tamora pierce - circle opens - 3 - cold fire

8/13/2019 Tamora Pierce - Circle Opens - 3 - Cold Fire

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ABC Amber LIT Converter

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%a&a follo#ed the full 'uckets into the alley) The efficient assem'ly stretched do#n its

length to the near'y 'la/e, an a'andoned sta'le 'ehind +oykep 6ouse) %a&a $ie#ed it #ithan intelligent eye, since fire #as mi-ed into her po#er) The sta'le #as gone, that #as

certain) The closest 'uildings might 'e in danger, 'ut it seemed this strange local efficiency

co$ered that as #ell) +en stood on e$ery roof that might 'e at risk, soaking shingles #ith#ater, keeping an eye out for &umping flames or #ads of 'urning de'ris)

%a&a #as impressed t#ice o$er) *ince her arri$al in amorn, she(d found it hard to feel

safe in cities that #ere almost entirely #ood) 6ere only the no'ility and the empire 'uilt in

stone) pparently she did not #orry alone) *omeone #as teaching Kugiskans organi/ed#ays to 'attle fires)

6o# did this happen2 she asked nyussa, #ho stood 'eside her) +ost places, they ha$e

sloppy lines and hardly anyone e$er thinks of the neigh'ors( roofs 'ut the neigh'ors)

5e got lucky, nyussa replied) *he #as a fortyish #hite #oman #ith 'ro#n eyes, sharp

cheek'ones, and a full, passionate mouth) ?nlike many northern #omen, she left her hair

'ro#n rather than dye it fashiona'ly 'londe, and #ore it pinned in a coil) "ennat

adradun, the man #ho trained us to fight fires, studied #ith the fire.mage, Pa#el:odsforge)

%a&a #histled) 9$eryone #ho dealt #ith such things kne# of the great :odsforge, #hose

home #as tucked among mountain springs and geysers in the north#est corner of theamornese empire) adradun is a mage2 *he recogni/ed his name! the adraduns li$ed

near'y)

ot a$$ot "ennat, nyussa replied, using the amornese term for +aster) "ut he

said there #as plenty for e$en a non.mage to learn, and he learned it) 5hen he came home,he talked the city council into allo#ing him to train districts in :odsforge(s firefighting

methods) Then he talked some of the island councils into granting funds and people to

train) It paid off) It(s 'een t#o years since a house 'urned to the ground here on Kadasep)6e.




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left hand)


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The man #andered o$er to a 'arrel set 'eside the far #all and sat on it) %a&a follo#ed him)

The trick(s in guessing ho# long you ha$e 'efore the fire sucks the damp out, he

e-plained) I hoped it #as #et enough that I could reach the loft, gra' our fireflies, and getout) It helped kno#ing #here they #ere.#e sa# them, in the #indo# o$er the door) If I(d

had to search, I might 'e a little charred no#) ooking at the 'urning sta'le, he shook his

head) I told the +oykeps si- months ago they ought to pull this thing do#n) It #as anaccident #aiting to happen)

This #hole city(s an accident #aiting to happen, %a&a said #ith feeling) ll these

#ooden houses.it(s mad.'rained, that(s #hat)

"ennat looked at her and smiled) That(s right.you(re from the south) *ome'ody told meyou #ere) 5ood(s cheap in this part of the country.#e($e got more forests than #e kno#

#hat to do #ith) nd families mo$ing into the city, they #ant something that reminds them

of home)

5ood, %a&a said, shaking her head in disgust)


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%a&a smiled crookedly) *he #asn(t sure that he #ould term sucking a forest fire throughher 'ody to douse it in a glacier as firefighting) +ostly I &ust handle it in the forge, she

replied) I kno# a trick or t#o.there(s al#ays the risk of little fires starting in forges or

inns.'ut I almost ne$er use them)

I(d like to hear a'out them sometime, "ennat told her) nyone #ho 'alls up fire and

holds it pro'a'ly kno#s more a'out ho# it #orks than I do) 6e lurched to his feet, cleared

his throat, and sighed) I(d 'etter check the outposts, make sure no other #ads of de'ris

#ent flying) 6e offered %a&a his hand) Thanks for the help)

%a&a shook hands) s she #alked 'ack to "ancanor 6ouse, she eyed the firefighters) Theykept #atch o$er the sta'le as it 'urned lo#, 'ut they #ere rela-ed and &oking) The #orst

#as o$er) The sta'le #as gone, 'ut t#o 'oys #ere still ali$e, and nothing else had caughtfire, 'ecause "ennat adradun had trained these people #ell) That #as far more impressi$e

in this firetrap city than her a'ility to handle flames)

5hen the staff returned to the "ancanor kitchens, %a&a returned nyussa(s repaired

necklace) Then she collected her coat and clim'ed the ser$ants( stairs to her room)

6er e-citement o$er the fire and "ennat s rescue of the children $anished, lea$ing ashes inits #ake) 6omesickness s#ept o$er %a&a as she #alked into her amornese room #ith its

ornately car$ed mantel, its high 'ed heaped #ith feather.stuffed comforters, its hea$ily

shuttered #indo#s, and the riot of colors in its thick carpet and drapes)

ll these things reminded her that she #as not at home in 9melan, at 5inding Circletemple #ith its stucco 'uildings, simple furniture, and many gardens) *he #as far from the

Pe''led *ea, and she couldn(t e-pect to meet her three foster.si'lings or their teachers

around the ne-t corner) There #as plenty to see and do as she tra$eled, plenty of occasionsfor e-citement, acti$ity, e$en fun) "ut e$ery time strong emotions faded, she longed for her

foster.family) o one else #ould talk to her of fashions, constellations, diseases, skin

creams, staff fighting, or the art of miniature trees) *he e$en missed their dog ittle "ear,

'ig, galumphing, drooling animal that he #as)




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openhearted family)

%a&a la'ored o$er her gifts, shaping the #omen(s &e#elry to 'e as fine and ornate as lace)

The cost of the gold #as nothing) The strange, uni8ue pieces she made #ith the e-cessli$ing metal she took off her hand daily.if she let it go unchecked, she #ould 'e coated in it

'y no#.had made %a&a #ealthy)

*he #as shaping a sign of health #hen someone rapped on her door) It(s open, she

called, t#itching a near'y piece of cloth o$er her #ork to hide it)

;ory danced in, follo#ed 'y her t#in) ia sat 'eside %a&a, #hile ;ory #andered the room,chattering) nyussa says cook.mages study from 'ooks) They put spells on sauces and

dra# sym'ols on pots and pans) They shape magic signs in 'read, and strengthen her's andspices to use in spells) They can make people fall in lo$e #ith a cup of tea, e-cept they(d

get caught and arrested for magicking people #ithout permission) *he said Olennika

Potcracker, #ho used to 'e the empress(s personal cook, #as so po#erful that if someoneput poison in the empress(s food2 It all turned green)

%a&a crossed her arms and #aited for ;ory to get to her point) It #as a tactic %a&a had

learned o$er the last t#o months)

nd nyussa says cook.mages are found 'y magic.sniffers and they all get a licensefrom the +ages( *ociety here or a medallion from ights'ridge ?ni$ersity or 5inding

Circle that says they(re proper mages and ha$e read all the right 'ooks, &ust like Olennika

Potcracker) ;ory plumped herself do#n on a footstool) *o I couldn(t 'e a mage like that)

The magic.sniffers said #e #eren(t mages) T#ice) It(s in Papa(s family, 'ut not in us)

%a&a touched the medallion she #ore under her clothes) Frostpine had made one for each

of the four at %iscipline Cottage eighteen months 'efore, and gi$en them out at a supper

attended 'y them and their teachers) The front of each pendant had the student(s name andthat of her or his chief teacher inscri'ed on the outer edges) sym'ol for that student(s

magic #as at the center7 %a&a(s #as a hammer o$er flames) On the other side of the

medallion #as the spiral sym'ol for 5inding Circle, #here they had studied)




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The medallions #ere spelled so that usually the #earers forgot them unless someone askedthem to pro$e they #ere accredited mages) 5inding Circle(s mage council had granted the

medallions the four had earned only after Frostpine promised to ensure they didn(t 'rag

a'out a credential that most mages studied for years to get) 6e didn(t tell the council thatthe four #eren(t likely to 'rag.the council #ould not ha$e 'elie$ed it) *andry #ore her

medallion like her no'ility! it #as so much a part of her that she rarely thought a'out it)

"riar might once ha$e used it to 'oast, 'ut no longer) Tris #anted the #orld to forget ho#po#erful her magic #as) For %a&a the forgetting spell #as useless) ot only did her o#n

po#er tell her #hat she #ore, 'ut the disguising spells on the medallions #ere Frostpine(s,

