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I shrugged I knew Rosethorn, and she didn’t

Nory shook her head "Meryean to pick chickpeas out of the dirt "It’s not like we can afford to waste food!" She put them in the bowl that Meryem had dropped "Evvy, o check the pot," Jayat said quickly "All we need is for it to burn" He vanished inside the kitchen

"Why are you so sharp with hiather peas "He came to look after you two He could have been safely away"

"I didn’t ask him to come," Nory said, her voice clipped "Now he’s stuck Maybe living with me for a few months will teach him that he doesn’t want to marry me after all"

"You think the others will come home by then?"

"They always do," replied Nory "Pirates, earthquakes, big storms…they always return once the people on the other islands start to get on their nerves We’re proud folk here on Starns We prefer to do for ourselves Keep gathering those" She got up and went into the house, her eyes sharp Inside, I heard her scold Jayat I did as I was told, thinking

It was good to hear her, and good to hear Jayat as he argued with her about so here for a while wouldn’t be so bad Hard ould keep ic I had I could be useful Rounding up ani food…More people would come once they felt safer They would need to eat I could help with the cooking, too

Asrocks froround over so the ash would get mixed in with fresh dirt And maybe I could clear the rockfalls on the road to the sea

Sooner or later, though, Rosethorn and Luvo would co Circle and a different life I’d need a new direction then It was as clear as the plink of the dried peas as they struck the bowl

I’d lived tays I’d been one with Luvo, the islands, Flare, Carnelian, and the volcano spirits All that fire and glory was splendid, but…It was nothing like the hot rush of feeling that swampeda creature ofstone was powerful It was as powerful as the earthquakes Being with these ain was as warm and complete as my own blood

I was aawhat I was giving up Maybe only Rosethorn, Luvo, and Myrrhtide would know I had helped to save lives and this island ThatI wanted to earn more of it I could start here, with the fields, and the roads In the end, though, I would have to take Rosethorn’s path Battling Carnelian and Flare had worked because I’d had Luvo, and because I’d been lucky Left to , like I did with Merye useful doesn’t come naturally toCircle could teach me to help on purpose They could teach o back I’d tell them it was tiods of the Earth for letting me wake up in time

"Here" Meryeive you this" She handed me a chunk of amethyst the size of her fist "TowouldNo stone is worth a person’s life" Mostly I even believed that I rain of sand on the beach

I suppose Winding Circle will teach me not to think that way Maybe it will be an improvement

"Do you like it?" Merye it always It’ll make me think of you" Iin s"

Meryerabbed a cat She carried her back to me "This is Squeak She had kittens in Azaze’s room Nory says I can have one Do you want one?"

I sed a lump in my throat Maybe it was time to have a cat, too The temples novices are allowed to have pets Lark says it makes the "Maybe" I had to clear my throat and say it twice, because it came out a little funny the first time "Maybe Mules first Kittens later"

Merye Her feet kicked up puffs of ash and dust At least this part of ood start