Uprooted

by Naomi Novik

then—the Wood was gone. Kasia fell upon me. I screamed with joy and threw my arms around her, and she clutched at me shaking, sobbing. She was still feverish, her whole body trembling, and she vomited onto the floor even as I held her, crying weakly. Her hands hurt me: they were scorching hot and hard, and she clung to me too tight, my ribs creaking painfully under my skin. But it was her. The Dragon closed the book with a final heavy thump. The room was full of blazing light: there was nowhere for the Wood to hide. It was Kasia, and only Kasia. We had won.

I actually cried a little at this point. I love this relationship. I think it's a beautiful picture of an honest friendship. I love that the friend didn't just fade away but become an integral part of the story.

Her voice is in there all right; it’s just stopped up with a big nasty lump of a secret. It’s got to come out, that’s all.”

“Whatever started it off could have been nothing, in a child that young, but after all these years she’s kept it down there, it’s gotten bigger and bigger. Catching all the words she wanted to let out, all the words she swallowed back down.