“We should wait until the dew dries,” Aris said. “I slid off the porch back home once on a shady bit I hadn’t noticed was still wet. It’s the only bad thing about early morning roof-walking.”

“How long?” Camwyn asked. “We still have classes and chores.”

“Not long after the sun comes up, in summer,” Aris said. “Gwenno says it’s not just the dew; it’s the dew with the dust and moss and stuff on the roof. It’s slippery like thin mud.”

Camwyn sat back down. Together they watched as the edge of the cloud turned pink, then gold. More and more color had seeped into the world—enough to tell the greens and reds and yellows. But when the first spear of sun struck the palace roofs, the colors seemed to shout. “It feels like we should do something,” Camwyn said. “Sing or pray or something.”

Aris looked at him. “In the old times they did.”

“You know that?”

“Yes. Before Gird, when the magelords worshiped Esea Sunlord, the priests would sing every morning, and special songs at the year’s turnings. My father showed me an old book with a few of the songs set down. Not the special ones, the everyday ones.” Aris closed his eyes and began to chant. Camwyn didn’t know the words. After a moment, Aris opened his eyes and said, “That means ‘Welcome, great light, and brighten our eyes, show us the truth and let no evil escape our gaze.’ I don’t remember the whole thing. Father said it was magelord language, but now all we know is Common, and it’s mostly northern.”

“How did he know it?”

“It’s a family thing. We’re all supposed to learn enough of it to read what’s in that old book. I’m trying, but it’s hard.” He touched the roof. “Feel: it’s drying now. As long as we stay where the sun’s hitting and pay attention to our feet, we’ll be fine.”

That morning they explored in the opposite direction from the treasury, which suited Camwyn well enough, and were back downstairs and in their proper clothes in time to escape any scoldings. Camwyn reported to Mikeli that Aris would be his companion on the roofs. Mikeli frowned a little. “I’m glad you like Aris better now, Cam, but he’s younger and smaller. He’s not going to be much help if you slip.”

“He kept me from slipping this morning,” Camwyn said. “He told me about roof-walking at the Training Hall in Fin Panir.”

Mikeli blinked. “And did he tell you about the whaling he got for that?”

“Yes,” Camwyn said. “I suppose Juris told you.”