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7

Ravenna’s Daughter

Aeriel rose froown Close-woven and weighty, it was no fabric she recognized Her yelloedding sari lay at the foot of the pallet, folded in a tiny square Impulsively, she reached for it and tucked it away in the bodice of her nen

The suddenof newness pervaded her still

Aeriel shook herself Gazing again at the glohite bead in her hand, she realized now that a tiny chain had been attached to it, a filament of silver so fine she could scarcely see it It teased across her palm like spider silk

"What have you done to ht"

The Ancient Ravenna stood beside the pallet She looked drawn, infinitely more weary than she had when Aeriel had last seen her Her eyes were troubled

"I have made it a vessel, child, into which I mean to put a treasure of inestiuard for me"

As Ravenna bent near, Aeriel becae, otherworldly flowers that pervaded the lady’s robe and hair The other’s dusky, long-fingered hands lifted the pearl from her palm A moment later, Aeriel felt the fine chain fastened behind the crown of her head, the pearl resting incandescent on her brow

Its white light suffused her vision like a vapor Aeriel was conscious all at once of things she had not been able to see before, lass of the wall across the rooarment, a mote of dust upon the other’s slipper And thethe Ancientlady’s face

With a start, Aeriel perceived for the first tiht of the pearl see of new strength That, too, cahed, and Aeriel are of the h had set inaway across the room in eddies faint as featherdown

"You are to be h to pluck so from the air "This, too, you must bear"

Suddenly in her hands, she clasped a naked sword Silvery, over three feet in length, it lit the roo just short of the broad crossbar Aeriel stared The Ancientlady gestured again, and in her other hand a scabbard appeared, scrolled with interlocking etchings She sheathed the burning glaive, dousing its flanized all at once what it was she held

"That is the silver pin!" she cried, recoiling, cold horror sweeping over her Ravenna had changed it somehow--increased its size, made it into a sword Nevertheless, it could only be the pin, that same sliver of silver hich the Witch’s black bird had once pinned Aeriel Soe to her Ravenna nodded

"Take it, child It cannot harm you now"

Aeriel stared at the scabbarded blade in the Ancient’s hands She wanted no part of it But the other did not withdraw the gift, stood holding it out to her still, patiently, waiting At last, Aeriel reached and ran her hand along the incised scabbard She had thought at first it wasit, she realized that it ood The scrollwork running its length seeure that she could not quite puzzle out, even with the aid of the pearl

"Is this weapon for Irrylath?" she whispered "Am I to take it to hie Adah the scabbard, the glaive felt faintly war, like so alive

"Is the sword for me, then?" breathed Aeriel

The Ancient shook her head "You are but the bearer No, child In the end, neither of these gifts is for you"

Reluctantly, Aeriel took hold of the sword’s grip Her hand shook The blade felt oddly light, seeht at all It balanced in her hand easily as she drew it fro, on the air She sheathed it, and the sword sang and whispered, ever so softly, a troubling song

Aeriel set the sword down on the pallet beside her "To whoive this?"

"Give it to your shadow," Ravenna replied