#hose magic she kne# as #ell as her o#n)

For no#, she sa# no point in telling ;ory that as an accredited mage, she kne# more a'out

magic than nyussa) Instead %a&a told the girl, There(s another kind of mage, not ascommon as the ones #ho train #ith the +ages( *ociety or at ights'ridge) 5e see a lot of

them at 5inding Circle) They use magic that(s already in things, rather than adding magicto something) It(s called am'ient magic)


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smith, really.fire for its o#n sake doesn(t much interest me) ll I kno# a'out fire comes

from my magic) I kno# you studied #ith him)

"ennat shook his head) 5e think #e(re such a #orldly city, 'ut really, #e(re &ust acollection of $illages) :ossip flo#s 8uicker than air here) %id they tell you a'out my

'irthmarks2

%a&a grinned up at him) I don(t kno# ho# they missed that, she replied) *he had already

disco$ered that most Kadasep Island residents kne# her name and Frostpine(s, #hy theyhad come to Kugisko, and #here they li$ed) If you don(t mind my asking, #hy study #ith

a fire.mage if you($e no magic yourself2

"ecause he kne# ho# fires 'urn #ith different materials, and ho# to fight them, theman replied) Things e$en someone like me could learn) Things like #hen you(re in a

'urning 'uilding, touch a closed door first) If it(s hot, you #on(t like #hat happens if you

open it)

%a&a raised her eye'ro#s in a silent 8uestion)

6e ans#ered! Opening the door, you gi$e the fire inside a 'urst of air) It 'lasts out and

cooks the person in the door#ay)

%a&a #histled softly) I(ll remem'er that) nd it makes sense) 5e use a 'ello#s in the

forge to pump air into the fire to make it 'urn hotter) 5hat else did you learn2

6o# to kno# if a fire #as deli'erately set, he e-plained) nd #ind patterns, the use of

sand in #inter) ) ) 6e stared at the ruins, hands stuffed in his coat pockets) One time there

#as a 'arn that had to 'e destroyed, so he set fire to it) Then he thre# a shield o$er us, so#e could stand in the middle of the 'arn and #atch ho# the fire 'urned, along the floor, up

the #alls, into the loft) It #as like a carpet of fire 'lossoms rippling o$er our heads) 6e

glanced at %a&a) I(m sorry) People tell me that I &ust rattle on)




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o, no, I(m interested4 %a&a protested) The only time I e$er sa# anything like that #asduring this forest fire) 9$en then, #hat I sa# didn(t ripple or anything) I pulled it through

me) ll I sa# #as streaks) *he reali/ed #hat she must sound like, and hung her head) I(m

not 'oasting) It really did happen)

Oh, I 'elie$e you, said "ennat, his eyes 'la/ing #ith e-citement) 5hat I #ould gi$e to

see that4

%a&a grinned at him) t the time I #ished I hadn(t, 'ut it #asn(t like I had a choice) I

#ould ha$e died if my foster.'rother and .sisters and Frostpine hadn(t helped #ith their

magic) nd I didn(t e-actly come a#ay unscathed) *he ru''ed her thum' against the metalunder her left glo$e)


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"ecause you #eren(t thinking a'out the possi'ility of a counterfeit, and 'ecause it(s the

'est such spell I($e e$er seen, he said) Thank 6akkoi of the Fire and the Forge that the

chief of the magistrate(s mages guessed something #as #rong and asked me to take acloser look) It took me t#o hours to sort through the illusions on it)

%a&a #histled, impressed) Faking gold so e$en I couldn(t tell it #asn(t real2 That(s

serious)

The go$ernor #ants me to #ork on this along #ith 6eluda.6eluda *alt, the magistrate(s

mage #ho called me in) Frostpine sighed) 5e ha$e to see not only #ho(s doing this, 'utho# many fakes are in circulation) nd #e ha$e to do it 8uietly)

I should think so4 %a&a #as 'orn a Trader, a people #hose many clans 'ought,transported, and sold goods o$er a large part of the #orld) Trader 'a'ies got #ooden

teething toys car$ed like the main coins for the countries #here their families traded) For

ten years %a&a(s life had 'een a'out trade and money) *he kne# #hat happened #hen

people found that the coins on #hich they depended #ere false) Currency #ould plummet)o one #ould 'uy or sell anything in gold, perhaps not e$en in copper or sil$er, until it #as

pro$ed that no more fakes remained) *uch a crisis could result in a go$ernment(s fall, or

e$en in #ar, as #ell as instant po$erty for entire populations) 5hat a'out the sil$erargi'2 %a&a asked)

*afe, Frostpine said) 5hoe$er did this concentrated on gold.this method #ould ne$er

#ork on sil$er) 5e may ha$e caught the counterfeit early enough to make a difference) I

#ent through half of #hat(s in the go$ernor(s treasury, and only found ten fakes so far) 5eneed to catch #ho(s doing it, of course) nd any friends he may ha$e)


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mage for ;ory) In the meantime, start teaching them to meditate) If ;ory (s magic is popping

out #ithout her kno#ledge, ia(s can(t 'e far 'ehind) They need to learn to control it sooner

rather than later)

The hall clock chimed) It #as time to change clothes for supper) %a&a le$ered herself out

of her chair) I ha$e to do all this2 she asked, pleading #ith him) un all o$er the city for

magic.sniffers and teachers and all2

*ince you don(t #ant to make a testing de$ice of your o#n to tell you #hat ia has, Isuppose you do, Frostpine replied) nd you must tell Kol and +ata/i) They(ll 'e

pleased)

5ould you 'e2 %a&a asked, sho$ing her hands into her 'reeches pockets)

o# there(s an odd 8uestion, Frostpine said) 6e had returned to #alking the false coins

o$er and under his fingers) ren(t you happy you(re a mage2

*ometimes, %a&a said as she #ent to the door) In her mind(s eye she sa# herself, adrift in

a #ash of ship #reckage, straining to reach a floating 'o- filled #ith life.gi$ing supplies)nd then remem'er that I learned a'out my po#er after my entire family dro#ned and I

got declared an outcast) I #onder sometimes if magic really is a good thing)

Frostpine looked up at her #ith a smile) 5ell, it #as a good thing for me that you came

along, he said) That should count for something)

%a&a #ent 'ack to her room, feeling decidedly grumpy) For one thing, changing clothes forthe e$ening meal #as the kind of folly practiced 'y people #ho had too many clothes they

didn(t ha$e to #ash) *ince it #as the custom in #ealthy houses %a&a changed her garments,

'ut it chafed her spirit)




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ali$e until iko had found her) It #as her chief treasure and all that remained of her

dro#ned family, so it #as only natural that she turn it into her mage(s kit) Inside the

copper.lined 'o- she kept magical tools, her's, oils, and metal samples in small 'ottles and&ars, corked, sealed, and tucked into padded trays) %a&a selected tiny $ials of mercury and

of saffron oil, a slender hollo# glass tu'e, a sil$er disk as #ide as her hand #as long, and

an engra$ing tool) These she placed on her #orkta'le)

e-t she opened the 'ig &ar that took up half of the suraku(s, interior) Its contents gleamed

the 'right sil$ery gold of 'rass) *he had started filling it #ith e-cess pieces of the metal

that continued to gro# on her left hand) ater, as she found uses for it, she added 'rass

scraps and drops of her o#n 'lood to the &ar(s contents! #ithin a day the scraps #ouldsoften and 'lend, gi$ing her a good.si/ed container of li$ing metal #hene$er she needed it)

i$ing metal creations had made her rich at fourteen! it #as good she(d found a #ay to

create more #ithout ha$ing to #ait for it to gro# out of her flesh) o# she took a 'o#l and

dipped it full, then set it on the ta'le)

"eside the door #as her Trader(s staff) The #ood #as fi$e feet of solid e'ony, capped in

'rass on the top end and iron on the 'utt) On the cap she had engra$ed or inlaid signs in#ire, telling her story to anyone #ho read Trader sym'ols) 6ere #as her sur$i$al of the

sinking of her family(s ship7 her time as an outcast7 her rescue of a Trader cara$an during a

forest fire7 the end of her outcast status7 and her present life as a mage #ith #hom Traders

could 'uy and sell in honor)

It #as also $ery useful for defending herself, as Traders had done for centuries, and for

creating circles of protection) 9-tending her po#er through the e'ony, %a&a dre# a circle

around her #orkta'le, lea$ing herself plenty of room) Once done, she leaned her staffagainst her chair and closed her eyes, sliding into the core of her po#er) *he raised a

