Warprize

fascinated Keir. The views from this height allowed one to look clear into the valley below, and even beyond their camp. Keir, Rafe, and the others pressed themselves against the outer wall, trying to look down as far as they could. The breeze that always blew at this height whistled past, catching at our hair and clothing. Prest, on the other hand, pressed himself against the opposite wall by the door, his eyes wide, the whites showing, his dark complexion turning ashen. He seemed quite grateful when I pulled them away from the views and we headed back down.
    They asked question after question about the building, about how I could stand to be surrounded by walls all the time. Some of the narrow corridors made them nervous, and I’d see them all looking up, as if searching for the sky. Some of their questions I knew the answer to, some I didn’t. They admired the thick walls, wrinkled their noses at the privies with their small holes, and mock fought on the circular staircases. I showed them the places where old kings had started building, and young kings had built on. Impressed as they were with its age and fortifications, I gathered that Keir did not care for the length of time it had taken for the castle to rise to its current heights.
    The halls and corridors were strangely quiet as we proceeded, empty of the normal traffic of servants and nobles. It made me uneasy even as I led them into the castle chapel. The room was lit with hundreds of candles, and behind the altar, the white marble statute of the Goddess gleamed brightly. She was lovely, her arms holding a basket of herbs and flowers, her face serene and peaceful. I paused in the center aisle and smiled.
    “So it’s true. You worship people.” Surprised, I turned to see Joden standing behind me, looking around in amazement.
    “This chapel is dedicated to the worship of the Goddess, The Lady of the Moon and Stars.” I fumbled around for the right words. “She is more than a ‘person.’”
    “He means no offense,” Keir spoke softly as the others gathered around us, gaping and gawking. There was a general sense of disapproval. “It’s odd to see, that’s all.” Keir waved his hand to encompass the room. “Another difference between us.”
    “A big difference,” Yers muttered, his crooked nose twitching.
    On that note, I turned and lead them out, before one of the
    Priestesses should appear. Tensions were high enough without a religious debate.
    “Your Goddess, she is a healer?” Keir moved up beside me.
    “Yes,” I decided to show them my old room and headed in that direction. “She is the Goddess of Healing and Mercy.” I looked over my shoulder. “Not the kind of mercy granted on a battlefield.”
    Keir grunted.
    “There is a temple in the city to the God of the Sun, who is the God of Purity and Strength.”
    “You worship the sun as a man?” Joden asked, his disbelief apparent in his voice.
    “How did you come to be a healer?” Keir changed the topic so smoothly I had to smile.
    “I was playing with one of my friends in the castle gardens, chasing him down the paths. We were very young and the kitchen maids lost track of us. We were running and laughing, and suddenly down he went, tripping over a huge… porcupine?” I wasn’t sure if they knew what the creature was, but a few people winced in sympathy.
    “Needle-rat,” Rafe clarified, and now everyone understood.
    “His face and arms were filled with quills and he started screaming and crying, and the kitchen maids came running, Anna came running, everyone was screaming and crying, so I started screaming and crying too.”
    “A man appeared, a tall man who looked like a gray lake bird, tall and quiet. With a few words he calmed everyone down, and had my friend giggling as he dealt with the quills. Like a miracle, peace was restored.” The memory was a good one and I smiled at Keir. “He restored my world with his quiet voice and gentle skill.”
    “As you wish to do.”
    I nodded as I opened the door to my old room.
    The room had been stripped down to its simple furnishings. Keir looked around and frowned. “This was your bedroom?” Prest and Rafe crowded in with us, the others watched from the door. Keir continued. “
    Seems small for a Daughter of Xy.”
    I shrugged. “I didn’t need a lot of room. Besides, I had other rooms to play in. I will show you.”
    Keir looked at me and slowly smiled in response.
    Rafe stood by the fireplace. “Guess they are using