She blushed slightly, and looked away, her smile gone. “The Chosen have allocated me to a man, since I am healthy but for my arm, and can bear children for the mine. I go to him if he wants me, so he can’t complain to the Chosen, but I will not marry him, and I still live with my brother.”

I stared at her, horrified. “Why go to him at all, if you don’t love him? The Chosen can’t force you to.”

“They can do anything, handmaid. I did refuse at first, and they beat me and broke my arm. So I compromised. I’ll bear the four children for them, and then I’ll be my own again.” She shot me a wide grin, alight with irrepressible humour. “Having an injured arm got me out of the mine, anyway. I love being a caretaker. I can play all day with the children, and climb all over the mountains. Come out with me and see my garden. My cabbages are champions this year.”

I didn’t see her garden that day; the children saw us and dragged us into their games. The other caretakers were old, and didn’t have Dannii’s energy She was the children’s favourite. We played games all that afternoon, running in the hills behind the tents, and I hadn’t laughed so much in years, or felt so free.

As I was leaving, Dannii and I embraced. “Come back soon,” she said. “Come and share our evening meal with us, and meet my brother and his family. We’ll dance, and tell stories around the fire, and old Bior will play his pipes for us.”

“It sounds wonderful,” I said, and kissed her cheek. I picked up Kallai and the rooks, said goodbye to Lori, and walked back to the houses of the Chosen.

8

Divining

THERE WAS A COLD WIND blowing, the day he went out to divine. The whole town, Quelled and Chosen, went out with us, and the musicians brought their drums, pipes, bells and flutes. We must have looked a dazzling parade. The Firelord wore all red, and on top of everything he wore a huge flowing cloak with a massive hood that almost hid his face. I too wore red – even red boots – and a hood lined with pitch-black fur. My garments, and the Firelord’s, had tongues of flame embroidered in gold thread about the hem and sleeves. I had remembered to leave the woman-stone behind, though I felt the loss of it.

I walked behind my high lord, the musicians walked behind me, the Chosen followed them, and last of all came the Quelled. Up into the foothills we went, following the Firelord. The music rang, and the children shouted with excitement. We stopped on a small plateau overlooking the valley. We could see the houses of the Chosen, the tents of the Quelled, and the old, depleted mine. Here the wind shrieked down from snowy slopes, and spat ice on our clothes and skin. I wound my scarlet scarf about my lower face and pulled my hood forward.