'arrier until she #as enclosed in a sil$ery 'u''le that #ould allo# no scrap of her po#er to

leak out) In her second year as a mage, she had learned the hard #ay that an incomplete

circle resulted in the most interesting kinds of damage #here$er her po#er met someoneelse(s magic)

6er protecti$e glo'e completed, she opened her eyes and smiled) *he liked to 'e

en$eloped 'y her magic) s a $ery young girl she(d had a fa$orite 'lanket that made herfeel #arm and safe) 6er protections seemed much like the 'lanket, though she had ne$er

told anyone that)




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o# she #as ready) %a&a sat do#n and reached for her sil$er disk)

ea$ing her room #ith her completed mirror in hand, %a&a heard her 'elly complain)

Passing the hall clock do#nstairs, she sa# #hy! it #as t#o hours after supper) The familyand Frostpine #ould 'e in the 'ook room)

5hen she #alked in, e$eryone turned to stare at her) Of the four "ancanor children only

the t#ins #ere present, ia tatting lace, ;ory reading a 'ook on the hearth) Frostpine,

Kol'orn "ancanor, and his #ife +ata/idah, or +ata/i, #ere all there, Frostpine as close to

the fire as he could manage) Kol and +ata/i #ere in their fa$orite chairs near a ta'le #herea tea ser$ice already sat)

%a&a, #e missed you at supper, +ata/i said, ringing the 'ell for a maid)


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"ennat adradun, Kol supplied)

adradun did the island a fa$or, remarked Frostpine)

Kol nodded) Other islands, too) O$er the last t#o years he(s 'een training firefighters andgetting the island councils to clean up o'$ious fire ha/ards)

It #as a #onderful thing, to dra# out of such de$astation, +ata/i said, sipping her tea)

%a&a had 'een relie$ed to see that the mistress of "ancanor 6ouse drank tea like a normal

person, #ithout s#eet stuff smeared all o$er her teeth) Only think, he lost his home, his

#ife, and his children) They feared for his sanity) 6e #as a'solutely shattered) nd thenoff he goes to :odsforge.

Frostpine raised his hea$y 'ro#s) The fire.mage2

Kol nodded) "en studied #ith him for t#o years) Then he came 'ack to adradun 6ouselike a man on fire, if you(ll e-cuse the e-pression) 6e talked, #heedled, 'ullied, all to get

funds and firefighters to train) 6e(s changing ho# #e approach fires) Other amornese

cities send people here to study his methods) 6e shook his head) #e.inspiring) 6eroic,e$en #ithout the people he(s sa$ed #ith his o#n t#o hands) If he sees smoke, he(s there as

fast as he can mo$e)

%a&a listened as she ate) For the thousandth time she #ondered #hat these three #ere like

#hen they had first 'ecome friends) Kol and Frostpine had roomed together for three yearsin the capital of "ihan, studying the goldsmith(s craft) They had met the 'eautiful

seamstress at the same time, and Kol had courted and married her after her affair #ith

Frostpine ended) Only on their arri$al in amorn did +ata/i learn that the copper.countingstudent she had married #as the heir to one of the #ealthiest merchant families in amorn)

Through that and the years that follo#ed they had stayed in touch #ith Frostpine, and

con$inced him and his student to stay #ith them o$er their #inter in the north)

%a&a looked at the plates and 'o#l 'efore her) *he had cleaned them all) 5hen she sat




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'ehind her to #atch o$er her shoulder) ll the mirror re$ealed #as +ata/i(s o#n lo$ely

features) 5hen she returned the mirror, %a&a offered it to Kol, #ho shook his head)

ia, %a&a said, 'eckoning) ;ory #ould 'e so 'usy talking a'out her po#er that ia mightlea$e unnoticed) *he #as good at that) %a&a had yet to decide if ;ory did such things

deli'erately to help her shyer t#in get a#ay, or if ia #as the only one to see that ;ory(s

speeches left her time to escape) 5hiche$er it #as, ia #ould not slip out this time)

eluctantly, %a&a(s skating teacher came for#ard) ?nlike ;ory that e$ening she #ore asingle 'raid that harnessed most of the #a$y masses of her hair) *he didn(t share her t#in(s

affection for glittering 'racelets and 'eaded hair ornaments, though she #ore a copper

#ristlet that had o'$iously come from the south, and tiny pearl earrings) ;ory liked 'right

colors and plenty of intricate em'roidery on her 'louses and hemlines7 ia kept her clothesplain)

+ust I2 she asked %a&a, looking at the mirror as if it #ould 'ite)

+agic has to 'e used, and trained, the minute it starts to appear, %a&a told her gently)Other#ise you #on(t 'e a'le to control it later) emem'er I told you a'out my foster.

sister Tris, the #eather.mage2 "oth t#ins nodded) %a&a continued, 6er magic #asn(t

recogni/ed for years, and it kept 'reaking a#ay from her) *he actually made it hail indoorsonce) I kno# I sa# ;ory use magic, #hate$er nyussa said) *he glanced at ;ory, #ho

grinned) That means you ha$e it, and if you don(t get it under control, it could turn on

you)

ia shook her head, 'ut she took the mirror, and looked into it) Faint light, sparkling likeopals, raced around the mirror(s rim, making the runes shimmer) 5atching o$er ia(s

shoulder, %a&a sa# flickering images of ta'les, a pile of #ooden 'uttons, hands #ielding a

plane to smooth #ood flat, inlaid 'o-es, a pot of stain, and ia(s face 'ehind it all, her darkeyes #ide in shock)

Frostpine gripped %a&a(s shoulder #armly for a moment and let go) Carpentry, iamara,

he said)


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ia(s face had a look of mingled confusion and pleasure)


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+ata/i nodded) I(ll dra# up a list, she said) Those I don(t kno#, nyussa or thehousekeeper #ill) *he looked at her daughters) 5ell, you t#o are al#ays full of surprises)

Off to 'ed #ith you)

The t#ins kissed their parents and raced to#ard the stairs) ;ory #ondered aloud if shereally could make and sell a charm to take the lumps from sauces and gra$ies, as %a&a had

&okingly suggested earlier) %a&a shook her head, thinking, +erchants( daughters to the

'one)

Kol, +ata/i, Frostpine, and %a&a sat once more) %a&a ran her finger around the mirror(s

rim) *he #as trying to decide if it could 'e used for other things than magic.seeing #hen+ata/i said, This isn(t from my side of the family) %a&a looked up to see +ata/i shake

her head, her smile half.amused, half.rueful)

o, it(s mine, Kol said tiredly as he poured himself a fresh glass of tea) That(s #hy #e

called in magic.sniffers t#ice, he e-plained to Frostpine and %a&a) 5e ha$e cousins at

ights'ridge no#, and one #ho graduated from there) There(s an uncle in %ancruan #ho(s

a cook.mage) +y great.grandfather #as a carpentry.mage) *o they come 'y it honestly)6e and +ata/i e-changed a trou'led glance)

+ost parents #ould 'e happy, #ith such an opportunity for their girls, Frostpine

remarked softly)

Kol said, It complicates things)

T#o families #ho e-pressed an interest in the girls #ill turn mages do#n flat, added

+ata/i) +any people think that mage.#i$es are far too independent and unpredicta'le)


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%a&a nodded) The smith #ho #as teaching her the fine points of cast and #rought iron,

though he #as no mage, #orked in much the same #ay, placing ne# apprentices #ith&ourneymen for their 'asic instruction) The final decision #ould 'e ia(s, in any case, she

replied)

"ring her around, if you like, he said, pushing himself a#ay from the #all) If she(s soinclined, I(ll take her on)


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The front door #as still an opening filled #ith a sheet of fire) That part fought her,

strengthened 'y the #ind outside, 'ut %a&a #as in no mood to 'e nice) *he #as #illing to

let this fire continue 'ecause someone had in$ited it here, 'ut it could not 'e allo#ed todelay her)

*he gripped cords of fire in the door and 'egan to #ea$e again, pulling flame.threads

tight, yanking them ruthlessly into a fiery s8uare) Once done, she thrust it ahead of her like

a shield) It 'ulged out through the door#ay, 'u''lelike)

%a&a felt the 'la/e surge) ?nder her, the floor sagged)

*he turned, 'ent, then thrust up from her knees, draping :ru/ha o$er her shoulder) 5ith

the other girl(s head and feet &ust inches from the flames, %a&a strode outside #ith her andthe 'irdcage) s they crossed the threshold, the floor #here they had stood dropped into the

cellar #ith a roar)

Outside %a&a helped :ru/ha to stand and released her fire #ea$ings in the house) The

flames returned to their meal)

"en #a$ed some #omen for#ard) They #ept as they took the #et 'lanket off :ru/ha and

#rapped her in a dry one, patting her head, face, and arms as if they couldn(t 'elie$e she

#as real) s they did they 'acked a#ay from %a&a, taking the 'lind girl #ith them) %a&a

sighed and held out the 'irds( cage, reclaiming the sil$ery protecti$e shield she had put onit) The finches 'egan to chatter in tiny $oices as a #oman carefully took the cage)

%a&a looked do#n) 6er shirt and 'reeches, o$ercome 'y more fire than they #ere spelled

against, #ere crum'ling on her 'ody) Firefighters and those in the cro#d 'acked a#ay, &ustas :ru/ha(s friends had)




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Pe''led *ea)

To her relief.her neck #as getting sore.he crouched to start a fire in his sto$e) s I

understand it, if you(re a Trader, you(re one for life)

People can lea$e, %a&a said) *ome do, usually for lo$e) I #as made trangshi.outcast.

