn. After, I will sleep. I shall see you tomorrow evening.” He walked toward the tower. Halfway to the door, he stilled and looked back over his shoulder with a frown. “Do not eat all the honey while I am working.”
She jumped up and stood hands on hips. “No, I won’t. I’m not a child. You said so yourself.”
“Hmm.” He entered the tower.
Before she cooked for the evening, she washed her hands to begin work on her new gown. Using the blue tunic as a kind of pattern and the sharpest of the kitchen shears, she concentrated hard as she cut the beautiful fabric to make the gown. The sleeves would hug her arms and the bodice her body. But, she wanted the skirt to look different. She used the length of a long spoon as a measure and cut six panels, so when she walked the skirt would swirl about her, just like his robes. The scarf Thabit had given her would match it perfectly.
Through the evening she sewed, hemming the pieces until the light dimmed too much for her to do more. Careful of creases, she rolled the fabric, ready to continue at dawn tomorrow, and as the bright stars lit up, she ate another slice of bread with butter. The honey pot stood on the shelf to tempt her, but she made sure the lid sat tight shut before she slept.
When she woke the next dawn, the small copper cauldron hung away from the fire. She tugged on her dress and crossed to the hearth. Fascinated by what might be inside, she lifted
“Nonsense. I fast so my mind will be clear. In the same way you made your mind quiet, I must make mine open. Do you think you can have the new dress ready to wear for the day after tomorrow?”
A surge of joy raced through her blood, competing with the sweetness from the honey. The red cloth was hers to make the best gown she could. “I’ll try.”
“Please do. I would rather you have a better gown to wear than the brown thing. You can’t go to the castle in my old tunic. This is important. I want the lady to like you.”
“Why is it important the lady likes me?” Despite the thrill of a new red gown, she didn’t like the look in his eyes, not one bit. He planned something. She wanted to know what it might be.
“I hope Lady Cassandra will take you into her enclave so you may study there with her other students. They should have discovered your talent and the mark years ago. Then you would have gone to her when you were a child, not been sent to me as a—”
She grinned. “Woman.”
“I was about to say maiden.”
She shook her head. “Thabit, I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to stay at the castle. This is where I belong now. The mark made me yours. That’s the rule—it’s the sign I am yours. They said it was true. I want to be yours.”
He sighed. “Well, you cannot be.”
“Please, why not?”
“If I teach you, it would be wrong. Also, such a responsibility as teaching a student would slow up my work. You have to learn control. If I do not find you a suitable teacher, what will you become?”
She searched his expression for a sign she could alter his decision. “I promise I’ll try really hard if you’ll teach me.”
He gave no response to the best bargain she could come up with, but determination filled her. If he left her at the castle, she’d run away to come back here. He’d turned the world from a fearful horror to a place she liked, somewhere she felt important and in reach of a wealth of knowledge and beauty. Most of all, she would be with him. She had no comparison for anything better.
Thabit stood. “For once and for all, Nin, you cannot be mine. I will not allow it. You are far too immature to make such a decision, far too unskilled, and I do not…” He ran a hand over his pale forehead.
“Don’t like me?” Her throat caught tight.
He closed his eyes. “No, you are again mistaken. I do like you, Sparrow, very much.” He sighed. “I am going to meditate now. I shall make the seeing brew tonight. I will not be finished until dawn. After, I will sleep. I shall see you tomorrow evening.” He walked toward the tower. Halfway to the door, he stilled and looked back over his shoulder with a frown. “Do not eat all the honey while I am working.”
She jumped up and stood hands on hips. “No, I won’t. I’m not a child. You said so yourself.”
“Hmm.” He entered the tower.
Before she cooked for the evening, she washed her hands to begin work on her new gown. Using the blue tunic as a kind of pattern and the sharpest of the kitchen shears, she concentrated hard as she cut the beautiful fabric to make the gown. The sleeves would hug her arms and the bodice her body. But, she wanted the skirt to look different. She used the length of a long spoon as a measure and cut six panels, so when she walked the skirt would swirl about her, just like his robes. The scarf Thabit had given her would match it perfectly.
Through the evening she sewed, hemming the pieces until the light dimmed too much for her to do more. Careful of creases, she rolled the fabric, ready to continue at dawn tomorrow, and as the bright stars lit up, she ate another slice of bread with butter. The honey pot stood on the shelf to tempt her, but she made sure the lid sat tight shut before she slept.
When she woke the next dawn, the small copper cauldron hung away from the fire. She tugged on her dress and crossed to the hearth. Fascinated by what might be inside, she lifted
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