Garmay Zaya

By Sarian standards, the Zaya family lived reasonably well. Their cottage had five rooms, not counting the porch. All the same, that night, the four children and Alonza found themselves cramped into the room with the fireplace. Alonza sat closest to the fire, continually braiding and unbraiding her hair. It was titian, not as gold as it used to be. It seemed that Alonza was in mourning for its color, in mourning for her former beauty, lost to the years, to four children, to a husband with a temper and hardly a penny to his name. She remained silent in her seat, fingers running through her hair as she stared into the fire.

Bandon, like his mother, preferred solitary pursuits. He was by the window, working his way through a thick, leather-bound book. At fifteen, he had the best eyes in the family; reading came naturally to him.

Kay, Garmay, and Lucas sat on the floor.

( Now pay attention... )