at her more in astonishment than irritation — she hadn’t expected any argument.
“Looks like we’re stopping,” said Amber.
“All right,” sighed Jade.
They sat down beside the path, surrounded by dry grass and wild flowers. Amber smiled to see the sun shining with all its might, and began eating ravenously. She looked at Opal, who, since receiving the strange telepathic message, seemed like another person. There was dismay in her big blue eyes, and all the colour had drained from her face. Amber was secretly hurt by the fact that Opal hated Amber fussing over her. Amberneeded to be liked by others, and she wished Opal were more friendly, but she understood that Opal was on her guard and that she considered both her companions potential enemies.
“I’m not hungry,” said Opal, pushing back the basket Amber was offering her.
“Let’s try the Stones again,” suggested Amber.
“That doesn’t help,” said Jade, but she undid the drawstrings of her black purse anyway, and took out the Stone.
Amber and Opal did the same. This time, the effect was instantaneous. The three girls became queasy, and felt as if they were caught up in a whirlwind. They were seized with a nameless dread. The Stones seemed to be vibrating, and the girls were shaking. The sensation stopped as suddenly as it had begun, leaving the girls reeling on their feet. Amber and Jade felt utterly exhausted, but all Opal’s anxiety had vanished, and she seemed like her old self again. She was ashamed of the weakness she’d shown, and wanted to make up for it.
“Let’s head for Nathyrnn. It was stupid of me not to want to go with you. I was under the spell of thatmessage and I was talking a lot of nonsense. Just forget what I said.”
She wanted Amber and Jade to understand that the emotional girl of before, who had spoken under the influence of the voice, wasn’t really her. She was furious with herself for the frightening ease with which she had let the voice overwhelm and disorient her.
“Jade,” said Amber as they all walked along, “when we’re in Nathyrnn, you ought to sell your gown and your jewellery so you can buy more ordinary clothing. The way you’re dressed, people will notice us.”
“I like being noticed,” Jade shot back, exasperated. “And I don’t want to look like a peasant! If you can’t afford to buy jewellery and a dress from the county of Tyrel, just shut up and let me wear what I want.”
Amber felt like snarling back at her, but she controlled herself. It was best not to aggravate Jade. It was true that her dress, delicately made by skilful artisans, suited her perfectly. Carried away by her imagination, Amber pictured Jade as a woman warrior, holding a sabre dripping with blood, riding a wild-eyed stallion as white as sea foam. Then she thought of Opal, whom she saw as a storybookprincess wearing a golden diadem nestled in her curly blonde hair and a pearl-grey dress to set off her pale skin and light blue eyes — which were demurely downcast, as always. This last thought made Amber smile.
She finally woke from her reverie when Jade cried, “Here is Nathyrnn!”
The three girls had arrived without incident outside the city. Along the way they had met only country people, who’d been surprised to see them and had not dared to look at them openly. Now fields and meadows had given way to the impressive ramparts that completely surrounded Nathyrnn.
“How do we get into the city?” asked Amber in dismay.
“I hadn’t thought about that,” replied Jade with a wry smile, attracted by the prospect of danger and the unknown.
The walls of the city were guarded by Knights of the Order, and three of them were there, bearing sharp swords, wearing grey uniforms and mounted on horses of the same colour. They were fearsome and pitiless: they were merciless in their pursuit andpunishment of the guilty, enforcing the dreaded law of the Council of Twelve everywhere they went.
Signalling her companions to
“Looks like we’re stopping,” said Amber.
“All right,” sighed Jade.
They sat down beside the path, surrounded by dry grass and wild flowers. Amber smiled to see the sun shining with all its might, and began eating ravenously. She looked at Opal, who, since receiving the strange telepathic message, seemed like another person. There was dismay in her big blue eyes, and all the colour had drained from her face. Amber was secretly hurt by the fact that Opal hated Amber fussing over her. Amberneeded to be liked by others, and she wished Opal were more friendly, but she understood that Opal was on her guard and that she considered both her companions potential enemies.
“I’m not hungry,” said Opal, pushing back the basket Amber was offering her.
“Let’s try the Stones again,” suggested Amber.
“That doesn’t help,” said Jade, but she undid the drawstrings of her black purse anyway, and took out the Stone.
Amber and Opal did the same. This time, the effect was instantaneous. The three girls became queasy, and felt as if they were caught up in a whirlwind. They were seized with a nameless dread. The Stones seemed to be vibrating, and the girls were shaking. The sensation stopped as suddenly as it had begun, leaving the girls reeling on their feet. Amber and Jade felt utterly exhausted, but all Opal’s anxiety had vanished, and she seemed like her old self again. She was ashamed of the weakness she’d shown, and wanted to make up for it.
“Let’s head for Nathyrnn. It was stupid of me not to want to go with you. I was under the spell of thatmessage and I was talking a lot of nonsense. Just forget what I said.”
She wanted Amber and Jade to understand that the emotional girl of before, who had spoken under the influence of the voice, wasn’t really her. She was furious with herself for the frightening ease with which she had let the voice overwhelm and disorient her.
“Jade,” said Amber as they all walked along, “when we’re in Nathyrnn, you ought to sell your gown and your jewellery so you can buy more ordinary clothing. The way you’re dressed, people will notice us.”
“I like being noticed,” Jade shot back, exasperated. “And I don’t want to look like a peasant! If you can’t afford to buy jewellery and a dress from the county of Tyrel, just shut up and let me wear what I want.”
Amber felt like snarling back at her, but she controlled herself. It was best not to aggravate Jade. It was true that her dress, delicately made by skilful artisans, suited her perfectly. Carried away by her imagination, Amber pictured Jade as a woman warrior, holding a sabre dripping with blood, riding a wild-eyed stallion as white as sea foam. Then she thought of Opal, whom she saw as a storybookprincess wearing a golden diadem nestled in her curly blonde hair and a pearl-grey dress to set off her pale skin and light blue eyes — which were demurely downcast, as always. This last thought made Amber smile.
She finally woke from her reverie when Jade cried, “Here is Nathyrnn!”
The three girls had arrived without incident outside the city. Along the way they had met only country people, who’d been surprised to see them and had not dared to look at them openly. Now fields and meadows had given way to the impressive ramparts that completely surrounded Nathyrnn.
“How do we get into the city?” asked Amber in dismay.
“I hadn’t thought about that,” replied Jade with a wry smile, attracted by the prospect of danger and the unknown.
The walls of the city were guarded by Knights of the Order, and three of them were there, bearing sharp swords, wearing grey uniforms and mounted on horses of the same colour. They were fearsome and pitiless: they were merciless in their pursuit andpunishment of the guilty, enforcing the dreaded law of the Council of Twelve everywhere they went.
Signalling her companions to
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