Chapter 21
After the excitement of the Yule Feast, the rest of the winter passed uneventfully. It seemed to rain constantly, and everyone in the castle grew snappish. Despite the fact that I was entirely lacking in bardic power, my harp playing improved. Sadly, my riding did not.
Neeve’s flute was, indeed, cracked beyond repair. Much to my relief—and, I suspected, that of Master Fawkes—she declared her pursuit of music at an end. Instead, she spent many hours riding Peerless in the overcast drizzle outside.
By contrast, I spent much of my time curled before the fire, reading. The rest of the history of Raine proved to be rather interesting, although everything written about the Darkwood was annoyingly vague. And there was some mystery surrounding the nirwen flower. The pre-castle histor
