Quintana of Charyn Read Online Free PDF

but she shrugged free.
    ‘I know what I’m doing,’ she said, her eyes fastened on the girl, who stared, almost transfixed. When Tesadora was only a step away from Vestie and the girl, Lucian heard a bloodcurdling snarl, but suddenly Tesadora’s hand snaked out and gripped the girl’s face.
    ‘Oh, you savage beauty,’ Tesadora said. ‘Where did you come from?’
    Lucian wondered if Tesadora was bewitched. The girl stared, confused. Tesadora repeated the words in Charyn.
    ‘We won’t hurt her,’ Tesadora said, reaching out for Vestie.
    Vestie gripped the girl’s hand that was pressed over her mouth and removed it. Lucian expected a scream, but instead Vestie leaned forward and whispered into the stranger’s ear.
    The mad girl peered over Tesadora’s shoulder to where Beatriss stood with Lucian.
    ‘I just want to hear the little person speak again,’ the savage girl said coldly in Charyn. ‘I want to hear her voice.’
    ‘We need to take her home,’ Tesadora explained gently. ‘She’ll be safe. You must get back to your people in the valley.’
    The girl shook her head emphatically.
    ‘Tell no one, Serker Eyes,’ she whispered. ‘Or else they’ll kill us all.’
    Small crooked teeth showed through a snarl. Before anyone could speak another word, the girl scrambled to her feet and toreoff. Lucian quickly gathered Vestie in his arms, his eyes meeting Tesadora’s.
    ‘What,’ he asked, ‘was that?’
    Later, when Vestie was being bathed by Beatriss and the women, they found not a single mark on her body. She had recovered quickly from her ordeal.
    ‘Who was she, Vestie?’ Lady Beatriss asked as
Yata
wrapped the little girl up in a blanket while Lucian’s aunts fussed.
    ‘I don’t know. I think I walked and slept, Mama, and then I was in the woods crying and I saw her. It was as though I knew she’d be there. And I said, “Hello there. Hello there, I say.” And she looked so frightened. It was just like that time we first met the valley dwellers and they stared at us in such a fashion.’
    ‘They’re not used to seeing little girls,’
Yata
said.
    ‘I spoke again and said, “My name is Vestie,” and she wept and wept and she spoke in that funny way the camp dwellers speak.’
    Vestie turned to Tesadora. ‘I want to learn, Tesadora. I want to speak just like them. I only know one word. It means friend. I said it in her ear. “
Sora. Sora. Sora.
”’
    Tesadora chuckled and gathered Vestie to her.
    ‘And who taught you this Charynite word for friend?’
    ‘Phaedra of Alonso did. She said it was the prettiest word in Charyn.’
    And Lucian ached to hear those words.
    Vestie looked up at Lady Beatriss. ‘That time we crossed the stream together with you, Mama. Remember? Phaedra said not to be afraid because the camp dwellers only wanted to be my friend. My
sora
. I want to learn more.’
    ‘I’ll teach you, Vestie,’ Jory said from the entrance of the room, anger lacing his voice. ‘So that when you see her again youcan tell the witch we’ll tear her limb –’
    ‘Jory!’ Lucian warned, while Beatriss covered Vestie’s ears. Jory looked away, shamefaced.
    ‘Go out to the lads,’ Lucian ordered, shoving his young cousin forward. ‘And calm them down. There will be no repeat of raids into the valley.’
    ‘Not their side of the valley, Lucian,’ Jory said. ‘Ours. She wasn’t a valley dweller. You said so yourself.’
    ‘Go.’
    Jory left, a stubborn set to his jaw.
    ‘We’ll get supper started,’
Yata
said, following the aunts out of the room. Lucian bobbed down to Vestie’s height.
    ‘Can you remember anything else, Vestie?’ Lucian asked.
    ‘Every time I spoke, she’d weep and weep with joy.’
    ‘She liked your voice,’ Beatriss said quietly.
    ‘But whose blood was it?’ Lucian asked. ‘It was the first thing we saw and it frightened us all.’
    Vestie laughed with glee. ‘She taught me to slaughter a hare.’
    Vestie twisted her hands together as if