small, coral-colored house with cream trim. I brushed my hand over one of the feathery plants that framed the door as Brynna knocked. There was a shout from inside, and Brynna opened the door. A rush of cool air from the air conditioning quickly dried my sweat. Sunlight made the room bright, and at a large, square table, a woman was bent over, twisting and turning a swatch of cloth while waving a large pair of silver scissors.
“Yadira, this is Alexis Miller, Louise’s niece. She’s here to get her savalin started.”
The woman turned. Her brown hair was tipped with silver and pulled back into a tight knot at the back of her head. A few wisps stuck to the side of her face. Her brown eyes widened as she looked me over from head to toe.
“Come in. The sample swatches are in a book over there.” She waved the scissors again in the direction of a small table situated in front of a pair of overstuffed chairs.
Brynna led the way, and I sank into one of the chairs as she dropped a huge book into my lap.
“What am I supposed to do with this?” I whispered.
“Pick the fabric for your savalin.”
“I thought they were all that silvery-black color.”
“All the pants and coats are the same, but the torso protector can be any color. You’ll pick the design, the fabric, buckles, that sort of thing. It’s called the vidar.”
I looked at her dubiously.
She sat on the edge of the chair next to me and opened the book for me. “It’s supposed to be fun.”
It was. After a few minutes, I forgot about the clicking of the scissors across the room and became engrossed in page upon page of fabric samples. I thought I’d never get through the book. It didn’t matter. I flipped a page and found a square of light brown cloth. Strips of dark brown leather ran through it, and the leather was dotted with metal rivets.
“That’s it.”
Brynna leaned over. “Mmm, I like it. I don’t think I’ve seen it before. Yadira, is this a new fabric?”
Her loose, knee-length skirt rustled as she came to stand over my shoulder.
“Yes, this is new. It’s for her.”
Brynna nodded. “It’s the one she picked.”
I glanced up at the woman who only smiled at me and went back to her table. I rubbed the fabric between my fingers.
I scooted closer to Brynna, my voice low. “She knew I’d pick this one?”
“She had an image of you in her mind when she made it.”
I glanced back to the table where Yadira had gone back to cutting fabric. “I’ve never seen her before.”
“That doesn’t mean she didn’t see you in her mind.”
I put the book onto the table, open to the page with the swatch I’d chosen. “She has visions?”
Brynna shrugged. “I guess you could call it that.” She stood and started across the room. “We’re ready to choose the buckles and get her measured.”
Yadira dropped her scissors, bending to pull a large board from beneath the table. It was covered with row after row of buckles and toggles. I chose a buckle that looked like it would match the rivets on the leather part of the fabric. Yadira smiled.
“Perfect. Now let’s get you measured.”
I stood on a round, wooden platform while Yadira strung the measuring tape down my arms and legs and various other directions on my body. She jotted down notes with each measurement. When she was done, she stepped back, her head tilted to one side.
“Your savalin will be just right for you, just as I imagined it.”
She left us then and went back to her table. When we got to the door, I glanced back, and she smiled.
Chapter Five
The week had moved along more quickly than I thought it would, and Friday evening seemed to appear almost like magic. My sore muscles, however, reminded me it wasn’t magic at all. If my brain could have been sore, it would have been, too. The week had flown by because we’d stayed so busy every day. I fell into bed exhausted at night. Right now, all I could think about was the fact that I was going to Key West tomorrow
“Yadira, this is Alexis Miller, Louise’s niece. She’s here to get her savalin started.”
The woman turned. Her brown hair was tipped with silver and pulled back into a tight knot at the back of her head. A few wisps stuck to the side of her face. Her brown eyes widened as she looked me over from head to toe.
“Come in. The sample swatches are in a book over there.” She waved the scissors again in the direction of a small table situated in front of a pair of overstuffed chairs.
Brynna led the way, and I sank into one of the chairs as she dropped a huge book into my lap.
“What am I supposed to do with this?” I whispered.
“Pick the fabric for your savalin.”
“I thought they were all that silvery-black color.”
“All the pants and coats are the same, but the torso protector can be any color. You’ll pick the design, the fabric, buckles, that sort of thing. It’s called the vidar.”
I looked at her dubiously.
She sat on the edge of the chair next to me and opened the book for me. “It’s supposed to be fun.”
It was. After a few minutes, I forgot about the clicking of the scissors across the room and became engrossed in page upon page of fabric samples. I thought I’d never get through the book. It didn’t matter. I flipped a page and found a square of light brown cloth. Strips of dark brown leather ran through it, and the leather was dotted with metal rivets.
“That’s it.”
Brynna leaned over. “Mmm, I like it. I don’t think I’ve seen it before. Yadira, is this a new fabric?”
Her loose, knee-length skirt rustled as she came to stand over my shoulder.
“Yes, this is new. It’s for her.”
Brynna nodded. “It’s the one she picked.”
I glanced up at the woman who only smiled at me and went back to her table. I rubbed the fabric between my fingers.
I scooted closer to Brynna, my voice low. “She knew I’d pick this one?”
“She had an image of you in her mind when she made it.”
I glanced back to the table where Yadira had gone back to cutting fabric. “I’ve never seen her before.”
“That doesn’t mean she didn’t see you in her mind.”
I put the book onto the table, open to the page with the swatch I’d chosen. “She has visions?”
Brynna shrugged. “I guess you could call it that.” She stood and started across the room. “We’re ready to choose the buckles and get her measured.”
Yadira dropped her scissors, bending to pull a large board from beneath the table. It was covered with row after row of buckles and toggles. I chose a buckle that looked like it would match the rivets on the leather part of the fabric. Yadira smiled.
“Perfect. Now let’s get you measured.”
I stood on a round, wooden platform while Yadira strung the measuring tape down my arms and legs and various other directions on my body. She jotted down notes with each measurement. When she was done, she stepped back, her head tilted to one side.
“Your savalin will be just right for you, just as I imagined it.”
She left us then and went back to her table. When we got to the door, I glanced back, and she smiled.
Chapter Five
The week had moved along more quickly than I thought it would, and Friday evening seemed to appear almost like magic. My sore muscles, however, reminded me it wasn’t magic at all. If my brain could have been sore, it would have been, too. The week had flown by because we’d stayed so busy every day. I fell into bed exhausted at night. Right now, all I could think about was the fact that I was going to Key West tomorrow
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