#hen my family(s ship sank and I #as the only one #ho li$ed)

nd no# you(re a smith.mage) 6e added #ood until a healthy 'la/e #as going)

%a&a nodded, then reali/ed he couldn(t see it) *o they tell me, she replied) I keepthinking I ha$en(t learned nearly enough)

6e asked her other things, a'out her tra$els, a'out the metals she had studied) Once the

maid 'rought fresh tea, "en poured for %a&a and himself) *ettling into his chair, he cradled

his steaming glass in his hands) 6is left hand #as un'andaged no#, #ith ne#ly healed skin'right pink on its 'ack) 6o# do you do it2 he #anted to kno#) I told you :odsforge

couldn(t handle fire, though he could shape it) 6e made creatures for the local children on

holidays) They lo$ed his fire 'utterflies and dragons) "ut he could ne$er ha$e #alked intoa 'urning 'uilding like you did and come out unscathed)

I don(t kno# ho# I can do it and others can(t, %a&a replied) Though Frostpine can, too)

nd you can see, e$en inside the flames2 "en asked)

%a&a nodded) ;ust as clear as you see me)

"en set his glass do#n, turning the metal 'ase in his fingers) 6e took a deep 'reath, like a




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#oman #ith dark eyes and a timid smile) ot a day goes 'y that I don(t miss her and our

children) 6e looked a#ay)

I(m sorry, %a&a said, putting the portrait on his desk) I didn(t mean to.

ctually I(m glad you mentioned her, he said) o one talks to me a'out her or the little

ones) I.

The door opened #ithout a preceding knock) %a&a turned to see the ne#comer, a hard.

faced #oman a'out fi$e feet, fi$e inches tall) *he #ore a plain undergo#n of cream.

colored #ool #ithout a speck of em'roidery) 6er o$ergo#n #as 'ro#n #ool #ith 'lack'raid trim around the hem, collar, and slee$e openings, secured do#n the front 'y plain

'lack 'uttons) 6er head $eil #as cream.colored linen, the round hat pinned on top of her$eil as 'ro#n and unremarka'le as her dress) They co$ered hair that had 'een dyed 'londe

in the amornese style so often it looked like stra#) 6ers #as a hard, tight face, #ith lines

that 'racketed a 'road, unsmiling mouth and short nose) Tiny pupils that ne$er e-panded#ere at the center of her pale gray.green eyes)

The eager, intense "en %a&a had 'een talking to #as gone) In his place #as a large,

a#k#ard man #hose 'ody #as as stiff as his $oice #hen he said, +other) llo# me to

introduce @iymese %a&a Kisu'o) %a&a, this is my mother, a$$i +orrachane adradun)

+orrachane looked at %a&a and sniffed, as if she didn(t 'elie$e %a&a had a proper claim to

a mage(s title) :ood morning, @iymese) I #ould like to speak to my son) *he turned to

go, then hesitated and looked at %a&a again)


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moment to #onder at the kind of person +orrachane #as, that a smile looked so alien on

her face)


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thought of the 'rass cap and #hat it said a'out her, ne$er a'out the e'ony that ran 'et#een

the metal.co$ered ends) 5hat kind of #ood is this2 she asked ia, though she kne# the

ans#er)

9'ony, ia replied instantly) 9-pensi$e and hard) ?sed for furniture, inlays.it(s

imported from the south)

5hen Traders gi$e their children their first staff, they tell us e'ony(s magical use is for

protection) 5ell, #hat do carpenters make for protection2 %a&a asked)


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e$erything) 9ach time they lost track of the count, %a&a corrected them and started o$er)

*he had restarted fi$e times #hen ;ory complained, This is 'oring)

uiet) isten inside your mind, %a&a said firmly) One) T#o) Three) ) )

I can(t help it) I keep thinking a'out things) It #as ;ory again) There(s a crick in my

neck)

*hake it out and start o$er) "e 8uiet inside, a$$ikki ;orality, %a&a ordered, using the

amornese #ord for +iss, kno#ing she sounded as dry as the t#ins( other teachers) The

girls responded instincti$ely to the schoolteacher $oice, straightening 'acks and shoulders,composing their faces)

%a&a counted through another three rounds of in, hold, out, hold, 'efore ;ory scram'led toher feet) I ha$e a cramp4 she told %a&a, massaging her calf) This is a silly #ay to sit4

;ory, #ould you please hush2 demanded ia) I almost had it4

+ouse turds, ;ory retorted)


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#hen you fuss)

;ory sat #ith her knees 'ent to one side) *he soon de$eloped cramps in the arms she used

to support herself, and s#itched to the other side) That arm #ent to sleep) e-t shestretched out on the ground) "y then the looks ia ga$e her had gone from impatient to

murderous) %a&a #as e$en starting to feel cross)

5hen the clock struck do#nstairs, they all sighed #ith relief) %a&a reached o$er to ru' out

a handspan of her circle) s the 'arriers collapsed, she dre# her po#er 'ack into herself)Come 'ack here tomorro#, and #e(ll do it again)

;ory groaned)

It occurred to %a&a that ;ory #ould fight her until %a&a made it clear that she #as in

charge) o# she #alked o$er to stand 'et#een ;ory and the door, leaning on her staff as

she stared into ;ory(s eyes) +ay'e you could go all your life #ith magic &ust making a

little trou'le for you 'ecause you ne$er got the discipline, she said, her $oice so 8uiet thatthe t#ins had to lean closer to hear) +ay'e, %a&a told them) nd may'e your magic #ill

'reak loose and cause a disaster) It happens) 5ill you 'eha$e, or do I speak #ith your

parents2

;ory pouted) I(ll 'eha$e, she said at last)

6ere) Tomorro#) *ame time) %a&a stood aside, letting the t#ins dash a#ay to change

clothes) To the empty room she murmured, That could ha$e gone 'etter) *he ru''ed her

head) The trou'le #ith meditation #as that it #as harder to talk a'out it than it #as to do,and she #as not the 'est talker) 5hy couldn(t "riar, or Tris, teach the t#ins2

The thought made her smile) "riar #ould end 'y tacking ;ory to the floor #ith thorny

$ines) Tris #ould ha$e the girl so terrified that ;ory #ould 'e a'le to think of nothing,

including the control of her po#er)




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%a&a looked at the t#ins) Tomorro#)


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glanced up at the sky! fat sno#flakes drifted do#n in a slo# dance) I hope this doesn(t get

too 'ad)

It #on(t, ia replied) The #eather.mage(s crier comes e$ery morning) Today(s supposedto 'e &ust sno#fall like this) It(ll 'uild up, 'ut not too 'adly)

t least, it #on(t if the #eather.mage is right) +ost of the time they are, ;ory

contri'uted)

%o not 'orro# trou'le, a$$ikki, *erg told ;ory) @iymese %a&a, I a#ait orders)

Camoc Oak'orn, 'egan %a&a)

yree *treet, replied *erg) 6e clucked to the horses and dro$e out the main gate #ith

easy grace)

Once they arri$ed, an apprentice ushered %a&a and the girls into Camoc Oak'orn(s largeshop, then #ent to find the master) They didn(t ha$e long to #ait 'efore Camoc &oined

them) @iymese %a&a, he said #ith a nod) 6e looked at ia) This is the girl you spoke

of2

iamara "ancanor, this is @iynain Camoc Oak'orn, %a&a said gi$ing him theamornese title for a mage) s ia curtsied, %a&a added, nd this is her sister ;orality)

;ory curtsied as #ell) ;ory doesn(t share ia(s magic, @iynain Camoc)

