Page 73 of To Touch A Silent Fury

The man was not convinced. “There are natural ways to strip the colour of her hair. And the dragon won’t open his eyes for weeks.”

“She is Amune’s daughter,” Yvon said. “I swear it on the cycle, on my place in the tribe. I saw her on Eavenfold.”

“Do not speak of that unnatural place. They bind Sons to illogical Fates, they know nothing of patience or discovery.”

“She was there.”

“That was three spans ago. How can you be sure?”

Yvon was silent, and I imagined I could hear her anger.

“The girl is unusual,” the man conceded, some doubt seeping through. “I do not understand why the wolf follows her, nor why the dragon bonded. But there is nothing of the moon in her.”

“Her eyes were white,” Yvon said.

“As you say. We do not see that now.”

“Will you not shelter her?”

“We did,” he said, once again dismissive. “We kept the cacof alive.”

“And that is all you will provide her? She is prophesied. The Moon Mother stands before you, and you will cast her away.”

Moon Mother. In everything Yvon had let slip over the last span, I was certain these were two words I had never heard before together. I had no guesses as to the meaning, beyond something in their tribal religion. Seth would have known. He loved myths.

Did this account for Yvon’s strangeness the other day? She had decided that because I wasn’t yet Broken, that I was a Moon Mother? Maybe that was their female variant of a Son?

“What is more likely,” he retorted, “that this warm-skinned girl is the true daughter of Amune, or that she has tricked you? You must have told her of the Moon Mother who would know our ways and be one with his creatures.” I heard a step, barely a shuffle on reed. “There is no moon in her eye.”

My leg burned as I held myself completely still. I could not hold this position forever, and all my baby had to do was wake and they would all hear his squawks.

Yvon’s voice raised, still quiet as anything, but I knew enough to know she was livid. “The moon was there only yesterday.”

“It is convenient that her eyes have changed now that you bring her before us.”

Yvon clucked her tongue. Such wordless noise, meaningless to the Euphons, could only signal an incandescent fury. “You call me a liar?”

“She took advantage of your wayward daughter and your kindness,” he said. It was soft, his response, filled with regret. “And now she has used your generosity to steal Vellintris’ child.”

I struggled to hold back my own scoff. All I knew of their customs was what they told the world. To be Moontouched in this forest was to be left for dead. Why would I ever have claimed it? He implied I was no better than the Dragon Prince. A poacher.

“She saved that dragon from the cacofs.”

“Sheisa cacof.”

And that was it. That was all I needed to hear. They would never believe my word. I could live five more spans in their forest, learn the name of every bird, and I would only ever be an outsider.

“This ends now, Yvon. This is not the first time you thought you found the Moon Mother. We will forgive your teaching.” He paused. “But the girl is not welcome.”

I did not move into their view nor clear my throat. I only spoke at a normal volume, knowing they would hear me. “It is fine, Yvon. I will leave as they desire.”

Yvon and the Son appeared out of the stone tower. He stared at me, surprised. Yes, I thought, narrowing my eyes at him. I could be quiet, too. Even if I was only quiet for acacof.

Yvon approached me, nodding. “I am sorry. They will not let you stay.”

I shifted my weight a little and winced. “You have protected me long enough.”

The Son stared at me; his white hair pulled into a tail. “We will not kill you, cacof girl. To end you now will surely kill the child, too. But mark this, you are not a friend to Gossamir.”