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‘But, when Father died, and everything changed, somehow I found myself living your life anyway.’ Keffria smiled grimly.

‘So many details, so many tasks to be done, until I felt there was no time left for myself at all. The odd part is, now that I’ve taken up the reins, I don’t think I can put them down again.

Even if Kyle appeared on the doorstep tomorrow and said, “Don’t worry, dear, I’ll take care of it all,” I don’t think I could let him.

Because I know too much now.’ She shook her head.

‘One of the things I know now is that I’m better at these things than he would be.

I began to discover that when I had to deal with our creditors myself.

I could see why you had set things up as you had, and it made sense to me.

But I also knew that Kyle would not like patiently working the family out of this a bit at a time.

And…’ She swung her eyes to her mother. ‘Do you hear how I am now? I don’t want to have these burdens.

But I can’t bear to turn them over to anyone else, either.

Because, despite all the work, I like being in control of my own life. ’

‘With the right man, you can share that control,’ Ronica offered.

Keffria felt her smile go crooked. ‘But Kyle isn’t the right man for that.

And we both know that now.’ She drew a deep breath.

‘If he came back now, I wouldn’t let him have the family vote on the Traders’ Council.

Because I know more about Bingtown and can vote it more wisely.

But Kyle would hate that. I think that, alone, would be enough to drive him away. ’

‘Kyle would hate that you had to control your own vote? That you had to be able to take care of yourself while he was gone?’

Keffria paused a moment before she answered.

She forced the truth out. ‘He would hate that I was good at it, Mother. But I am. And I like being good at it. It’s one reason I feel I should let Selden go.

Because, in his short years, he has shown me that he is better at taking care of himself than I am.

I could keep him here, safe by me. But it would be a lot like Kyle keeping me in hand. ’

A light tap at the door made both of them startle. Rache peered around the corner.

‘Jani Khuprus is here. She says she has come for Selden.’

Rache had changed in small ways since the upheavals in Bingtown.

She still lived with them, and took on the duties of a house servant.

But she also spoke openly of where she hoped she would get her piece of land, and what type of a house she would build when the final agreement was settled.

Now, when she spoke of Jani coming for Selden, her disapproval was more obvious in her voice than it would have been months ago.

Keffria didn’t resent it. The woman had cared for her children, and in doing so, had come to genuinely care about them.

Rache had been overjoyed at Selden’s return from the Rain Wilds. She hated to give him up again.

‘I’ll come down,’ Keffria replied immediately. ‘You should come, too, if you wish to say good-bye to him.’

Jani studied the room as she waited nervously for Keffria.

It had changed from the happy days when Reyn had been here courting Malta.

The room was clean but the furniture had obviously been scavenged from throughout the house.

There were chairs to sit on and a somewhat wobbly table.

But there were no books, no tapestries, no rugs, nor any of the small domestic touches that finished a room.

Her heart bled for the Vestrits. Their home had been taken from them; only the walls remained.

True, she herself had seen the collapse of the buried city that was the source of the Rain Wilds and, indirectly, Bingtown’s wealth.

Trehaug faced lean times ahead. But her home had weathered the storm.

She had resources to draw on. Her pictures, her embroidered linens, her jewellery, her wardrobe of clothing awaited her safely at home.

She had not been left near-destitute as the Vestrits had.

It made her feel all the more selfish that she had come to take away the final vestige of the family’s true wealth.

Their last son would go with her tonight.

It had not been put into words between them, but the truth was writ large on Selden’s scaled face.

He was Rain Wild now. It was not Jani’s doing; she would never have sought to steal a son, let alone the last of their line.

It did not make her feel any less greedy that she cherished the thought of taking the boy with her.

Another child for her household was a treasure beyond compare.

She wished she did not have to gain it at her friends’ loss.

The whisper of their sandals preceded them.

First Keffria, then Ronica and finally Rache entered the room.

Selden was not with them. That was as well.

Jani preferred to make her proposal to Keffria before she had to say goodbye to her son.

It would not seem so much like a trade. As she exchanged greetings with them, she noted that Ronica’s hand seemed frailer in hers, and that Keffria was more grave and reserved. Well, that was natural enough.

