glance, but still said nothing, her jaw thrust out stubbornly.
Lilanthe turned to her and smiled, saying in her gentle voice, “It is for ye to decide, o‘ course. We have no rights over ye. I do no’ ken if ye will like Lucescere, it is one o‘ the great cities o’ Eileanan and very busy and noisy. They call it the Shining City because it is so beautiful. It is built on an island at the top o‘ the highest waterfall in Eileanan, a place where two great rivers meet. On sunny days the whole city is strung with rainbows from the spray. Ye would like to see it, I am sure. And the Tower o’ Two Moons is very quiet and peaceful, for it is built away from the city, set in the heart o‘ acres o’ the bonniest gardens. It too is one o‘ the grand sights o’ this world. Ye will meet people o‘ all kinds there, both human and faery, and if ye wish, ye can try for a scholarship to study there and learn many new things, as Lewen does. Or ye can get back on to your winged horse and fly away from here, we shallna try and stop ye. It’s up to ye, lassie.”
It was the right approach to take. The girl’s face and stance relaxed as Lilanthe spoke, and a look of interest came into her eyes. She glanced once at Lewen and then back at Lilanthe, catching her lip between her teeth as she considered. Then she raised her head proudly.
“Me like to see this city,” she said. “Me go.” As everyone sighed and relaxed a little, relieved to have a plan to work towards, she looked sternly at Niall. “Ye, though—ye shallna touch what is mine.”
“But…” Niall began.
“No touch! Else me kill ye.”
“Very well, then, lassie,” Lilanthe said quickly. “We shall touch naught o‘ yours if ye do no’ wish it. But can I give ye some other clothes to be wearing on your journey? For indeed, ye canna wear the uniform o‘ a Yeoman if ye have no’ been chosen to serve the Rìgh. It is no‘ right and indeed, it is treasonable, as Niall said. If ye give me the clothes I will wash them for ye and pack them up, and ye can take them with ye.”
The girl nodded begrudgingly.
“Very well then. Now, we do no‘ have long. Nina and Iven will be here soon, if they left Barbreck-by-the-Bridge at daybreak like they said they would. How about a bath, lassie? Believe me, ye will feel much better when ye are clean. I’ll wash your hair for ye and salve your wrists again and find ye some clothes, and then we can pack a bag for ye to take with ye. Lewen, dearling, I do no’ ken how long they’ll be able to stay so ye had best make ready.”
“He’s already packed and repacked his bags about a hundred times,” Meriel teased.
“Well, I wanted to be ready,” Lewen said.
“Come on, my lad, let’s go and get our chores done while the lassie has her bath,” Niall said. “The poor auld horses must be wondering where their mash is, while I’m surprised we canna hear the pigs squealing from here.”
“I feed my horse, no‘ ye,” the satyricorn girl said, tensing up at once. “I come now. Ye touch naught!”
Niall raised both his hands. “I shallna touch a thing, lassie, I promise ye. Which reminds me. We canna keep on just calling ye ‘lassie’. Ye sure ye do no‘ have a name? What did your mother call ye, and the other satyricorns?”
She flushed hotly. “No-Horn,” she answered shortly. “No‘ a nice name.” She struggled for words. “Mean name.”
“We canna call ye that then,” he said, taken aback.
“Then we must give her one,” Lilanthe said. “She needs a name.”
They all eyed her speculatively and she glared back at them, her jaw set firmly.
“Aye, but to choose a name that suits her, that’s the trick,” Niall said, scratching his beard, a humorous glint in his eyes. “Prickles? Bramble? Blackthorn?”
She tilted her chin even higher.
“Rosaleen? That means little dark rose,” Lilanthe said hastily.
“She’s no‘ so little,” Niall said, grinning. “What’s a name that means enormous
Lilanthe turned to her and smiled, saying in her gentle voice, “It is for ye to decide, o‘ course. We have no rights over ye. I do no’ ken if ye will like Lucescere, it is one o‘ the great cities o’ Eileanan and very busy and noisy. They call it the Shining City because it is so beautiful. It is built on an island at the top o‘ the highest waterfall in Eileanan, a place where two great rivers meet. On sunny days the whole city is strung with rainbows from the spray. Ye would like to see it, I am sure. And the Tower o’ Two Moons is very quiet and peaceful, for it is built away from the city, set in the heart o‘ acres o’ the bonniest gardens. It too is one o‘ the grand sights o’ this world. Ye will meet people o‘ all kinds there, both human and faery, and if ye wish, ye can try for a scholarship to study there and learn many new things, as Lewen does. Or ye can get back on to your winged horse and fly away from here, we shallna try and stop ye. It’s up to ye, lassie.”
It was the right approach to take. The girl’s face and stance relaxed as Lilanthe spoke, and a look of interest came into her eyes. She glanced once at Lewen and then back at Lilanthe, catching her lip between her teeth as she considered. Then she raised her head proudly.
“Me like to see this city,” she said. “Me go.” As everyone sighed and relaxed a little, relieved to have a plan to work towards, she looked sternly at Niall. “Ye, though—ye shallna touch what is mine.”
“But…” Niall began.
“No touch! Else me kill ye.”
“Very well, then, lassie,” Lilanthe said quickly. “We shall touch naught o‘ yours if ye do no’ wish it. But can I give ye some other clothes to be wearing on your journey? For indeed, ye canna wear the uniform o‘ a Yeoman if ye have no’ been chosen to serve the Rìgh. It is no‘ right and indeed, it is treasonable, as Niall said. If ye give me the clothes I will wash them for ye and pack them up, and ye can take them with ye.”
The girl nodded begrudgingly.
“Very well then. Now, we do no‘ have long. Nina and Iven will be here soon, if they left Barbreck-by-the-Bridge at daybreak like they said they would. How about a bath, lassie? Believe me, ye will feel much better when ye are clean. I’ll wash your hair for ye and salve your wrists again and find ye some clothes, and then we can pack a bag for ye to take with ye. Lewen, dearling, I do no’ ken how long they’ll be able to stay so ye had best make ready.”
“He’s already packed and repacked his bags about a hundred times,” Meriel teased.
“Well, I wanted to be ready,” Lewen said.
“Come on, my lad, let’s go and get our chores done while the lassie has her bath,” Niall said. “The poor auld horses must be wondering where their mash is, while I’m surprised we canna hear the pigs squealing from here.”
“I feed my horse, no‘ ye,” the satyricorn girl said, tensing up at once. “I come now. Ye touch naught!”
Niall raised both his hands. “I shallna touch a thing, lassie, I promise ye. Which reminds me. We canna keep on just calling ye ‘lassie’. Ye sure ye do no‘ have a name? What did your mother call ye, and the other satyricorns?”
She flushed hotly. “No-Horn,” she answered shortly. “No‘ a nice name.” She struggled for words. “Mean name.”
“We canna call ye that then,” he said, taken aback.
“Then we must give her one,” Lilanthe said. “She needs a name.”
They all eyed her speculatively and she glared back at them, her jaw set firmly.
“Aye, but to choose a name that suits her, that’s the trick,” Niall said, scratching his beard, a humorous glint in his eyes. “Prickles? Bramble? Blackthorn?”
She tilted her chin even higher.
“Rosaleen? That means little dark rose,” Lilanthe said hastily.
“She’s no‘ so little,” Niall said, grinning. “What’s a name that means enormous
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