hair in a wild tangle. She pulled at the weeds on the edge of the puddle, clearing a space around a single solitary summerglen.
Amber sighed. As always, she missed Tomas. She crouched at Katerina’s side.
“Hello, Katerina, isn’t it? I’m Amber,” she said warmly. “What are you doing there?”
“I’m saving this flower’s life,” Katerina said loftily. “My father says healthy plants must be encouraged, and weeds rooflessly destroyed.”
“Ruthlessly,” Amber corrected, smiling. “Your father is a wise man,” she added.
“Papa says I’m going to be high lady one day,” Katerina said, pausing to beam at Amber. “Then I won’t have to do lessons, and I can make better plants than anyone ever.”
“That’s wonderful,” Amber said.
As Katerina returned to her weeds Amber’s brow furrowed. Vezna was famed for its court intrigues. What would the conservative Veznans think of a woman ruling their house?
“Your rings are pretty,” Katerina said. “I like that one best.” She pointed to the emerald-set ring Miro had presented to Amber the day he’d proposed. “It’s green, like a tree!”
“Green’s my favorite color,” Amber said. “Is it yours too?” Katerina nodded. “This ring belonged to my husband’s mother, and my husband gave it to me when we were married.”
“Will I have to marry?” Katerina asked, turning to Amber with serious eyes as she plucked at the weeds. “I don’t want to.”
“That’s your choice,” Amber said. She hoped it would be, at any rate.
On a whim, Amber pulled off the pale silver ring with a small ruby she wore on the smallest finger of her right hand. It was tight and took some yanking, but she managed to get it off.
“I’d like to give you this as a gift. It’s not as pretty as my emerald ring, but it’s just as special.”
“Why?” Katerina asked.
“It has a special power. Do you want to see?”
Katerina immediately lost interest in her weeding, staring in fascination at the ring. “Show me!”
Amber held the ring out carefully in two fingers, looking at the tiny symbols spanning the circle. It was simple, but she’d made it herself, and was quite proud of it.
Amber spoke the activation sequence. “Tuhlanas.”
The symbols glowed softly and the ruby began to shine. “ Put yo ur hand close to the ring with your palm out. No, don’t touch it.”
“It’s hot!” Katerina exclaimed.
“It’s lore,” Amber said. “When you say the special word, the ruby lights up and gets hot.” Katerina looked on in awe as Amber named the deactivation rune. “Tuhlanar.”
The runes faded, and the ruby dimmed. Amber handed Katerina the ring.
“You have to be very careful. If you use it as a light, be careful about the heat, and if you use it to make a fire, make sure you are far away from other trees and buildings. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” Katerina said gravely. “They teach us about fire. Vezna has a lot of trees.”
“Good,” Amber said. “Can you remember the special word?”
“Tuhl . . .” Katerina struggled with the strange pronunciation, but she eventually got it right. “Tuhlanas.”
The ring came to life.
“Now, how do you make it stop? It’s the same but with an ‘ah’ sound at the end.”
“Tuhlanar!” Katerina said, looking at Amber proudly. The ruby went dark.
“Well done,” Amber said. “Now, if ever you can’t remember how to turn it off, just throw the ring in a bucket of water. It isn’t strong enough to make all that water hot. Can you remember that?”
“Yes.” Katerina grinned as she placed the ring on her middle finger. Amber didn’t have big hands, and the ring fit.
“You’re a good girl,” Amber said. “You’re nearly grown up, aren’t you? I have a son, but he isn’t as old as you.”
“What’s his name?”
“Tomas,” Amber said.
“Tomas,” Katerina said. “That’s a funny name.”
Amber laughed. “Don’t say that to him. You might hurt his
Amber sighed. As always, she missed Tomas. She crouched at Katerina’s side.
“Hello, Katerina, isn’t it? I’m Amber,” she said warmly. “What are you doing there?”
“I’m saving this flower’s life,” Katerina said loftily. “My father says healthy plants must be encouraged, and weeds rooflessly destroyed.”
“Ruthlessly,” Amber corrected, smiling. “Your father is a wise man,” she added.
“Papa says I’m going to be high lady one day,” Katerina said, pausing to beam at Amber. “Then I won’t have to do lessons, and I can make better plants than anyone ever.”
“That’s wonderful,” Amber said.
As Katerina returned to her weeds Amber’s brow furrowed. Vezna was famed for its court intrigues. What would the conservative Veznans think of a woman ruling their house?
“Your rings are pretty,” Katerina said. “I like that one best.” She pointed to the emerald-set ring Miro had presented to Amber the day he’d proposed. “It’s green, like a tree!”
“Green’s my favorite color,” Amber said. “Is it yours too?” Katerina nodded. “This ring belonged to my husband’s mother, and my husband gave it to me when we were married.”
“Will I have to marry?” Katerina asked, turning to Amber with serious eyes as she plucked at the weeds. “I don’t want to.”
“That’s your choice,” Amber said. She hoped it would be, at any rate.
On a whim, Amber pulled off the pale silver ring with a small ruby she wore on the smallest finger of her right hand. It was tight and took some yanking, but she managed to get it off.
“I’d like to give you this as a gift. It’s not as pretty as my emerald ring, but it’s just as special.”
“Why?” Katerina asked.
“It has a special power. Do you want to see?”
Katerina immediately lost interest in her weeding, staring in fascination at the ring. “Show me!”
Amber held the ring out carefully in two fingers, looking at the tiny symbols spanning the circle. It was simple, but she’d made it herself, and was quite proud of it.
Amber spoke the activation sequence. “Tuhlanas.”
The symbols glowed softly and the ruby began to shine. “ Put yo ur hand close to the ring with your palm out. No, don’t touch it.”
“It’s hot!” Katerina exclaimed.
“It’s lore,” Amber said. “When you say the special word, the ruby lights up and gets hot.” Katerina looked on in awe as Amber named the deactivation rune. “Tuhlanar.”
The runes faded, and the ruby dimmed. Amber handed Katerina the ring.
“You have to be very careful. If you use it as a light, be careful about the heat, and if you use it to make a fire, make sure you are far away from other trees and buildings. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” Katerina said gravely. “They teach us about fire. Vezna has a lot of trees.”
“Good,” Amber said. “Can you remember the special word?”
“Tuhl . . .” Katerina struggled with the strange pronunciation, but she eventually got it right. “Tuhlanas.”
The ring came to life.
“Now, how do you make it stop? It’s the same but with an ‘ah’ sound at the end.”
“Tuhlanar!” Katerina said, looking at Amber proudly. The ruby went dark.
“Well done,” Amber said. “Now, if ever you can’t remember how to turn it off, just throw the ring in a bucket of water. It isn’t strong enough to make all that water hot. Can you remember that?”
“Yes.” Katerina grinned as she placed the ring on her middle finger. Amber didn’t have big hands, and the ring fit.
“You’re a good girl,” Amber said. “You’re nearly grown up, aren’t you? I have a son, but he isn’t as old as you.”
“What’s his name?”
“Tomas,” Amber said.
“Tomas,” Katerina said. “That’s a funny name.”
Amber laughed. “Don’t say that to him. You might hurt his
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