‘Would you care for a cup of tea?’ Keffria asked in the courtesy of a bygone day. Then, with a nervous laugh, she turned to Rache, ‘That is, if we have any tea, or anything close to it?’

The serving woman smiled. ‘I am sure I can find some sort of leaves to steep.’

‘I would love a cup of anything warm,’ Jani replied. ‘The cold outside bites to my bones. Why must so harsh a winter descend in our most difficult time?’

They commiserated on that for a bit. Then Ronica rescued them from pointless pleasantries as Rache reappeared with the tea.

‘Well, let us stop being as nervous as if we do not well know why Jani is here. She has come to take Selden to the Rain Wilds when the Kendry sails tonight. I know Keffria has agreed to this, and it is what Selden wants. But…’

And there Ronica’s courage failed her. Her voice went tight on her closing words, ‘But I do hate to lose Selden…’

‘I wish you did not feel that way,’ Jani offered.

‘That you are losing him, I mean. He comes with me now, for a time, because he genuinely believes he has a duty to help us in our preliminary work. Certainly, the Rain Wilds have marked him as their own. But that does not mean he is no longer a Vestrit. And in days to come, I hope for a time when Rain Wild and Bingtown will mingle freely and often.’

That brought little response. ‘Selden is not the only reason I am here,’ she added abruptly. ‘I also bring two offers. One from the Rain Wild Council. One from myself.’

Before she could go on, Selden opened the door. ‘I’m ready,’ he announced with undisguised satisfaction. He came into the room dragging a lumpy canvas sack behind him and looked around at the gathered women. ‘Why is everyone so quiet?’ he demanded. Firelight danced on his scaled cheekbones.

No one replied.

Jani settled herself in her chair and accepted the cup of tea that Rache poured for her.

She sipped at it, seizing the moment to organize her thoughts.

It tasted of wintermint, with a tang of niproot in it.

‘This is actually quite delicious,’ she complimented them sincerely as she set the cup down.

Her eyes travelled over the waiting faces.

Keffria held her tea but had not sipped it.

Ronica had not even picked her cup up. Jani suddenly knew what was missing. She cleared her throat.

‘I, Jani Khuprus, of the Khuprus family of the Rain Wild Traders, accept your hospitality of home and table. I recall all our most ancient pledges to one another, Rain Wilds to Bingtown.’ As she spoke the old, formal words, she was surprised to feel tears brim in her eyes.

Yes. This was right. She saw an answering sentiment in the faces of the Bingtown women.

As if it were a thing rehearsed, Ronica and Keffria spoke together. ‘We, Ronica and Keffria Vestrit, of the Vestrit family of the Bingtown Traders, make you welcome to our table and our home. We recall all our most ancient pledges to one another, Bingtown to Rain Wilds.’

Keffria surprised them all when she spoke on alone.

‘And also our private agreement regarding the liveship Vivacia, the product of both our families, and our hope that our families shall be joined in the marriage of Malta Vestrit and Reyn Khuprus.’ She took a deep breath.

Her voice shook only slightly. ‘In sign of the link between our families, I offer to you my youngest son, Selden Vestrit, to be fostered with the Khuprus family of the Rain Wilds. I charge you to teach him well the ways of our folk.’

Yes. This was right. Let it all be formalized. Selden suddenly stood taller. He let go of his sack and came forwards. He took his mother’s hand and looked up at her. ‘Do I say anything?’ he asked gravely.

Jani held out her hand. ‘I, Jani Khuprus of the Khuprus family of the Rain Wilds, do welcome Selden Vestrit to be fostered with our family, and taught the ways of our folk. He will be cherished as one of our own. If he so wills it.’

Selden did not let go of his mother’s hand.

How wise the boy already was! He instead set his free hand into Jani’s.

He cleared his throat. ‘I, Selden Vestrit of the Vestrit family, do will that I be fostered with the Khuprus family of the Rain Wilds.’ He looked at his mother as he added, ‘I will do my best to learn all that is taught me.

‘There. That’s done,’ he added.