Leacha.
I am Werrien’s mother,” she added, proudly.
Kristina found it hard
to believe that Werrien could have such a strange-looking mother—she looked
nothing at all like him. Her ears were pointy, like Rumalock’s, but she didn’t
look like a dwarf. Her face and nose were much rounder and she had a few gray
whiskers sticking out of her double chin.
“You’ll be as good as
new after a cup of hot, nourishing soup.” Leacha’s warm smile revealed an
almost toothless mouth.
Kristina sat up, and
Leacha handed her the steaming cup.
“All I remember is
being pulled out of the river by Werrien,” Kristina said, after taking a sip of
the hot broth, which she thought tasted quite nasty.
“You fainted,” Leacha
said. “You were starting to worry us, sleeping as long as you did.”
“My name is Kristina.”
Kristina smiled at Leacha.
“Yes, I know.”
“Are you a dwarf?”
Leacha giggled a
little, and her eyes seemed to disappear into the folds of her fat cheeks. “Oh,
no, child―I’m a gnome.”
Kristina handed the
soup back to Leacha. She started to reach into her pocket, but to her surprise,
she had no pockets. Then she looked down at herself. “These are not my clothes,
and the Warble—it’s gone! I must have lost it in that raging river.”
“Don’t fret, child. I
had to give you dry clothes.” Leacha pointed her chubby finger to a chair in
the corner of the room. “Yours are now clean and dry, hanging over there, and
as for the Warble, well, it’s safe with Werrien.”
A knock came at the
front door, and Leacha left the bedroom to go answer it. Kristina could see
from the bed that it was Werrien. He entered the house and embraced Leacha.
“How is she, Leacha? Is she awake yet?” he asked.
“Yes, she is, and she’s
doing just fine,” Leacha said.
“That’s good to hear;
I’ve been really worried.”
Kristina felt strange
after hearing Werrien say those words.
“She should be as good
as new after a cup of my turnip-root, fairy-blossom soup,” Leacha said.
“Thank you, Leacha, for
all your help,” Werrien said.
“You know I would do
anything to help. You are like my own son.”
“You’re too kind.”
“I still have some soup
left on the fire. Sit down, and I will serve you.”
“I’d love to have some,
but I’m afraid I won’t be able to. There’s news that Queen Sentiz has sent out
more of her zelbocks to find Kristina and me, so we must be out of here within
the hour.”
Tears welled up in
Leacha’s eyes, and she used her apron to wipe them. “I’ve always known that
this day would come, but now that it’s here, it’s hard to take.”
Kristina got out of bed
and stood near the door to better hear the conversation. She was surprised by
Werrien’s concern for her wellbeing, and it made her feel good that someone
near her age cared about her. She certainly hadn’t experienced that with the
majority of the kids at home.
A mirror hung on the
wall across the room, and when she viewed her reflection, she took notice of
the clothes that Leacha had dressed her in. They were made of soft
suede-leather and looked very similar to the clothes that Werrien wore. They
were very comfortable, and she liked how they looked on her. She looked once
again at her clothes hanging on the chair and decided not to change back into
them. A hairbrush was on a nearby table, so she took it and brushed her hair.
When she was finished, she walked into the living room.
Werrien noticed her and
his eyes lit up. “Wow! You look great!”
“I do?” Kristina said.
“Yeah! You kind of look
like you could be my little brother—I mean, except for your long hair.”
Kristina looked damply
at Werrien. “Thanks! My dream has always been to look like someone’s little
brother.”
Werrien walked over to
her, and in a chummy way, gave her a light punch on her shoulder. “Now that
you’re all better, we’d best be on our way.”
Leacha hurried off to
the kitchen to pack food for
I am Werrien’s mother,” she added, proudly.
Kristina found it hard
to believe that Werrien could have such a strange-looking mother—she looked
nothing at all like him. Her ears were pointy, like Rumalock’s, but she didn’t
look like a dwarf. Her face and nose were much rounder and she had a few gray
whiskers sticking out of her double chin.
“You’ll be as good as
new after a cup of hot, nourishing soup.” Leacha’s warm smile revealed an
almost toothless mouth.
Kristina sat up, and
Leacha handed her the steaming cup.
“All I remember is
being pulled out of the river by Werrien,” Kristina said, after taking a sip of
the hot broth, which she thought tasted quite nasty.
“You fainted,” Leacha
said. “You were starting to worry us, sleeping as long as you did.”
“My name is Kristina.”
Kristina smiled at Leacha.
“Yes, I know.”
“Are you a dwarf?”
Leacha giggled a
little, and her eyes seemed to disappear into the folds of her fat cheeks. “Oh,
no, child―I’m a gnome.”
Kristina handed the
soup back to Leacha. She started to reach into her pocket, but to her surprise,
she had no pockets. Then she looked down at herself. “These are not my clothes,
and the Warble—it’s gone! I must have lost it in that raging river.”
“Don’t fret, child. I
had to give you dry clothes.” Leacha pointed her chubby finger to a chair in
the corner of the room. “Yours are now clean and dry, hanging over there, and
as for the Warble, well, it’s safe with Werrien.”
A knock came at the
front door, and Leacha left the bedroom to go answer it. Kristina could see
from the bed that it was Werrien. He entered the house and embraced Leacha.
“How is she, Leacha? Is she awake yet?” he asked.
“Yes, she is, and she’s
doing just fine,” Leacha said.
“That’s good to hear;
I’ve been really worried.”
Kristina felt strange
after hearing Werrien say those words.
“She should be as good
as new after a cup of my turnip-root, fairy-blossom soup,” Leacha said.
“Thank you, Leacha, for
all your help,” Werrien said.
“You know I would do
anything to help. You are like my own son.”
“You’re too kind.”
“I still have some soup
left on the fire. Sit down, and I will serve you.”
“I’d love to have some,
but I’m afraid I won’t be able to. There’s news that Queen Sentiz has sent out
more of her zelbocks to find Kristina and me, so we must be out of here within
the hour.”
Tears welled up in
Leacha’s eyes, and she used her apron to wipe them. “I’ve always known that
this day would come, but now that it’s here, it’s hard to take.”
Kristina got out of bed
and stood near the door to better hear the conversation. She was surprised by
Werrien’s concern for her wellbeing, and it made her feel good that someone
near her age cared about her. She certainly hadn’t experienced that with the
majority of the kids at home.
A mirror hung on the
wall across the room, and when she viewed her reflection, she took notice of
the clothes that Leacha had dressed her in. They were made of soft
suede-leather and looked very similar to the clothes that Werrien wore. They
were very comfortable, and she liked how they looked on her. She looked once
again at her clothes hanging on the chair and decided not to change back into
them. A hairbrush was on a nearby table, so she took it and brushed her hair.
When she was finished, she walked into the living room.
Werrien noticed her and
his eyes lit up. “Wow! You look great!”
“I do?” Kristina said.
“Yeah! You kind of look
like you could be my little brother—I mean, except for your long hair.”
Kristina looked damply
at Werrien. “Thanks! My dream has always been to look like someone’s little
brother.”
Werrien walked over to
her, and in a chummy way, gave her a light punch on her shoulder. “Now that
you’re all better, we’d best be on our way.”
Leacha hurried off to
the kitchen to pack food for
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