outside the door, they all got up and dressed by candlelight, getting in each other's way. Nid kept yawning and complaining about having to be up so early, as if she didn't care what day it was.
At home, they would all have had new clothes. Maga had sent new overdresses for both girls, pale green with
red and blue hatchings. Elenn smoothed hers down carefully. It was the first dress she had had for years that she hadn't worked on herself. She had neither helped weave the length nor sewn the finished cloth. She might have carded or spun the wool before she left home, and she found herself hoping she had, that when Maga had come to choose the wool to weave, she had run her hands carefully along the store until she came to some Elenn had spun. It was strange to wear a dress that had none of herself in it. She had only her old shift to wear underneath. Maga had not sent a new one, and Elenn had not thought in time to beg Elba for wool and the use of her loom.
They did not seem to make new clothes for the Feast of Bel in Oriel. If they had all been preparing, she would have remembered. But nobody had said anything about it or been extra busy at the looms. Nid was wearing the overdress she always did. Elenn had seen her wear it every time she'd seen her more dressed up than the shift and jerkin she wore every day, like a Page 26
boy. Nid's hair, left bare and unbound for the festival, looked like a rat's nest. Elenn took up her comb, a very good hawthorn comb her father had made. She combed her own hair smooth and left it loose on her shoulders. She turned to Emer and was about to offer her the comb when she saw that her sister was wearing her usual mottled heather-colored overdress.
"You forgot your new overdress," Elenn said.
"It doesn't fit," Emer replied, untwisting her hair from her sleeping braid.
"How can it not fit? Mine fits."
Emer shrugged and looked down. "I've grown a lot since I left home."
Elenn frowned. She had grown, too, and her dress fit. But it was true that Emer had grown a lot.
"You should have said before," she said. "I'd have helped you let the seams out. It's fortunate to have new clothes for the Feast of Bel."
"Is that a custom of Connat?" Nid asked.
"It's what we say at home, yes," Elenn said, trying not to sound as if she thought less of Oriel for doing differently. Maga had warned her about that. She had warned her about a lot of things, but not of the important one. She didn't think Maga had ever imagined the possibility of Emer's mutiny.
Emer still wasn't meeting her sister's eyes. "The dress isn't long enough," she said.
"An overdress doesn't need to be long," Elenn countered. "Let me see if I can do anything with it." She couldn't force Emer to do anything anymore. The last half month had shown that only too clearly. But she could persuade her.
"There isn't time," Emer said sulkily.
"She's right," Nid said. "It'll be light soon. I need to find my parents and you need to join the king."
Without waiting for Elenn, or even combing her hair, Emer took up the candle, parted the curtain on the door and started out into the hall. Elenn and Nid had no choice but to follow.
At home, Maga and Allel would have had every fire in the hall lit, ready to be doused. Then they would lead the way around all the houses of the dun and down into the village, making sure there was no fire anywhere before Maga made the sunrise vow. Here, there were hardly any fires lit.
Well, nobody could say it had been cold. It was one of the warmest springs Elenn could remember.
The hall was dark and shadowed. King Conary was standing with Ferdia, Darag, Leary, and Leary's parents.
As Elenn came out of their room, Conal and his parents came into the hall through the outside door, letting in a little dawn light with them. Inis came in a little behind them. Emer went straight to Conal and stood beside him, abandoning her sister. Nid joined a group of people going outside, and slipped off to join her family.
"The
At home, they would all have had new clothes. Maga had sent new overdresses for both girls, pale green with
red and blue hatchings. Elenn smoothed hers down carefully. It was the first dress she had had for years that she hadn't worked on herself. She had neither helped weave the length nor sewn the finished cloth. She might have carded or spun the wool before she left home, and she found herself hoping she had, that when Maga had come to choose the wool to weave, she had run her hands carefully along the store until she came to some Elenn had spun. It was strange to wear a dress that had none of herself in it. She had only her old shift to wear underneath. Maga had not sent a new one, and Elenn had not thought in time to beg Elba for wool and the use of her loom.
They did not seem to make new clothes for the Feast of Bel in Oriel. If they had all been preparing, she would have remembered. But nobody had said anything about it or been extra busy at the looms. Nid was wearing the overdress she always did. Elenn had seen her wear it every time she'd seen her more dressed up than the shift and jerkin she wore every day, like a Page 26
boy. Nid's hair, left bare and unbound for the festival, looked like a rat's nest. Elenn took up her comb, a very good hawthorn comb her father had made. She combed her own hair smooth and left it loose on her shoulders. She turned to Emer and was about to offer her the comb when she saw that her sister was wearing her usual mottled heather-colored overdress.
"You forgot your new overdress," Elenn said.
"It doesn't fit," Emer replied, untwisting her hair from her sleeping braid.
"How can it not fit? Mine fits."
Emer shrugged and looked down. "I've grown a lot since I left home."
Elenn frowned. She had grown, too, and her dress fit. But it was true that Emer had grown a lot.
"You should have said before," she said. "I'd have helped you let the seams out. It's fortunate to have new clothes for the Feast of Bel."
"Is that a custom of Connat?" Nid asked.
"It's what we say at home, yes," Elenn said, trying not to sound as if she thought less of Oriel for doing differently. Maga had warned her about that. She had warned her about a lot of things, but not of the important one. She didn't think Maga had ever imagined the possibility of Emer's mutiny.
Emer still wasn't meeting her sister's eyes. "The dress isn't long enough," she said.
"An overdress doesn't need to be long," Elenn countered. "Let me see if I can do anything with it." She couldn't force Emer to do anything anymore. The last half month had shown that only too clearly. But she could persuade her.
"There isn't time," Emer said sulkily.
"She's right," Nid said. "It'll be light soon. I need to find my parents and you need to join the king."
Without waiting for Elenn, or even combing her hair, Emer took up the candle, parted the curtain on the door and started out into the hall. Elenn and Nid had no choice but to follow.
At home, Maga and Allel would have had every fire in the hall lit, ready to be doused. Then they would lead the way around all the houses of the dun and down into the village, making sure there was no fire anywhere before Maga made the sunrise vow. Here, there were hardly any fires lit.
Well, nobody could say it had been cold. It was one of the warmest springs Elenn could remember.
The hall was dark and shadowed. King Conary was standing with Ferdia, Darag, Leary, and Leary's parents.
As Elenn came out of their room, Conal and his parents came into the hall through the outside door, letting in a little dawn light with them. Inis came in a little behind them. Emer went straight to Conal and stood beside him, abandoning her sister. Nid joined a group of people going outside, and slipped off to join her family.
"The
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