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elegant coiffure began to droop. She snapped her fingers, the errant pins hopped back in her hand, and
she deftly returned them to their places. Such a scowl, Kale. What are you thinking about?
What kind of wizard am I, Mother?
Her father kissed her on the cheek. A bog wizard, my dear. Why the puzzlement?
Oh, she doesn t mean her title, Kem. Lyll took her daughter s hand and patted it. She wants to know
what her element is. As she ages, will she find herself waking from a nap with a stringy moss beard on her
chin, or will she be dripping lake water from her elbows?
Humph! said her father. A beard? Highly unlikely. As to your element, no one knows ahead of time.
Your knowledge will evolve out of what you experience.
Kale cast a worried glance at Bardon and asked her father, Then it doesn t pass down according to
your lineage?
That belief is an old wives tale. Some people believe one s element is determined by where you are
raised. Your surroundings influence what you become. Some believe your destiny is in your heritage. I
believe your element is what you choose more than anything. If you choose to appreciate lakes like Cam
Ayronn, then naturally you are predisposed to drip.
A trumpeter announced the opening of the dining hall. Servants pushed seven carved panel doors into the
walls. Across the huge room seven heavy wooden doors led to the area devoted to preparation of meals.
These highly polished doors swung in and out as busy people brought in large trays and tureens. The
closed doors blocked any clatter of pans from the kitchen.
The crowd drifted toward the evening repast.
Lady Allerion put her arm through her husband s and started to stroll off. I think it s an interplay of all
three aspects, Kem.
Bardon offered his wife his arm and winked. You re gorgeous when you re flustered. I do plant the
leaves and things to watch you react.
I know. It s hard with our bond to fool each other. She grinned up at him. But sometimes you nearly
have me convinced. She took in a deep breath, loving the smell of her husband and the very essence of
his strength as he stood beside her. You ve gotten very good at tricking me.
He reached behind her ear and pulled out a small ivy leaf, one just like the plant that decorated the
hallway. With a flourish, he presented it to her. You put up with my pointed ears. I guess I can endure
your elemental state, whether it be bog or mountain or sky or fire.
He jerked his chin toward an old female wizard who had nodded off. A page stood next to her, puzzling
how to wake up the woman who had taken on the shape of a blue flame, although she did not burn the
chair she sat in.
Thanks, said Kale. I hope in one way or another you always see me as the flame of your life.
Bardon chortled. Bad pun, Kale. He took her elbow and guided her toward their dinner.
Elegant dishes covered massive banqueting tables. Rare golden lightrocks shone about the room, casting
everything in a soft glow. Delicate chandeliers adorned the ceiling with tiny lightrocks reflecting off the
shimmering surfaces of cut glass.
Kale learned from her mother that every inhabitant of the castle ate in the same room and from the same
fare. Everyone chose their own seating, so it was not uncommon to find a magistrate sitting with a stable
boy, or a lady beside a scullery maid. Everyone, however, was required to bathe before entering the
dining hall. Quite unobtrusively, The Sniffer escorted offensively odiferous persons to the public bath.
Only the staff involved in meal preparation and serving did not sit at the tables. And this entourage of
people rotated with others so that all had the opportunity to be served as well as to serve.
The delicious food and her mother s commentary about the people around them kept Kale captivated.
Servants whisked away empty dishes, refilled their goblets with nectar, and replenished serving trays with
assorted delicacies. Kale followed her mother s example of taking small servings of almost everything.
One dish held a brown-looking sludge with a bright orange swirl through it. Although the man across the
table from her smacked his lips as he devoured a hearty portion, Kale decided to skip the thick porridge.
She reached for her engraved goblet and realized the servant had not been out from the kitchen for some
time. Her empty glass should have been full. Glancing around, she noticed many of the knights had
concerned expressions, and some had even risen from their seats to consult with others. Her father spoke
to a wizard near the wall of doors that led to a balcony. He hurried back to the table, touched Bardon on
the shoulder, and signaled him to follow.
With her mind, Kale explored the hall and the kitchen. At first she detected nothing but an unusual quiet.
The hush in itself convinced her something was wrong. The likelihood of an artificial covering to hide the
usual backdrop of noise from people s minds occurred to her. And why would that be necessary?
Reciting the words to petition Wulder to help her see more than her normal senses would reveal, she
glimpsed a flash of evil that vanished in a fog.
Mother?
Yes. I can t put my finger on it either.
Kale called with her mind to her minor dragons. Find the source of this evil.
The kitchens, she said to her mother as soon as she had an impression from Pat and Filia.
Take my hand, instructed Lyll. It will increase our effectiveness.
As soon as Kale s fingertips rested in her mother s palm, she felt the presence of warriors.
Kale and her mother stood as one, crying out with their minds to all those present in the hall. Bisonbecks!
Grawligs! Attack!
The kitchen doors burst open, and bisonbeck soldiers along with slovenly grawligs poured into the room.
Steel whispered against leather sheaths. Shouts rose in warning. Outrage answered with bellowing
challenges. Boots clattered on the stone floor. Those peace-loving souls who never fought more than
persistent weeds in their gardens scrambled for safety.
Bardon and Sir Kemry fought together. With their backs to each other, they confronted the first
onslaught of invaders as they surged into the hall. Kale sent up a quick petition to Wulder, asking for their
protection.
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