I see that, he said) Come along, then, a$$ikki iamara) I(ll gi$e you the tour) 6e led%a&a and the t#ins around the shop, identifying for ia #hat #as 'eing made) 6e took a

moment to inspect each of his people(s #ork 'efore he mo$ed on) ia looked at e$erything

#ith #ide and shining eyes, 'reathing the scents of paint and #ood sha$ings as if they #ere

perfume) "y the time they reached the second floor, her dark and practical go#n had




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#agons to something so 'eautiful) rnen reminded her of "riar, #ho #ent from #eeding

temple fields to shaping miniature trees, not &ust to fit them for magic, 'ut 'ecause there

#as lo$eliness in the tree itself)

Camoc opened a door onto a classroom much like the one in "ancanor 6ouse) There #ere

no maps on the #alls) %esks #ere replaced 'y long ta'les and #ork 'enches) case of

'ooks lined one side #all7 a large slate #as hung on another) On it someone had #ritten themagical runes for strength! fle-i'le strength, hard strength, endurance)

collection of #ooden cu'es a'out the si/e of %a&a(s fist sat on a ta'le) Camoc stirred

them #ith kno''y fingers) Come here, girl, he ordered) et(s see #hat you kno#)

ia #alked o$er, her eyes on the 'locks rather than on Camoc(s face) *he pulled one a#ayfrom the others)


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ia shook her head)


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Impossi'le to meditate here, Camoc said 'rus8uely) Too much noise) Can you take that

part of it2

It really is noisy, rnen told ia apologetically) *he nodded, too shy to speak)

%a&a #anted to o'&ect, 'ut suddenly she could hear her grandmother(s $oice) *hirkers are

half.ka8, that fierce old lady told her grandchildren) Traders take the 'urden they are

gi$en) *he had 'een gi$en this 'urden) It #asn(t shirking to find teachers #ith the t#ins(o#n skills, 'ut if those teachers asked %a&a to help, she #ould 'e a shirker to refuse) 5e(ll

meditate at home, she told the men and ia) 5e($e already started, any#ay) *he did her

'est to seem happy a'out it, though her inner self #as demanding to kno# ho# she #as to

#ork on her o#n pro&ects if she had to nursemaid the t#ins) *he stepped on that self hard)ia #ould hear any touch of impatience in %a&a(s $oice) The minute she did, she #ould

fade a#ay like a ghost, learning nothing properly from anyone) %a&a ran her right thum'o$er her 'rass glo$e) 5e(ll practice tonight, #hen #e get home, she told ia, #ho

nodded)

5hen %a&a left Camoc(s, she #as astounded to see +orrachane adradun, elegant in a

sa'le.trimmed coat and hat, in the sleigh #ith ;ory) There #as liking and affection in theface that #as so harsh #hen %a&a had met her) ;ory said something, and the #oman

actually laughed)

*he must ha$e 'een pretty once, %a&a thought) +y mother #as right.if you keep makingthe same nasty face, one day your face #ill set in that e-pression)

%a&a, ;ory said eagerly, #a$ing) %a&a, come meet unt +orrachane) *he grimaced and

added, *orry) a$$i +orrachane adradun) unt +orrachane.

I ha$e met a$$ikki %a&a, said +orrachane #ith a nod) I understand you ha$e 'roughtthe t#ins #onderful ne#s)


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*erg guided the sleigh deftly) The la#keepers #ere changing their #atch, their #hite.

painted sleighs dropping fresh keepers at their posts and picking up those #ho #ere done

for the day) People rode in sleighs and on horse'ack, on their #ay to homes orentertainments) Once *erg had to mo$e aside as a no'leman(s sleigh shot do#n the center

of the street)

Tell me a'out this Potcracker, suggested %a&a as *erg #aited for an intersection to clear)


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smiled ruefully) There is one thing, she 'egan)

*omeone dropped se$eral pots on the floor) 9$eryone flinched at the clatter)

%a&a(s heart sank, 'ut she could see the pro'lem) +editation2 she asked)

Olennika nodded) 9$en in my #orkroom there is no 8uiet) People come and go in thecellar, in the attics, from the hospital) 5ill you.

It #as %a&a(s turn to smile ruefully) *he kne# #hat she had to say7 she &ust didn(t like it)


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o#, %a&a said) *he asked the t#ins( parents, It(s &ust an hour) 5ill you 'e a#ake2

Certainly, Kol said) I #ant to finish this 'ook, and my #omenfolk keep interrupting)

Papa4 ia cried) +ata/i gently kicked her hus'and)

%a&a grinned and to#ed the girls out of the room) If she e$er married, she hoped she #ould

ha$e as much fun at it as Kol and +ata/i seemed to)

They returned to the schoolroom) Finding it dark, %a&a #ent to one of the hall lamps,

pinched off its flame, and carried it 'ack to light the lamps) e-t she dre# her circle #ith

her staff) Once that #as done, the t#ins inside #ith her, she raised her protections toenclose them once more)

Could you #ork magic #ithout your staff 2 ;ory #anted to kno# #hen %a&a finished)

+ages al#ays ha$e sta$es in the stories, added ia) emem'er the story of %eliellen

*torm#alker, raising her staff to part the #aters of the *yth2

5e could make it fashiona'le, perhaps) ;ory(s $oice lacked confidence) *lender, #ith a&e#el for a kno', or ri''ons tied to it) *he 'rightened) 5e could learn to fight #ith them,

like the apprentice 'oys do4

I don(t #ant to fight any'ody, protested ia)

%a&a leaned on her staff and #aited for them to 'e 8uiet) ;ory sighed) The t#ins took their




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and out of their rooms not an hour after they(d arri$ed)

I suppose you aren(t 'ored2 demanded ;ory of ia)

o, I(m not4 replied ia) Or I(m almost not, 'ut I thought I felt something, and youruined it4

o# %a&a poked 'oth of them #ith her staff) 5hen they turned accusing eyes on her, she

said, I can #ork a #hole day #ith little sleep) Can you2 "ecause the longer you fight, the

longer #e sit here) :rum'ling, the t#ins settled do#n, ;ory sitting #ith her feet to one

side, ia cross.legged) They closed their eyes and 'egan again) %a&a fell into her o#nmeditations, letting herself drift, free of thought) *he set a'out housekeeping, collecting

strands of magic that slipped from her central store, tidying up as she #ould tidy a forge atday(s end) *uddenly a light snore 'rought her to full attention) "oth t#ins had gone to

sleep)

Their day had 'een hard7 %a&a thought they all had done as #ell as they could) *he nudged

them a#ake #ith her staff and ru''ed out part of her circle, gathering its magic 'ack intoher) +eet me here, tomorro# morning, half an hour past da#n, she said) "efore

'reakfast)

"ut if #e did it tonight, protested ia, interrupting herself #ith a ya#n)

o, %a&a said firmly) Tonight #as fiddling and fussing) 5e didn(t get anythingimportant done, not the #ay #e need to do it) 6ere, tomorro#)

"ut skating) ) ) ;ory protested #earily)

%a&a sighed) For a moment &ust that morning she(d felt as if she fle#) +editation is more

important right no#, she informed the t#ins)


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%a&a felt ashamed that she had e$er resented her o'ligation to ia and ;ory) This #hole

family had taken her in as if she shared their 'lood) They ga$e freely7 she must do the

same) *he clasped each offered hand) *ee if you feel that #ay come spring, after a #intertogether) *he returned the pressure of their fingers and released them, touched 'y their

thanks)

"efore she #ent to 'ed, %a&a #rote a note and left it for a ser$ant to carry to adradun6ouse in the morning) The ne-t day she #as to #ork iron #ith the smith Teraud) If she

finished early enough, she #anted to start fitting "en for those glo$es)

The First %edicate of the Fire temple, the temple of &ustice, la#, and com'at, #as a#eathered, lean #hite man #ith short red hair that stuck out at all angles, and a short red

'eard) 6e had a #ay of talking that sounded like a sho#er of nails 'eing poured into ametal 'ucket) Once a general, he(d taken the name *kyfire #hen he dedicated himself to the

temple) That night %a&a dreamed a'out *kyfire(s form of meditation) In her dream she #as

'ack in the practice yard used 'y the Fire temple(s #arriors)The day #as summery, the yardso dry that dust rose like smoke from the ground and from the practice clothes of e$eryone

present)

%a&a panted as she circled %edicate *kyfire, her staff in her hands) 6e #as old, 'ut he #as

8uicker than eels) *he hurt all o$er from the 8uick punishing raps he ga$e her #hen hethought her attention had strayed) *top #aiting for me to strike here or there, he 'arked)

