The Woven Crown (Completed)

Chapter 13

The next morning, Ryla woke to a refuge dusted in white. The snowflakes were still gently falling when she pulled on her boots and ventured out for breakfast. She'd never felt so relieved to see the first snowfall. It meant safety for the refuge— at least for the winter.

After last night's meeting with Oran, the message had been sent around the refuge that serious training was to begin. When she entered the dining hall, she noticed the worried faces of the adults. The children, on the other hand, were in high spirits. They chatted with each other across the long tables while a young boy and girl had a mock duel with their spoons. She expected the adults to glare at her when she came in, accusing her of this breach of peace in the world they'd created. But they didn't seem to even notice as she walked to a seat next to Yulia.

"Good morning Ryla, sleep well?" Yulia asked. The truth was, ever since Oran told her about her parents, sleep had been evading her. She had even started wishing for the quiet muffled sounds of the shared servants quarters. Instead, the silence would push down on her from all sides. When she did finally fall asleep, hours after she should have, dreams of endless running from something she could never quite see and of her parents, their faces changing each night, made her sleep all but restful.

"I slept fine. Ready to begin training?"

"It does sound a little exciting, doesn't it?" said Yulia.

"What sounds exciting?" Killian walked up behind them balancing three bowls. He sat one down for his sister, one for Ryla, and one for himself.

"The training," answered Ryla.

"It's about time. I've been trying to convince Oran to let us for ages, but he would always put it off."

Through bites of steaming oatmeal dotted with bits of dried fruits and nuts, Ryla said, "I'm surprised there isn't a line of people waiting to ask me to leave."

"Oran's asking us to keep quiet about the part you might have in this. The less amount of people who know about it, the safer you'll be." Ryla wondered how long that could last in such a tightly knit place. She was not looking forward to the day people found out she was the reason they were all in danger.

"Don't place the fault on yourself. You've done nothing wrong." As usual, Killian seemed to read her mind. Ryla looked up to meet his steady eyes.

She just hoped all this preparation was enough to keep everyone safe.

Once the oatmeal had sufficiently warmed them, Ryla, Killian, and Yulia set off for the field adjacent to the garden, the place they were told to meet Janek and Sahanna for training today. On the way there, they passed Elira sitting with a group of children in the glen. They were dressed warmly like Ryla and the others, in long cloaks lined with rabbit fur. Snow floated down between the branches but seemed to evaporate just before it reached their heads and no snow dusted the ground around them. With her Sight, she could see Elira's threading work in a barrier woven in a dome above their work space. Small white puffs issued from the mouths of the children as they concentrated on small dark pebbles in their palms.

Janek waited for them in the field with his large arms crossed. There was no snow-protecting barrier for them.

"All right, Woven. I've been directed by Oran to teach you how to use your magic during an attack." The gruffness in his voice made them stand a little taller. "As if it'll help any if you're faced with a real Raveller. You'd be better off prayin' for mercy at that point." Some of Ryla's confidence leaked away.

"Where's Sahana?" asked Killian.

"She said she didn't need to be here for this part. She'll be here later to whip you into shape.