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Authors: Jane Lindskold
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Barden, nothing at all, and the king didn’t get any less angry. He got into a tremendous argument with Duchess Kestrel when she suggested that someone lead an expedition to check on Barden’s group.”
Firekeeper made a surprised sound.
“You didn’t know that did you?” Derian’s grin was a bit forced. “It’s not common knowledge, but I heard about it out in the North Woods this year.”
“Makes the earl brave,” Firekeeper said thoughtfully. “Braver.”
Derian was confused for a moment. Then he understood.
“You mean for going out there last year? That’s true, but he didn’t go without the king’s permission. He brought his petition to the king at the end of autumn and worked on it all through the winter. I doubt King Tedric would have softened for anyone else, but the earl did have the excuse that his sister was Barden’s wife—that he was going to find news of Eirene for his aging mother rather than to look for Barden.”
“But he was looking for Barden,” Firekeeper said, “and for Blysse.”
“And all he found was you,” Derian agreed. “Anyhow, as you might guess, both Barden’s silence and the king’s abiding anger made those people who thought that moving west would be a good idea think again. But I’d guess that when we went west and came back again, and the news got around that Barden’s expedition had died in a fire, not by anything some mysterious monsters did, and that the king was taking as a favorite a girl most people thought was Barden’s daughter…”
“Me,” Firekeeper said.
“Right. Well, I’d guess those people who’d been chaffing for more land decided they should go get it now, before the king or his heirs got around to making a proclamation against it.”
“Might they proclaim this?” Firekeeper asked.
“They might,” Derian answered. “Or they might not. I don’t know. The thing is, Hawk Haven is getting a little cramped.”
Firekeeper looked at him incredulously. She waved her hand at the empty spaces around them.
“Cramped? We barely see anyone for days!”
Derian leaned back and checked the pot of tea hanging over the fire. There was just enough for one more cup and he poured it before setting more water to warm.
“There’s cramped and cramped,” he explained, dreading that this would be beyond his ability to explain. “You understand that different people own different bits of land.”
Firekeeper nodded. “Like the king owns the castle and the Kestrels the North Woods.”
Derian felt relieved as he saw a good example.
“Right. Now, you know the North Woods have another name. They’re also called the Norwood Grant.”
“Yes.”
“That word ‘grant’ means that the land was given to the Norwood family to own and administer…to manage. Now each of the Great Houses has their grant. The House of the Eagle—that’s the king’s house—owns more land than just the castle. They have a grant of their own.”
And a few crown cities and other things like that , Derian thought, but let’s keep this simple .
“Then the lesser houses—like Elise’s,” Derian felt an involuntary smile rise to his lips as he thought of their mutual friend, “they have grants of their own, smaller grants, but still grants.”
Firekeeper nodded and Derian went on.
“That still leaves land, since Queen Zorana the Great didn’t think it was a good idea to give the common folk nothing to call their own. The problem is that over a hundred years have passed since Queen Zorana’s time. Just about all that unowned land has been claimed by someone. Sometimes the land has two owners—like in Doc’s family. The Surcliffe land is actually part of the Norwood Grant, but Doc’s family would have to do something pretty terrible…”
Firekeeper looked puzzled.
“Like help an enemy in a war,” Derian explained. “Anyhow, they’d have to do something pretty terrible to give the Norwood family a reason to throw them off. That’s good and that’s
Firekeeper made a surprised sound.
“You didn’t know that did you?” Derian’s grin was a bit forced. “It’s not common knowledge, but I heard about it out in the North Woods this year.”
“Makes the earl brave,” Firekeeper said thoughtfully. “Braver.”
Derian was confused for a moment. Then he understood.
“You mean for going out there last year? That’s true, but he didn’t go without the king’s permission. He brought his petition to the king at the end of autumn and worked on it all through the winter. I doubt King Tedric would have softened for anyone else, but the earl did have the excuse that his sister was Barden’s wife—that he was going to find news of Eirene for his aging mother rather than to look for Barden.”
“But he was looking for Barden,” Firekeeper said, “and for Blysse.”
“And all he found was you,” Derian agreed. “Anyhow, as you might guess, both Barden’s silence and the king’s abiding anger made those people who thought that moving west would be a good idea think again. But I’d guess that when we went west and came back again, and the news got around that Barden’s expedition had died in a fire, not by anything some mysterious monsters did, and that the king was taking as a favorite a girl most people thought was Barden’s daughter…”
“Me,” Firekeeper said.
“Right. Well, I’d guess those people who’d been chaffing for more land decided they should go get it now, before the king or his heirs got around to making a proclamation against it.”
“Might they proclaim this?” Firekeeper asked.
“They might,” Derian answered. “Or they might not. I don’t know. The thing is, Hawk Haven is getting a little cramped.”
Firekeeper looked at him incredulously. She waved her hand at the empty spaces around them.
“Cramped? We barely see anyone for days!”
Derian leaned back and checked the pot of tea hanging over the fire. There was just enough for one more cup and he poured it before setting more water to warm.
“There’s cramped and cramped,” he explained, dreading that this would be beyond his ability to explain. “You understand that different people own different bits of land.”
Firekeeper nodded. “Like the king owns the castle and the Kestrels the North Woods.”
Derian felt relieved as he saw a good example.
“Right. Now, you know the North Woods have another name. They’re also called the Norwood Grant.”
“Yes.”
“That word ‘grant’ means that the land was given to the Norwood family to own and administer…to manage. Now each of the Great Houses has their grant. The House of the Eagle—that’s the king’s house—owns more land than just the castle. They have a grant of their own.”
And a few crown cities and other things like that , Derian thought, but let’s keep this simple .
“Then the lesser houses—like Elise’s,” Derian felt an involuntary smile rise to his lips as he thought of their mutual friend, “they have grants of their own, smaller grants, but still grants.”
Firekeeper nodded and Derian went on.
“That still leaves land, since Queen Zorana the Great didn’t think it was a good idea to give the common folk nothing to call their own. The problem is that over a hundred years have passed since Queen Zorana’s time. Just about all that unowned land has been claimed by someone. Sometimes the land has two owners—like in Doc’s family. The Surcliffe land is actually part of the Norwood Grant, but Doc’s family would have to do something pretty terrible…”
Firekeeper looked puzzled.
“Like help an enemy in a war,” Derian explained. “Anyhow, they’d have to do something pretty terrible to give the Norwood family a reason to throw them off. That’s good and that’s
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