2x04
Twiggy and Kormick stepped into the Hall of the Water Walkers. The room, lit by hazy sunbeams pouring through tall windows, was full of light balanced by soft shadow.
"Hello?" Twiggy called. "Is anyone here?"
"One moment," said a voice from one side. Looking, Twiggy spotted a woman in flowing robes standing in a small antechamber, staring at the wall. Except she wasn't just staring – she was painting.
As Twiggy followed the strokes of the woman's brush, she really saw the walls of the hall for the first time. They were covered with images – scenes of faraway places merging and flowing into one another, a vast panorama. Twiggy gasped, her heart beating faster as she took it all in. "It's beautiful," she whispered.
"Thank you," said the woman, turning from the wall and setting down her brush.
"Did you – are these all places you've been?" Twiggy asked.
The woman smiled. "Of course."
Twiggy, awestruck, sent her gaze sailing over the ceiling again. "Where are you going next?"
"Nowhere, for now."
Twiggy frowned. "What? Why?"
The woman sighed, but said nothing, busying herself cleaning a paintbrush.
Kormick stepped forward. "We need to know about the Ironroot Mines.”
The woman looked startled. Twiggy stepped in. “What he means to say is, you have been to so many beautiful places. Have you by any chance been to the Ironroot Mines?"
"I have."
"Excellent,” Kormick declared. “You seem to have some ability to sketch and whatnot. How quickly can you draw us a map?"
The woman gave him a quizzical look. "He means,” said Twiggy, “you're an amazing artist, and we would be very, very grateful if you could share your wisdom with us."
The woman smiled. "It is not a simple path. I would be happy to make you a map, but it would take me until tomorrow, at least, to draw it properly."
"I don't need art," said Kormick. "I need a sheet of paper with some lumpy shapes to indicate mountains and a big red line showing the route."
Twiggy registered the woman’s discomfort. “What he means to say is, we appreciate your obvious gift for detail, but we would also appreciate anything you could do to expedite the process.”
"That's exactly what I said," Kormick muttered.
"I can prepare a simpler map by this afternoon," she said, "but it won't be complete."
Twiggy turned to Kormick, concerned. "I don't think we should go into the Ketkath Mountains without knowing as much as possible," she said. "Dona Giovanna's stories . . . Wait." An idea had struck her. "Could you come with us?" she asked the woman. "You could tell us everything we need to know, and maybe you'd find some new scenes for your mural!"
The woman's face developed a wistful expression as she took in Twiggy's enthusiasm. "Possibly," she said. "But I cannot leave right away. Perhaps tomorrow . . ."
Kormick shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said firmly. "We will wait here for the simple map, but we don't have time for more."
"Why?" asked Twiggy. "There's no reason we couldn't stay the night. We just got here!"
Kormick cast her a serious look. "We had best not," he said. Then he turned to the woman and took out a pouch of gold coins. "How much?"
As Kormick and the woman concluded their business, Twiggy stepped away, her eyes traveling again over the paintings. A waterfall leapt out as if it were truly liquid; a mysterious forest lurked in a shady corner. There was a whole world out there that she didn’t know. I've had a lifetime of learning. I've read libraries full of books. And I still don’t know enough, Twiggy thought. I don't know why Kormick is in such a hurry. I don't know why this woman is here painting instead of walking over the hills. And I don't know where any of these places really are. For as long as she could remember, Twiggy had always needed to know the reasons for things, but the desire to know had never been stronger than it was today. She jumped when Kormick called her name.
"Lady Chelesta! Time to go."
She smiled, a wistful smile to match the woman's, and followed Kormick out of the hall of sunlight and shadow.