nearby, drawing her own coat
closer around herself. The view was appealing from up here, she
could not deny. A little of the city was visible to the left of the
little balcony, and to the right were spread an array of fields
interspersed with hedgerows and little copses, their leaves burning
golden in the rising sun.
‘ Are
you warm enough?’ Fabian murmured, and was rewarded with a sudden,
glowing smile.
‘ Why,
yes, dear,’ she said, and Serena’s heart leapt. She knew him!
‘Thank you,’ continued her mother. ‘What a kind man. You remind me
of my son.’
There was silence
for a moment, and then Fabian smiled awkwardly and touched her
hair, very gently. ‘I’m sure he’s a fine fellow,’ he
said.
Their mother
nodded her agreement and began to reminisce in a low voice. All of
her memories of Fabian were from his childhood; she seemed to
recall nothing at all from the many years that had since passed.
But a smile often touched her face as she recounted his adventures
and escapades, and then she began to talk of Serena, too, in
similar style. Neither interrupted her, choosing to allow her to
enjoy her memories as she chose.
At length, she
fell silent. She had grown tired, Serena judged, for she was
drooping into her shawl. Serena rose to leave, bestowing an
affectionate embrace upon her mother. It made her happy, even if
Theresa didn’t realise from whom it came.
But as she
straightened, her mother’s eyes fixed upon her face with an
expression of startled recognition. ‘Serena?’ she
whispered.
Serena’s heart
leapt. ‘Yes!’ she said, smiling. ‘It’s me, Ma. And Fabian, too.
We’re here.’
Theresa stared
unseeingly at Serena, and then at Fabian, her mouth slightly open.
Then she said: ‘Where is your father?’
Serena bit her
lip. ‘He’s dead, Ma,’ she said, as gently as she could.
Theresa’s face
crumpled, and she began to cry. ‘Why won’t he come back?’ she
sobbed.
Serena exchanged
an agonised look with Fabian. Theresa persisted in the belief that
her husband had left her, and would someday return; she could not
be persuaded that he was gone forever. There was nothing to be done
but comfort her as best they could.
When Serena and
Fabian finally took their leave, it was in silence and with subdued
spirits. They wandered down two streets, despondent and dismayed,
before Serena finally spoke.
‘ I
need ice cream,’ she said.
Fabian nodded.
‘Lots of it, and quickly.’
Chapter
Seven
Two days later,
Serena took her usual walk into the centre of Iving to peruse the
news. A set of large bulletin boards occupied one side of the
central city square, displaying all of the latest headlines, and
towards these Serena directed her steps. The boards were fashioned
via a mixture of Irbellian engineering (unrivalled across the
Seven, naturally) and the more ethereal talents of their sorcerers.
The ones in the city square were, of course, the very latest
example and very impressive indeed. They were enormous, and the
quality of the pictures they displayed was remarkable. Serena paid
a visit every day, if she possibly could, to keep abreast of the
latest news.
Usually there was
little of any particular interest, but today swiftly proved to be
different. She perused three of the four boards rapidly, finding
nothing remarkable, but the fourth... it was devoted entirely to a
single story, which was unusual. The bottom two-thirds was given
over to a cycling display of pictures, bright and vivid, and the
headlines screamed in huge letters across the top.
Ancient Site
Discovered at Balbater !
The report,
though brief, was packed with information. Serena read it quickly.
A new archaeological dig had opened up near the town of Balbater in
southern Irbel, and it was proving to be extremely interesting to
academics across the realm. More than that; they were fevered with
excitement, babbling about the site’s total dissimilarity to
anything that had been discovered before. The
closer around herself. The view was appealing from up here, she
could not deny. A little of the city was visible to the left of the
little balcony, and to the right were spread an array of fields
interspersed with hedgerows and little copses, their leaves burning
golden in the rising sun.
‘ Are
you warm enough?’ Fabian murmured, and was rewarded with a sudden,
glowing smile.
‘ Why,
yes, dear,’ she said, and Serena’s heart leapt. She knew him!
‘Thank you,’ continued her mother. ‘What a kind man. You remind me
of my son.’
There was silence
for a moment, and then Fabian smiled awkwardly and touched her
hair, very gently. ‘I’m sure he’s a fine fellow,’ he
said.
Their mother
nodded her agreement and began to reminisce in a low voice. All of
her memories of Fabian were from his childhood; she seemed to
recall nothing at all from the many years that had since passed.
But a smile often touched her face as she recounted his adventures
and escapades, and then she began to talk of Serena, too, in
similar style. Neither interrupted her, choosing to allow her to
enjoy her memories as she chose.
At length, she
fell silent. She had grown tired, Serena judged, for she was
drooping into her shawl. Serena rose to leave, bestowing an
affectionate embrace upon her mother. It made her happy, even if
Theresa didn’t realise from whom it came.
But as she
straightened, her mother’s eyes fixed upon her face with an
expression of startled recognition. ‘Serena?’ she
whispered.
Serena’s heart
leapt. ‘Yes!’ she said, smiling. ‘It’s me, Ma. And Fabian, too.
We’re here.’
Theresa stared
unseeingly at Serena, and then at Fabian, her mouth slightly open.
Then she said: ‘Where is your father?’
Serena bit her
lip. ‘He’s dead, Ma,’ she said, as gently as she could.
Theresa’s face
crumpled, and she began to cry. ‘Why won’t he come back?’ she
sobbed.
Serena exchanged
an agonised look with Fabian. Theresa persisted in the belief that
her husband had left her, and would someday return; she could not
be persuaded that he was gone forever. There was nothing to be done
but comfort her as best they could.
When Serena and
Fabian finally took their leave, it was in silence and with subdued
spirits. They wandered down two streets, despondent and dismayed,
before Serena finally spoke.
‘ I
need ice cream,’ she said.
Fabian nodded.
‘Lots of it, and quickly.’
Chapter
Seven
Two days later,
Serena took her usual walk into the centre of Iving to peruse the
news. A set of large bulletin boards occupied one side of the
central city square, displaying all of the latest headlines, and
towards these Serena directed her steps. The boards were fashioned
via a mixture of Irbellian engineering (unrivalled across the
Seven, naturally) and the more ethereal talents of their sorcerers.
The ones in the city square were, of course, the very latest
example and very impressive indeed. They were enormous, and the
quality of the pictures they displayed was remarkable. Serena paid
a visit every day, if she possibly could, to keep abreast of the
latest news.
Usually there was
little of any particular interest, but today swiftly proved to be
different. She perused three of the four boards rapidly, finding
nothing remarkable, but the fourth... it was devoted entirely to a
single story, which was unusual. The bottom two-thirds was given
over to a cycling display of pictures, bright and vivid, and the
headlines screamed in huge letters across the top.
Ancient Site
Discovered at Balbater !
The report,
though brief, was packed with information. Serena read it quickly.
A new archaeological dig had opened up near the town of Balbater in
southern Irbel, and it was proving to be extremely interesting to
academics across the realm. More than that; they were fevered with
excitement, babbling about the site’s total dissimilarity to
anything that had been discovered before. The
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