6is dark 'lue eyes 'la/ed through the coat of dust on his face) *#eat tracks marked it like a

tri'al mask, e$en in his short red 'eard) *top trying to think) %on(t e-pect anything.e-pecte$erything) "e open to its approach4 9mpty your head, or I(ll crack it so the thoughts run

out)


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*he felt #onderful)

That(s all it should 'e) I ne$er could sit on my 'ehind and count myself silly, *kyfire

replied 'reathlessly) I meditate this #ay)

The dream #as #ith her #hen she opened her eyes) *he #as smiling) 6er classes #ith

*kyfire after that day had 'een $ery different) *he thought ;ory #ould like the tough old

man)

%a&a rolled stiffly out of 'ed.she #ould ha$e to find another time to skate if they #ere to

meditate at this hour.cleaned up, and dressed) *he had seen #ooden poles in a room off thepassage 'et#een the sta'les and the pantry) Taking the 'ack stairs, she 'ypassed the

kitchen.she hated to see a kitchen dark and fireless) little e-ploration 'rought her to theroom #here old chairs, ta'les, and other things #ere stored in case of need)

The poles #ere stacked in a corner) They #ere smooth stakes a'out fi$e feet long,

pro'a'ly used to replace handles in mops and 'rooms #hen the old ones #ore out) ll

#ere smoothed do#n, so she didn(t ha$e to #orry a'out splinters7 all #ere made of sound#ood, so she didn(t ha$e to #orry a'out them 'reaking in mid.strike) They #ere a'surdly

light after her o#n staff, 'ut her o#n comfort #as not the point)

%a&a had chosen three #hen she heard a #oman scream) *he dropped her poles andheaded to#ard the screams at a dead run, imagining fire, assassins, rats) ) )

*he 'urst into the kitchen) nyussa the cook and @aresha the housekeeper, half.dressed,

arri$ed from the ser$ants( 8uarters as she did) maid co#ered against one of the long

ta'les, still screaming) s @aresha and nyussa con$erged on her, she pointed at the greatfireplace, 'urst into tears, and hid her face in her hands)

%a&a had 'een #rong to e-pect a cold and lifeless kitchen) The sheer si/e of the fire that

roared in the hearth told her it had 'urned long enough to make the room deliciously #arm)

t the heart of the 'la/e sat Frostpine, his 'ack to the room, legs crossed, hands palm.up on




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his knees, eyes closed) 6e #as so deep in meditation that he hadn(t e$en heard the maid(s

screams) 6is masses of hair and 'eard fluttered in the flames( caress) 6is clothes for the day

#ere neatly folded on a stool placed 'eside the hearth)

%a&a(s mouth t#itched)

oise made her turn) +ore people had reached the kitchen, most still #earing night

clothes) nyussa and the housekeeper, standing #ith the hysterical maid 'et#een them,

dre# close to stare) ;ory and ia must ha$e galloped do#n from the third floor) Theypeered around the maids, eyes #ide) Footmen arri$ed in nightshirts, demanding to kno#

#hat the fuss #as a'out)

%a&a(s mouth t#itched again) *he sternly for'ade herself to smile and #alked o$er to thehearth) *he #asn(t sure if her shirt #as one of *andry(s) To 'e safe.she thought one naked

mage #as all this household could stand.she put her hands palm to palm, and pulled them

apart) The flames 'et#een her and Frostpine split neatly) eaning in, she laid her palm onhis shoulder) Through their common magic she said, Come 'ack)

Frostpine t#isted to glare at her) 5hat2 he demanded) Can(t a man meditate2

I thought you did that in your room, she said) Frostpine, you(re naked)

aked and #arm,( he said #ith a sco#l) 6e hitched himself around until he faced %a&a,

doing it so e-pertly that he hardly distur'ed the #ood stacked around him) I can(t get adecent fire going up there, the hearth(s too small) I thought I(d do e$eryone a fa$or and start

the fire here)

%id you tell anyone2 %a&a in8uired)

I meant to 'e gone 'y the time. Frostpine looked past %a&a to see his #ide.eyed




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I thought you said #e #ouldn(t ha$e staffs, ia said, running her hands o$er her pole)


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The 'oy didn(t need encouragement) 6e clutched the offering #ith 'oth hands and took ahuge 'ite) %a&a slo#ly cracked the seal and read the fe# lines of "en(s note) It #as his

ans#er to her re8uest for a time to fit him for the glo$es) If it #asn(t too late #hen she

finished at Teraud(s, he #rote, she could find him at the adradun #arehouses on "a/niu/Island, at the &oining of Cash'o- *treet and Co$il 5ay)

*he read it three times 'efore the 'oy finished #hat he(d 'een gi$en and accepted a second

'read.and.meat sla' from Teraud) Then she ga$e the messenger her argi' and said, Tell

a$$ot adradun I #ill see him later this afternoon)

The 'oy nodded, still che#ing, and trotted a#ay) Teraud(s #ife ushenya came o$er,shaking her head) The #ay that #oman stints on food, you(d think e$ery grain of #heat

#as taken from her o#n children, she said to her hus'and) *he #hips them, you kno#)The ser$ants) The island council fines her.she doesn(t care) *he glared at the &ourneymen,

openly ea$esdropping) %on(t think any of you are too 'ig for a #hipping) I sa# that

$egeta'le plate4 $egeta'le plate goes 'ack half.empty at supper and #e ser$e #hat youturn a#ay instead of meat tomorro#4

%a&a ducked her head to hide a smile as the diners, male and female alike, dug into

eggplant and carrots)

*omet(ing(s not right at dat house, Teraud commented as he sat 'ack and dug at his teeth#ith a toothpick) +orrachane(s half cra/y)

%a&a put her fork do#n) "ut #hat a'out "en2 6e(s all right isn(t he2

6e(s a hero, insisted a young &ourney#oman) That carriage shop on ider *treet #ould

ha$e 'urned last #inter.

The hat shop on *tifflace ane, someone else put in)




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6e &umped to his feet #hen he sa# her) @iymese %a&a, a$$ot adradun(s e-pecting

you, he greeted her) This #ay)

moment) %a&a 'ent to tug at her 'oot, as if it had t#isted on her foot) *he thrust deepinto the ground #ith her po#er, passing through stone and #atery mush, then granite, until

she reached the earth(s hot life'lood of molten stone)

*traightening her other 'oot, she called the heat up to her, letting it pass through the

#ooden floors sheathed in her magic to keep the 'oards from catching fire) Opening herright hand she spread her fingers) 5armth streamed through her to settle into any metal in

the clerks( office that could hold it! the hea$y iron grate, the andirons and pokers of the

hearth, the empty metal coal 'ucket, and the 'rass lamp reflectors) *he ga$e the metal &ust

enough heat to #arm the air #ithout changing the metal(s color) The #orkers might notreali/e they #ere more comforta'le, 'ut she kne#) It #as her slap at +orrachane(s copper.

clutching fingers)

*he cut the flo# of heat and let the rest fall into the molten rock again) One second more

she #aited, to ensure the metal in the office #ould not 'urn the #ood around it) *he had

done something here) Content, she straightened and stamped her feet, as if to make sure her

'oots #ere comforta'le) I see you had a 'uilding fire outside, she commented as shefollo#ed her guide do#n the hall to the rear offices)

month ago) It #asn(t serious) 6e stopped at a closed door and faced %a&a, s#allo#ing

hard) @iymese, you ga$e me too much money) 6e held out a sil$er coin)


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"en shrugged on his outdoor coat and lit a spill from his sto$e) In the outer hall he used it

to light a lantern 'y the door) 6e took it from its hook) I(ll #alk you to the street) re you

hiring a sleigh to go home2

%a&a smiled) I(d as soon &ump off a 'ridge) "esides, I like #alking in the sno#)

"en fro#ned) It(s a long #alk, %a&a) Together they #ent into the courtyard) 5hy don(t

you #ait until +other comes from shopping, and ride #ith us2

The thought of sharing a sleigh #ith the sour.faced +orrachane made %a&a shudder) Tochange the su'&ect #ithout offending "en, she glanced at the mess of the 'urned

#arehouse) +ay I take a look2

"en o'ligingly led the #ay through sno# that fell in fat, steady flakes) I could hardly

'elie$e it #hen it happened, "en remarked) The place #ent up like a torch) ?sually mostof the ground floor #alls are left, 'ut not this time)

The #reckage inside the huge, cluttered rectangular pit that #as the cellar of the old

#arehouse #as nearly t#o feet deep in accumulated sno#)

%a&a sighed and hunkered do#n #ith her staff against one shoulder) *he #as annoyed atha$ing to deal yet again #ith amornese #inter) In ci$ili/ed places #inter arri$ed as rains,

o'scuring the ground only if the #ater collected into a pond) *he called a 'urst of heat up,

