Header PromotionGathering Blue
In a simple village, a small group of officials, known as the Council of Guardians, rule over the people. The members that make up the Council of Guardians live in a modern structure known as the Edifice. There is a yearly gathering of the people that make up the village. A singer tells the story of the village by singing it. The singer uses a staff and robe to guide himself and help tell the story of the history of the people.
Kira, a teenage girl with a leg deformed from birth, has just lost her mother. She stays with her mother’s body, in the field, until the spirit leaves the body. Unsure of her future Kira returns to her home and finds her neighbors attempting to take control of her land. Vandara, and most of the women of her village want to kill her because she is no longer any use to them. Kira reminds the women that if they kill her, without getting approval from the council, they too will be killed. The council hears Vandara’s case against Kira and a guardian named Jamison is appointed to represent Kira. The council decides that Vandara may take Kira’s land, but Kira’s life will be spared with the condition that she live at the Edifice and continue repairing the robe, as her mother did before her death. She soon meets Thomas, a boy about her age, also living at the Edifice, since his parents died. It is Thomas’ job to maintain the carvings of the singers’ staff. Kira expected the threads for the singers’ robe to already have been dyed the appropriate colors. Kira is sent to Annabella, a wise and old woman, for lessons on how to dye threads. She also teaches Kira what plant makes each color dye for the threads. Kira is often with her young friend Matt and his dog Branch. Kira and Tomas become friends as they tend to their daily duties. Kira travels each day on foot through the forest to study with Annabella. During one of Kira’s trips to Annabella’s cott, she is certain she hears unseen beasts in the forest following her. When she tells Annabella about her scary trip, the old women tells her “there be no beasties”. Later on, Kira tells Jamison about her conversation with Annabella and her statement that “there be no beasties”. Jamison seems upset by Annabella’s claim and says that such talk is dangerous. Thomas becomes convinced that he keeps hearing a crying child somewhere in the building. One rainy day, Thomas, Kira and Matt decide to investigate the crying sound. They discover a little girl named Jo, living in a locked room directly below Thomas’. Matt is familiar with the girl, since she is known throughout the Fen for her beautiful singing voice. A few days after Kira told Jamison what Annabella said about the beasts, Annabella is found dead in her cott. Kira is shocked by the news and begins to think that Annabella’s death may not have been natural. Kira and Thomas travel to Matt’s home in the Fen. Matt’s younger sibling explains to them that Matt was going to see some friends but was stopping to pick up blue for one of them. The time of the Gathering arrives and the entire village gathers at the Edifice. Seated at the front of the Gathering, Kira notices that Matt has finally returned.
When the time for lunch comes, the Gathering has an intermission and Kira goes and talks to Matt in her room. When she gets there, he gives her some blue threads and says there is a big gift coming. The Ruin song resumes and Kira comes to a disgusting realization. The singer’s ankles are chained together and they are bloody. Once the ceremony has ended, Kira and Thomas run up to her room. When they get there they find a strange blind man waiting for them. Matt happily introduces the stranger as his big gift and the man reveals that he is actually Christopher, Kira’s dead father. When Kira brings up Jamison in conversation with her father, he tells her that Jamison is the person who tried to kill him. Then he tells her that a group of people from another village saved him. Christopher tells his story and then invites Kira to come with him to his village to start a new life. Kira considers his offer over night, and prepares to leave with him in the morning. She finally remembers the horrible discovery she made during the Ruin song. She decides that she will stay in her village and work toward creating a better future for her people by working within the system. She vows to stay in touch with her father, through Matt, planning one day to join him.
Trice
Grab a book, have an adventure!
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