Slaves of the Night

Chapter 19

Kaisa

Night dawns quickly, eager to return and cloak the land in darkness. First the clouds are painted in pastel pinks and purples. Then sky morphs from blue to a soft periwinkle. Then all is black.

Bonfire night is mostly singing and dancing and staring at the bonfire while people get drunk. It was explained to me more eloquently than that, but I've been a bit distracted. I get a long purple, fur lined dress over white snow pants. The girls are quite depressed they don't get to braid flowers and ribbons through my hair, which will be under my scarf. They're so put out, mind, that I wind up letting them do it anyway, even though I'm blessedly wrapped in a lovely pink and purple scarf, which is quite warm and was made specially to match my dress. I'm also given white leather gloves which have flowers embroidered on them. I wonder why all the flowers when we're in the middle of winter.

"Hope for spring, mi'lady," was the only answer I got.

Essie wears the black sweater and snow pants she stole from Rax, but she wears a thick fur coat that she in retrospect also stole from someone, along with a black knit hat. I am given a white fur coat. I'm informed it's polar bear. I feel bad for the bear.

Essie's mood is a bid damped, she doesn't like all the guests who are now pouring into Olavin castle for the bonfire, which will be in the middle of the courtyard, at the head of the frozen reflecting pool. I've been informed it's safe to walk on. I'm absolutely not testing that.

The guards stand back, and Eero is of course escorting me for the evening. Essie and Rax hang not particularly far back as we join the crowd. The King and Queen get to cry off this event (not fair) because it's a young person thing, even though the young people don't want to do it.

The bonfire is already going strong, filling the air with rich sweet smoke. Eero is dressed similarly to me in a white polar bear fur coat. He's not wearing anything on his head though and his cheeks and ears are red with cold.

"You all right?" he asks, very quietly, putting his arm through mine as we walk through the well wishers closer to the fire. There must be over a hundred people here. mostly younger nobles, eager to drink and dance and have a good time. there's a band set up at the other end of the courtyard.

"I'm fine," not particularly but you know. Handling it.

"Look, we can't talk long—about last night—" he says, quickly.

"I thought you didn't remember last night?" I say, frowning a little.

"I was lying. Look things are complicated, I'll explain after the bonfire," he says, but he does say it nicely.

"How complicated can things be?"

"You'd be surprised," he says, smiling ruefully, "You're not in danger though—what's going on doesn't have to do with you. And I can't trust Rax."

"Why not?"

"Beyond the obvious? Like I said it's complicated---we can't talk long here. I promise I'll explain everything tonight after we go inside away from all these people," he says, looking around a bit distrustfully.

"Fine," I say, but he's explaining to Essie as well I'm not about to go anywhere alone with him. I also don't trust him due to the obvious. On which note I'm stealing another memory. Let's see if he's thinking of anything useful.

It takes me a minute to recognize that I'm in a memory. It's the last bonfire night. There is as now a crowd of partiers, in varying stages of drunkenness. And the bonfire is raging, with a somewhat drunken band playing at the far end of the courtyard. There are kegs of I assume ale and people are cooking meat on the fire. It's summer time, and the sun burns overhead despite I assume the late hour.