&amming it through her outstretched, spread fingers to 'lanket the ruin) This heat.#ash #asfar 8uicker than those she(d used in the adradun offices, and far hotter) *he didn(t hear

"en(s soft gasp as the sno# #ithin the #alls of the ruined 'uilding shrank, collapsed in on

itself, and trickled a#ay, melted completely)

That(s 'etter, %a&a commented #ith satisfaction) *he stood) o# #e can see) +ay I




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Outside the adradun gate lamps 'urned, marking the edges of the road in the sno#) %a&a

trudged do#n *arah *treet, looking around her) *he didn(t care #hat Frostpine said! she

lo$ed freshly fallen sno#, the #ay it clung to trees, fences, and ornamental car$ings,softening e$en the &ingle of sleigh'ells, muffling the clop of horses and the sounds of

people going home) *he lo$ed the #ay it danced in the air, shaping glo'es of light around

the lamps, s#irling in and out of patterns) In the mountains 'et#een the *yth and 9melansno# #as untoucha'le, hard, and deadly) 6ere people trudged through it, s#ept it, rode

through its curtains and streamers, played #ith it) It made the 'usy Kugiskans into friendly

people) 9$eryone she passed #ished her a good e$ening, or smiled and said things like,

foot or t#o 'y morning, at least4 %a&a ans#ered them #ith smiles and nods) *he didn(tkno# enough a'out this #hite element to predict ho# much #ould come do#n 'efore

sunrise)

*he heard 'ells approach 'ehind her and mo$ed close to the lamp.posts to gi$e the sleighplenty of room to pass) *he kept her head do#n, hoping the $ehicle coming up on her

#asn(t the adraduns()

@iymese %a&a2 a familiar $oice called) Is that you2

*he turned as the "ancanor sleigh, *erg at the reins, dre# up 'y her) "ehind *erg %a&asa# a lump of 8uilts and furs that had to 'e ;ory)

5hy are you afoot2 *erg demanded, reining up) :et in)


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gluey su'stance clung to the end of her 'raid) *he says nyussa(s a good teacher, ;ory

told %a&a dro#sily as they #ent into the kitchen) *he said I don(t ha$e to unlearn things)

In the kitchen they sa# Frostpine at one of the ta'les) 6e #orked his #ay through a 'o#lof soup as he talked to nyussa) ia sat across from them, #hittling 'uttons) Other

mem'ers of the household #ere gathered there, some #ith se#ing in their hands, others

gi$ing pots and 'oots a thorough polish, still more &ust gossiping)

5hat(s going on2 ;ory asked, sliding onto the 'ench ne-t to her t#in) 5hy(s e$ery'odyin here2

On of the maids opened the door that led to the family(s part of the house) They heard a

clear, commanding female $oice! .the day that one of my granddaughters #ould 'espending any more time in "lackfly "og than she might need to drop off a 'asket for the

poor. The maid shut the door again)

Oh, said %a&a #ith a #ince) *he had forgotten this #as the night that Kol(s mother came

for her once.a.#eek meal #ith her son and his #ife)

("e#are the matriarchs of amorn,( Frostpine said, 8uoting a pro$er', (for they are

8ueens #ithout cro#ns)(

%a&a grimaced) If +orrachane(s a 8ueen, it(s of pi&ule fakol, she thought, placing "en(s

mother in the #orst of the Trader afterli$es, reser$ed for those #ho did not pay their de'ts)

Frostpine eyed %a&a)


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the pulse in his neck $eins) *lo#ly, carefully, she let heat trickle into his 'ody to #arm his

'lood)

Frostpine sighed his gratitude) ot that the food hasn(t tha#ed me out #onderfully, hetold nyussa, #ho smiled)

Or that you(re practically sitting in the kitchen fire, %a&a added, feeling its heat on her

'ack) *he asked ia, 6o# did it go, your first day2

ia held up a #ooden rod the #idth of %a&a(s thum'nail, and gestured to a small sa#,

car$ing kni$es, sanding paper, and a heap of 'uttons and sa#dust 'efore her) rnensho#ed me ho# to make 'uttons, she said #ith a shrug) I(m to #ork on them at home,

and he(ll check e$ery #eek to see ho# many I do)

%a&a grinned) *mith apprentices get nails, she said) I used to think they start you on

'oring things so you(ll 'e half.cra/y 'y the time they sho# you anything real) 5e ha$e

meditation in the morning, first thing) %on(t forget)

ia(s eyes fell) o, I #on(t) *he reapplied herself to her 'uttons)

%on(t make plans for *unsday night, Frostpine told %a&a) 5e(re in$ited to the Kugisko

+ages( *ociety(s first #inter festi$al) Our fello# mages #ould like to make our

ac8uaintance)

%a&a grimaced) *he hated parties) 6o# can I say no to the Kugisko mages2 5ith a nodto e$eryone, she #ent up to her room 'y the ser$ants( stair, to keep out of Kol(s mother(s

#ay)




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In the morning ;ory a#aited her in the schoolroom, staff in hand, her 'reath steaming on

the air as she 'ounced eagerly) ia #as a'sent)

5here is she2 %a&a asked)

I don(t kno#, replied ;ory #ith a shrug) %o #e need her2 *he(s &ust going to &ump

any#ay, she #on(t really hit)


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so no# you decide) re you a Trader, or are you a ka82

re you sure you don(t #ant to try the staff2 %a&a asked, though she kne# the ans#er)

It(s like dancing lessons, only different)

ia(s eyes filled #ith tears) I(m sorry I(m a co#ard, she said, and sniffed)

%a&a sighed)


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Instead of spending her day in glory, finishing off her achie$ement, she 'egan the tediousla'or of replacing each lump that represented a &oint #ith tiny oiled hinges, using her

po#er under tight control to remo$e the lump and to solder each hinge into place #here the

lump had 'een) 6er only 'reaks had come at midday, for lunch and a s#ift skating practice,then meditation #ith ia #hen the girl returned home) *he(d pretended to 'e her normal,

centered self at meditation! had ia gotten so much as a #hiff of %a&a(s self.disgust, she

#ould ha$e thought she caused it, not %a&a(s o#n folly) %a&a 'riefly considered telling theyounger girl her mistake, 'ut decided against it) *he #as $ain enough to feel that she didn(t

#ant one of her first students to think she #as human enough to make a 'otch of

something)

*he felt shri$eled and grumpy at supper, poking nyussa(s good cooking #ith an

indifferent fork) ia, too, #as silent, listening to her parents talk) ;ory #as still atPotcracker(s) Frostpine &oined them, though he added little to the con$ersation) 6e looked

e-hausted) %a&a looked at him #ith a gro#ing sense of 'etrayal)

5hy didn(t you #arn me a'out o$erconfidence2 she finally demanded, silencing Kol(s

and +ata/i(s con$ersation a'out a change in gold prices)


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:ently he freed himself from the man(s grip) I(ll look at my other firefighter, he informed

the healers) nd then that 'eggar) 5hat #as she doing there2 nd then I need to see

lakut council) One of you tell them I #ill meet them in the council hall, 'y midday)

6ealers and 'rigade trainees alike, they scram'led to do as he ordered) It #as ama/ing, the

#ay dead people changed things)

The &oy #as less po#erful #ith the second firefighter! the healers said he #ould li$e,

though his lungs #ould ne$er 'e the same) The 'eggar #oman, though ) ) ) again he feltthat o$erpo#ering thrill) 6e had done this."ennat adradun, his mother(s scapegoat,

ignored 'y the coin counters of the island councils) They #ould heed him no#, #ouldn(t

they2

6e rested a hand on the dead 'eggar(s charcoaled ankle, kno#ing the picture he made,

solemn.faced, eyes 'right #ith tears) The firefighters #atched him #ith a#e as they fought

to keep from $omiting at the dreadful smell of 'urned flesh)

6e dre# his hand a#ay, pretending not to notice the 'lack flakes that clung to his palm)*uch a price to pay, he murmured shaking his head) +ay'e #e could not ha$e sa$ed this

poor creature, 'ut #e might ha$e sa$ed our o#n people)

They stood 'ack to let him pass, like a no'le, like a king) It #as the 'est morning of hislife)

"y the third hour of the afternoon, his #orld #as 'leak again) The lakut council had

argued, e-pressed regret, and refused him more funds to train a second 'rigade, though he

e-plained that one #as not enough for the #hole island) 6is 'rigade, they said, had donepoorly at this first challenge) They had to #ait and see) They #ould insist that those #ho

