I always knew it was ill-fated, but he truly believed I would be his bride. I guess I'd never realized that before. He had taken my mucker hand and looked at my mottled face and believed we would wed. And he hadn't seemed sorry. In fact, he'd swooped me up in a corridor and kissed me. That set me to crying.

Your head will be fine,” said Miri. “It’s your neck you should worry about.

And new, too. Remade. Ready to move again. Listening was the start, she decided. Doing was the next step.

I was sorry to lose it, and if you make me another one, I promise not to get taken captive by bandits and have to use it to save my life.

I'm not bossy - I just happen to be more capable than most everyone else.

Being a writer is a good, good thing.

She answered by standing and kissing him first and held his cheeks and closed her eyes and felt sure as bones and deep as blood that she had found her place.