At her words, every soul fell silent. They looked at one another, bewildered.
Leontis lifted his gaze to the sky. Sunlight streamed down, and not a single flake fell.
"Yet the snow has stopped."
"I only read the stars," Ismerie said gently. "I knew by their course that the storm would break today of its own accord."
Understanding dawned, followed quickly by a new question. Caedmon frowned, still half stubborn. "Why make such a show of it then? Why not simply tell us?"
Ismerie remembered how he had stood before her, blade bared, and answered patiently.
"The storm may end on its own, but fear does not. These people needed something they could see. A sign that they are not forgotten, a reason to stand firm."
They looked down at the crowds below. The folks were still wrapped in rags, bu
