Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

But then again, I had to say-girls like me were quite popular with young gentlemen.

At Meadow Ridge, many a lad had taken a fancy to me. Those boys just growing their first bit of stubble would shyly pass me love letters, one after another. I never read a single one and tore them all up right in front of them.

At the time, I hadn't yet sorted through the logic behind my old vow. In my heart, those two words-never marry-still loomed large.

So, yes, I knew I was being cruel when I ripped up their letters in front of them. But I was sorry-not for the act, but for what it meant.

As a girl who had sworn never to fall in love, I had to be ruthless. I couldn't let them hold onto even a sliver of hope. Better they shed a few tears now than fall too deep and suffer heartbreak later.

Even when they pouted and claimed the letter was for Cari and not for me, I remained unmoved.

Ha! Not even men yet, and already they were learning the tricks of playing hard to get.

At Meadow Ridge, my best companions were naturally Cari, Bun, Thia, and Rod. Oh, and for a time, Thia's senior joined us in our games. But he later left the mountain to travel the land and help the weak. Thia said he was nursing a broken heart.

Those youthful days were simple, with no strange troubles, only joy in the wild hills and the aches from martial arts training.

well. After she and I made peace and became friends, I began to see more

to say that he rather put on airs. While the rest of us spoke only of martial arts-swordplay, footwork, dagger forms, and the like-he alone would open a folding fan and begin reciting poetry, showing

Meadow Ridge, there was only one person who could recite poetry with a fan in hand and look the part-Kyle. Gentle, learned, and polished, he seemed as though he had stepped straight

was merely imitating him,

of oddities. He would also go to the theatre and return to tell us the stories. Tales of strange happenings, amusing events-we loved hearing

it, that was just the sort of tale Isaac brought back from the towns below. But none of the others cared for such stories. I

mood. When he reached the frightening parts, he would lower his voice and glance about with wide eyes, as though

grew terribly tense, clutching his arm out of fear, even though I still wanted to hear more. That mix

my mentor, Sage

was an apprentice of the Pathfinders Guild, he was always wandering off to improper places. Also, with that shifty, sly look of his, he

thought me terribly ignorant to judge him so. If Isaac's face was sly-looking, then there weren't many decent-looking people left in

pleasure houses. But Isaac was just listening to music, watching plays, and playing some card games

how stingy Sage Everett was, Isaac

Conrad insisted Isaac had been visiting those places to seek

apprentices from Meadow Ridgonet

and going from them. He even said Isaac had thrown money about like a lord, which could only mean he had stolen from his