Previous New Years Day 1008 The moon was setting when we finished crossing the ocean. I followed the woman and the girl to a cave in the cliff that bordered the shore. The woman had stayed at this cave before, I was sure of it. She pulled out some metal tools from her bag and […]

Previous Solstice 1007 You could probably walk across. I kept thinking about what the man had said while I walked, now on the sand of the beach. The ice did look thick here, but what if it wasn’t in the middle? I kept walking, hoping to find some kind of shelter. Erincateri lay to the […]

Previous Winter Solstice Holidays 1007-08 The sun woke me up. I remembered that I was outside. I’d found a spot between trees that was relatively sheltered. I’d laid down bare branches under and over me, so my clothes wouldn’t get wet. I grabbed a bite of bread—I couldn’t cook the grain, not with all the […]

Previous Late Le Esel 1007  “I have sad news,” Mrs. Mirin said. I looked up from my spinning. I’d never enjoyed housework, but they gave me food to eat and a warm bed in the attic in exchange. Mrs. Mirin hadn’t asked me too many questions. Her oldest daughter, Eliya, had just had twins. “What […]

Aarae 1006 I ran down the dusty, narrow path through the forest to Es Seli, my heavy cloth backpack full of shovels and other metal trinkets bouncing with every step. The Tvarnaer’ village head had asked me to trade for crushed seeds to make the Summer Solstice pastries. Es Seli had a mill. Tvarnaer’ didn’t. […]