Shirley Meier's Blog, page 86

Kef and Ser

It can be considered a constant throughout history, and across the span of any culture that one is likely to contact, that if one is to seek out the actual working representatives of a government attempting to maintain the peace within its boundaries, the single best place to find a concentration of those custodians is at a location where one will also find the serving of a warm beverage and

223 - We Decide to Camp

I was a little hung over when we left, the morning after the festival. Ky had emerged from her room just for the last part of it. I was worried because women's things can sometimes be serious, but she looked perfect as always. I'd drunk one too many glasses of the local liqueur over shaved ice because nobody had thought to mention it was much higher proof than it tasted, even to my

222 - Beer and Pocket Pies

Kaita and I had the room to ourselves, thank goodness, Min and Gan having taken Ilesias off to show him the marble workings and Ailadas was sitting outside on the inn's terrace, reading. I was full up with the familiar cramping and knew that this moon would not be a good one. "Ky? I'll get you a hot bottle from the staff and there must be an apothecary near the market, for some headache

221 - Hero's Guild, Burned Bacon and White Creek

We were two eight-days getting down from the mountains, taking it in stages easy enough not to founder our horses. The mules were better in the heights and took the down-gradient easily but Kyriala's mare picked up a stone and almost went lame. We shifted things around as best we could, putting Ky up behind Ailadas and re-packing things to let the mare be led unburdened to the next town.

220 - The Arko Road is Blocked

I carried Ilesias inside, soaking wet, and the first thing someone did was hand me a full glass of wine, and a child's glass of sweet wine. He was completely wrung out, wet as he was, chewing on the ends of my gloves, tear streaked. I tried to put my love for him into my arms, even as I had been totally serious about killing him if he didn't shut up. He looked at me and back over my shoulder

219 - Exposure

Outside! Outside! Oh sweet, blessed Goddess, and fessas Goddess thank you, thank you, thank you! I did sink to my knees on the plaza stones, still weeping, once our party was drawn away from blocking the tunnel, and I could slide down from my wonderful, excellent, most calm mule. "Sera Kaita?" The young Aitzas man between Kyriala and I, turned. "Is that one, all right?" Such a polite

218 - Weighed Down by Weight of Darkness

Ahem. Ahem. Light had a value, a weight, a sensitivity and a tangible existence. One imagines this place will not see the light of the sun until the mountains crack in two… from waystop, to waystop, a faint glow pressed all around by darkness. That glow would never see the view it reveal to hungry, grasping eyes, starving to be filled as no starving man's belly could be. We were in a

217 - Tomorrow it will be Tal

Poor Minis. He needed to remember that he was supposedly fessas now and couldn't be annoyed with Aitzas boys. The dark was odd. Very peaceful. I could imagine music based on the sounds in the tunnels. Perhaps, one day, after I was home, I would ask a musician to write something based on it. It was only the first leg of our journey in the Tunnel and the dark was starting to become a thing

216 - To Arno Airshaft

"Ahem. We will take the most modest route, my dear," Ailadas said to Ky and she pouted. "Can't we afford to just sell these animals and take the Express Chairs, Uncle?" She was the image of pouting, spoiled Aitza. "No, Kylinia! I have decided. You may wheedle all you wish but the answer will still be no! Ahem." She flounced in her saddle, as much as was possible to do so without

215 - Two Slotted Spoons and A Green Dragon

We stayed in the inn for most of Jitzmitthra. I spent a lot of that time learning how to be fessas full time. It was very, very different than a few beads in my own rooms, or even a full evening with Antras. I hoped Antras was all right, in the Marble Palace. I felt a little guilty that I hadn't thought of him but perhaps I could forgive myself for that. I sat at the open window in the