#ere supposed to learn the skills attended training more often)

"en managed to contain his rage until he reached the #arehouse) There, #hen no one

could see or hear, he slammed his hands against the #alls) Only fire respected him) The




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lakut council, it seemed, re8uired a special lesson) 6e feared that it #ould 'e a frightful

one, 'ut they had to learn that fire e-acted a frightful price)

Chapter 10

*unsday night %a&a and Frostpine stood on a 'road gallery from #hich t#o staircases led

to the meeting hall of the +ages( *ociety of Kugisko) They held glasses of mulled cider asthey #atched the acti$ity 'elo#) Kugisko(s mages, dressed in assorted finery, gathered in

clusters and 'roke apart, greeting colleagues) %a&a, too, #ore her 'est, a Trader.style knee.

length coat and leggings in gold.'ro#n damask trimmed #ith 'lack 'raid) o one put on

elegant leather slippers #hen they had to #alk to and from sleighs as sno# fell, so %a&a#ore polished Kugiskan 'oots #ith gold spirals stamped around the rim) Frostpine, as

al#ays, #ore his Fire.red ha'it o$er his layers of non.Temple clothes, 'ut no one couldignore Frostpine, e$en in this gaudy cro#d) ight glittered from gems and crystals or

shimmered o$er $el$ets and 'rocade) +ages #ho #ere not priests or religious dedicates,

%a&a had found, tended to peacock in dress and ornaments)

+asters #ere accompanied 'y those students they deemed #orthy) The students, theirclothes good 'ut plain, struggled to hide a#e) lready %a&a had seen Camoc, rnen, and

t#o more young mages she recogni/ed from Camoc(s shop, as #ell as the carpentry. and

cooking.mages she had met)

I don(t see Olennika Potcracker, %a&a remarked to Frostpine) I #anted you to meet her)

Potcracker once told me she cooks for parties.she doesn(t go to them, a harsh female

$oice said 'ehind them) *he(s also referred pu'licly to some of our richer mem'ers as

parasites) I dou't they(d #elcome her)

%a&a and Frostpine turned to face the speaker) *he #as in her early fifties, t#o inches

shorter than %a&a, #ith pale, #eathered skin and cro#s( feet #rinkles around small, dark

eyes) 6er no.nonsense lips #ere thin and #ind.chapped, her nose a sharp angle thrust

straight do#n from her forehead) ike many older nati$e Kugiskan #omen she had dyed




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.and I said, #hy not gi$e up doing lo$e potions2 If you ha$e to keep mo$ing so &ealous

hus'ands and lo$ers #on(t catch you.

.undersold me 'y fi$e gold argi's) Fi$e4 I told him, do that again, and I(ll go to the Fair

Practices Council.

handful of mage.students descended on the ta'les #here food #as laid out) *ome looked

like this #as their first solid meal of the #eek) %a&a #as grateful that Frostpine #as a great'elie$er in the theory that #ell.fed students #orked harder) +any teachers #eren(t)

.no# that he(s got a no'le protector, he can afford pearls instead of moonstones for his

money.dra#ing spells)

6is protector(s #ife isn(t complaining either, not #hen her hus'and(s out making money

until all hours4

The t#o #ho discussed that topic laughed in a kno#ing #ay) %a&a hated them) 5as this

#hat the meditation, #ork, and study #ere for, to make rich men richer and supply materialfor smutty &okes2

I did all I could) That $oice #as tearful, female, coming from the stair to %a&a(s left) I

tried to call rain to put it out, 'ut I couldn(t fight the sno#) It.it fro/e) It coated e$erything

like glass) The speaker sniffled) male $oice murmured something) I told them thedangers, that I couldn(t #arm it enough to rain, 'ut they ordered me to do it) ;ust trying

half.killed me) +y head still hurts) +y landlord #ants me out 'ecause the district(s angry at

me) man in the cro#d 'roke his leg on the ice) The #oman(s $oice 8ua$ered) nd this'eggar #oman, #ho al#ays 'lessed me #hen I ga$e her a copper2 *he #as sleeping there

after the shopkeeper left, and.and.:riantein shri$e me, she 'urned) They 'rought her

out) ) ) The #oman 'egan to so')

%a&a s#allo#ed hard) fire) They #ere talking a'out another fire) *he #anted to ask, 'ut




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%a&a looked at him as she thought for a moment, fiddling #ith a 'raid) ll three of herfoster.si'lings argued inside her head.not truly, 'ut they(d had so many discussions like

this that she kne# #hat they #ould say) "riar #ould punch 9o'an or #rap him in $ines)

*andry #ould treat 9o'an to no'le(s scorn for a commoner #ho(d touched her friend) Tris#ould go so #hite.hot #ith fury that she #ould literally ha$e to find cold #ater to stand in,

so she could nurse a rage headache as #ater seethed and 'oiled around her)

%a&a simply reached into her tunic &acket and dre# out her medallion) *he held it up so

9o'an #ould clearly see that she #ore the insignia of an accredited mage)

s a student, he possessed no such insignia)

I ha$e things to do &ust no#, she said 8uietly, or I #ould teach you manners) "ut I(m

'usy)


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smoke, descended three steps, and tripped o$er something soft) *he sei/ed the rail,

dragging it loose from t#o sets of 'olts to stop her fall and sa$e the 8uiet child on her 'ack)

6er ground floor 'arrier #a$ered) :asping, %a&a clung to the rail until her fingers cramped,fighting the 'la/e(s surge against her po#er) *he thrust, scraping all she could from the

#ellspring of her magic, that had once seemed so deep) *#eating, she &ammed hungry

flames 'ack, past the limits she had set for them) Only then did she open her eyes, take ahand from the rail, and shake the #oman she had fallen o$er) It #as the 'ra$e maidser$ant,

the t#o infants #riggling against her in their slings) 6er


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ha$e sent the 'a'y #ith someone else! #ho #ould that ha$e 'een2 9$ery adult had at least

t#o other children in charge, and the handicap of #ater.soaked co$ers to manage) If she

hadn(t held the fire, slo#ing her o#n escape to do so, it #ould ha$e 'roken through on theground floor and killed e$eryone inside, including the t#o 'a'ies #ho had li$ed #hile the

#oman #ho carried them 'egan to die on the stair)

5hat had started this disaster.a kitchen fire2 O$erturned candles, a popping log on ahearth2 The gods #ere cruel, to make such a tragedy from a stupid accident)

eal or set2 asked that $ery determined part of her mind)

%a&a 'it her lip) *he #ished the others #ere here.*andry, Tris, "riar) *he didn(t ha$e them,

'ut she did ha$e Frostpine) *he could ha$e lost him! they put themsel$es in danger #henthey agreed to enter the house) Their magics #ouldn(t ha$e pre$ented their 'eing crushed

'y falling tim'ers)

The clock chimed do#nstairs7 ia(s eyes popped open) moment later Frostpine emerged

from his trance) @ery good, he told ia)


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6o# many died2 she heard herself in8uire) *he shouldn(t ask.she kne# she didn(t #ant

an ans#er.'ut she had to kno#)

T#el$e, said Frostpine in a dull $oice) *e$en dead right a#ay) Fi$e after, includingpeople #ho fought the fire) Three more.no one(s sure if they(ll make it) It could ha$e 'een

#orse) They #ere ha$ing a children(s party and a supper party, #ith all kinds of e-tra

ser$ants) Fifty in the house) Olaksan ;ossaryk is dead) 6e sa$ed his #ife and supper guests

first) The last he #as seen, he #as on his #ay to the nursery #ing)

The #hole to#n is e-claiming o$er the coincidence, 6eluda *alt announced from theopen door) nyussa and ;ory, each carrying a loaded tray, filed in past her) They put the

dishes on a small round ta'le 'efore the hearth) 5hen they finished, nyussa to#ed theo'$iously curious ;ory out 'y the arm) 6eluda closed the door 'ehind them) I see I $isited

at &ust the right time, the mage remarked coolly) 5e must talk)

I(m only #earing a nightshirt, %a&a said in apology)

Oh, of course you should #ash and dress and put off eating to sa$e me the sight of you ina nightgo#n, retorted 6eluda, amused) %on(t 'e ridiculous) Once you($e helped your

daughter gi$e 'irth to your first grandson, 'elie$e me, things like proper dinner #ear aren(t

important)

%a&a thre# off her co$ers and stood #ith a lurch) If anything, she #as stiffer thanFrostpine) 6e helped her to one of the fireside chairs) %a&a(s stomach gro#led as she sa#

fresh 'read, ham, ste#ed spinach, a

tamora pierce - circle opens - 3 - cold fire

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