PENUMBRA (how the flowers grow)

32. Verbena

"Tender, emotional, healing"

Over the next few days, the temperature rises uncomfortably. Tuluvey's magic bag, now filled with layers upon layers of warmer clothing, is retired to the wagon until autumn rolls around. Sleeves get shorter and fabric gets thinner. Xaniphe's hugs become sweltering.

It's an unanimous decision to start heading northwest and get out of Valdent. They follow the Rosin upriver and stick close to its banks. A messenger bird finds its way to them a couple days after leaving Whitegate, sealed with the cat's eye of Valdent. L'gaoia groans when she sees it and begrudgingly lets the bird perch on her shoulder as she reads the letter. The bird fluffs up its wings and a brown speckled feather drifts to the ground.

"That dad?" Robb asks, ducking under L'gaoia's arm so he can see the paper.

"Fortunately, or unfortunately. I'm not sure."

L'gaoia scoffs when she's done reading and crumples it up. She hands it to Xaniphe, who dutifully burns the traces.

"What did it say?" Eggel questions.

"He said he would send coin for the repairs of the tavern and asked me not to kill the representative because he's not looking to start a war. As if it's not going to happen."

"A bit too late for that, Daddy," Robb says solemnly.

"He's going to get a war whether he likes it or not," Tremas retorts, voice flat. "Good riddance."

"His problems, not ours," Vetsalla dismisses breezily. "Are you going to give an answer?"

L'gaoia doesn't have to think about it. "No." She shrugs the bird off her shoulder and it flies up into a tree and peers down at them, head cocked to the side. "Go on back. Nothing for you."

The bird squawks and flies off.

"Is that a magic bird?" Sabina asks.

"No." L'gaoia chuckles. "That's an iketty."

"They're like dogs of the sky," Robb says. "They eat trash and can sniff people out from anywhere."

"That sounds, uh, dangerous. Couldn't they spy on people?"

"Dad's boring." Robb shrugs. "He thinks the only proper way to win a fight is on the battlefield."

"They'd be more useful if they were easily trained," L'gaoia pitches in. "Dad's had that one since I was a baby. There's a lot of them in the crown city but no one does anything with them but give them food to get them to leave you alone."

"They bite."

"They do bite."

"I saw one eat a rat once."

Jitho takes the opportunity to drag Sabina aside while they're stopped. Tuluvey shares a look with Sabina and smiles, shrugs.

"Fine, I'll teach you. I don't really know what to tell you besides throw it until it works," Sabina says.

"You have a technique!"

"I've been doing this since I was five."

"How old are you anyway? Humans don't get that old, supposedly."

Sabina pulls a small knife with a thin blade and a simple circle handle. "Older than you."

"Pfft, you don't know for sure."