From the Plains of Keroon

Chapter 1: Aliya

Sixth Pass, AL 1550

A minor hold in Keroon

A Gather! Aliya was pink with excitement, and could hardly sit still at the breakfast table. "Drink your klah, don't slurp it," her mother admonished her when she gulped the sweetened brew in her haste to get ready to go. She might sound mad, but Aliya knew she was no less eager to see Ruatha than she. It was Lord Alessan's first Gather, and the weather was absolutely perfect, none finer.

"Saiya, when are we leaving?" her father called from the next room. He'd grabbed a couple of sweetcakes and klah before feeding the runnerbeasts. Aliya giggled as he stuck his head into the room to hear her response; he still had hay in his hair. Her mother's eyes sparkled with humor as she responded, "As soon as you can convince the other Gather guests you weren't born in a stable."

Her father made a disappointed face (for her benefit, Aliya knew) and disappeared to dress. Aliya finished the last of her klah. "Let me get ready too," she begged her mother, who smiled and nodded approval even though it was normally Aliya's job to do the breakfast dishes. Aliya raced out of the kitchen to put on her favorite dress, the one that was so close to Harper blue.

She heard her mother make her way down the hall and the murmur of her father's laughter in response to some teasing remark her mother had made. The sound made her smile, and she hastened to slip on her shoes and smooth her skirt before checking the result in the mirror. As a final touch, she rooted around in her jewel box for her blue hair ribbon, and tied her long auburn curls into a more manageable ponytail.

"Aliya, are you ready?" her father called from the front room, and she glanced once more in the mirror before racing down the hall, trying to beat her mother to the front door. He smiled as she skidded to a breathless stop, her cheeks flushed. "I'll take that as a yes," he teased as her mother entered the room.

"Vall, do stop encouraging her." Her mother's tone was less exasperated than it might be on other days, at least; a Gather day always put her in a good mood. "Aliya, dear, the runnerbeasts are outside. We don't run in the house."

"Yes'm," Aliya responded immediately, knowing she wasn't in trouble but also knowing her mother meant every word. "Oh, I can't wait to see the decorations, and there's sure to be bubbly pies!" The berry pies sold at Gathers were one of her favorite treats, and they were always best fresh out of the oven. "Come on, S'val is waiting for us!"

"All right, let's go," her mother conceded with an affectionate smile. As her father opened the door, Aliya could see the plains of Keroon rolling before them as far as the eye could see. The wind stirred the dark green grasses as she watched, and she imagined the triangular blades were dancing in celebration of the Gather. As they stepped out the door, S'val waved to them as he dismounted from his brown Jorth. Impatient to reach the Gather and no longer inside, Aliya ran to embrace her brother and see if he'd let her scratch Jorth just where he liked on his beautiful long neck. Today promised to be a great day.