Crowns of Flame and Ice - Book One

(32) The Flame in the Rain

Three days later Quilo had refused to let us venture any further into Silkgrave than we absolutely had to. He'd claimed that it simply wasn't necessary, but he had been tense ever since we'd arrived. His face again that mask of neutrality he wore when he didn't want people to know what it was he was feeling. I'd wanted to explore the unfamiliar place but he'd only stopped long enough for us to find out outfits for the night and any other necessities we needed before heading to a small cottage on the outskirts of town.

The air was different here, it smelled clean and fresh. I did not have to cover my nose as we walked down streets and passed buildings. what little I did see of the town seemed lighter, fresher. Like the king hadn't bothered to disrupt the peace that thrived here. The Tattenhill home was on the East side of Silkgrave. Quilo had made us spend the extra time walking through the foothills of The Zaith Mountains instead of cutting through the town. I wondered what it was that he was hiding, was there something here he didn't want my father to find? I chuckled slightly at the thought, as if I'd give the king any information that could enable him to cause more destruction and pain. Then I bristled, isn't that what he'd have done with the object? What if whatever this book contained was worse? I'd been considering handing it over to him when we'd thought the object could be used to destroy... perhaps I was no better than Quilo. No that couldn't be it, right? I'd thought that the object could restore magic as well as destroy... that was a lot better than just wanting to blow up the rival territory of whoever got it. 'Liar' that voice in my head purred. I shivered, Quilo was a coward... but if I couldn't figure out what to do with the object that could save Crevah? Perhaps I was too.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Standing before Tattenhill Manor made me feel awed. Stars glittered above like a canopy of shimmering white light. There had never been so many in the sky throughout Vauxhaven, the air too thick with smoke. A soft wind slinked past my legs, ruffling my skirt. It smelt faintly of flowers, like hyacinth and Jasmine. It was most likely due to the large flower beds that encircled the vast lawn. Speckles of blue, purple, red, orange and pink dotted the carefully placed flower arrangements around the garden. No garden in Vauxhaven could compare to this. It was vibrant and peaceful.

Vines grew up the rough-hewn surface of the manor and bright yellow flowers darted from side to side where the greenery met the wall. All of the windows had been thrown open wide and I glimpsed the occasional flutter of a white curtain as the wind dragged them through the space. That was something we'd never been able to do in Vauxhaven, the smell and fog of the city would sometimes creep in and linger for weeks. There were too many windows in the castle to close them in time, many of them had since been sealed because of it. Rosie would love this place, the overall vibrancy that seeped from every corner. I buried the twang of sadness, I'd have time to think about it later.

Laughter echoed from inside the home, joyful and loud. Despite myself, my lips twitched slightly, it was such a beautiful sound. It was louder than any I'd ever heard in Vauxhaven, was this what well-fed people sounded like? Or was this just because the wealthy within did not feel the strain the rest of Crevah did? That thought did not sit well with me because I knew it to be true. The people in Vauxhaven were the same, they could hide within the safety of The Wall while the rest of the people were forced to face the vicious effects of what they could not control. Where was the sense in that?

I wore a simple gown of cherry red tonight. Quilo had spoken true, there was not as much choice as what there was in Vauxhaven. There were no glittering embellishments to be found. I didn't mind though, the shape of the dress made up for what it lacked in shimmer. The pleated red skirts fell to the floor in a cascade of waves and silk, the neckline only plunged down slightly revealing very little skin. It had long sleeves that were a little loose, they occasionally whispered against my skin whenever a breeze stirred. I'd opted for red flats, deciding that the look of the heels would be pointless hidden under the excess skirts and I didn't really need the additional height.