Chapter 14 Section 14 Rebuilding Relationships

"I stood like a pillar for a while, then turned and left quietly. I couldn't help but wonder if this is what happened to Buckkeep after it had a queen? I climbed two more flights of stairs, walked back through the corridor to his bedroom. There was a rotten smell and there was no fire in the fireplace. The room was deserted and dusty, and without feminine decorations, it looked like a barren prison cell. It was as lifeless as life, but it was always warmer than sleeping in a tent in the snow, and the feather bed was as soft and deep as I remembered. I took off my weather-beaten traveling clothes, then went to the bed and lay down, and after a while Just fell asleep.

The oldest reference to the Elderlings in the Buckkeep Library is nothing more than a squashed scroll.The indistinct discolouration of the faded hide suggested that the hide came from a mottled beast with mottled spots that were alien to our hunters.The ink writing on the scroll, extracted from cuttlefish juice and the roots of bell plants, has stood the test of time intact and is far superior to the inks originally used for illustrations and illuminated texts.Not only did the ink fade and fall off, it also attracted termite bites in many places, hardening the soft vellum and making the scroll brittle and difficult to open.

Unfortunately, the damage is concentrated in the innermost part of the scroll, where King Wisdom's quests are recorded, which are not found in other texts.From the remaining fragments of the scroll, we can see his extreme need to visit the ancient spirit's home.His troubles are familiar to us, with ships relentlessly encroaching on his coastline, and these remnants of debris implying that he rode to the kingdom of the mountains, but we don't know why he doubts that road will take him To the mysterious ancient spirit home.Unfortunately, his encounter with the ancient spirits at the end of his journey seems to have been vividly described, but here the parchment is badly worn and crumbled to pieces.

We also know nothing of this first contact, much less how he made the ancient spirits his allies.Many ballads full of symbolism describe how the Old Spirits fell from the sky, such as "Snowstorm", "The Wave", "Golden Vengeance" and "Rage in the Stones" have all driven the raiders from our coasts.The legend also tells of the Elder Spirits swearing to the Wisdom that if the Six Duchies need help, they will once again rally to our defense.So one may guess, and many have done so, and the legends of this alliance are evidence, but the events recorded in King Wise's papers have been eaten away by mold and worms.

My bedroom has a tall window overlooking the ocean.In winter, a tapestry of tapestry hung over a wooden shutter shelters the harsh winds, giving my room the illusion of warmth and cosiness.I usually wake up in the dark, lying still and exploring myself.Gradually, the faint sound of Buckkeep reached my ears through the window.This is the sound of the morning, the sound of the morning.Home, I see, is at Buckkeep.Then, I immediately yelled "Molly" into the darkness, but my body was still tired and aching, so I had to climb out of bed and walk into the cold room. I staggered to the long-unused fireplace and lit a feeble fire.I need more firewood quickly.Jumping flames brought a yellowish glow to the room, and I took out clothes from the wardrobe under the bed, but they didn't fit at all.My long illness has worn down my muscles, but my hands and feet have somehow grown longer.None of them fit.I picked up the shirt I was wearing yesterday and put it down again.A good night's sleep in a clean bed leaves my nose smelling fresh.I can no longer tolerate sweaty, stinky clothes on the go.I continued to search through my closet and found a soft brown shirt that used to have too long sleeves but now fits nicely.I put it on with my green thread hiking trousers and high boots.No doubt if I run into Lady Patience or Master Frightwind I'll be criticized for my attire and they'll make me change into something else, but I don't want to spend breakfast and go to Buckkeep Encountered them before the city.

There may be many places in Buckkeep where I can inquire about Molly's whereabouts. I sensed that the castle was not fully awake, but ready to go.I ate my breakfast in the kitchen as I did when I was a child, the bread was still fresh and the barley porridge was still sweet.The chef was very happy when he saw me. He said that I had grown up a lot, and then he said how I looked so thin and tired.I guess I'll be genuinely sick of such observations before the day is over.When the traffic in the kitchen increased, I slipped away with a slice of thick bread smeared with butter and rosemary jam, and went back to the room to get my winter cloak.

Every room I passed revealed Kettricken's presence.A brocade tapestry made of grasses of different colors, with the atmosphere of the mountains, adorns the small hall.Though there were no flowers to pick at this time of year, the subtle transformations I saw in unexpected places filled with pebbles in earthenware bowls, elegantly planted with twigs or dried thistles and cattails, were indeed striking. I found myself in the old quarters of Buckkeep, then up the dusty stairs to Verity's Beacon.Our shores are clearly visible from the wide vista here, and Verity keeps watch over the Red Ship from his tall windows in summer.Here he uses the Skill to hold back the raiders, or at least warn us of them.This defense is sometimes insufficient, and he should have a subordinate who is also Skilled to help.Despite my bastard blood, I've never been able to control my spiky spiritual abilities.

Our Skill Master, Garen, died before he could train a group of skilled apprentices. No one could replace him, and those he trained lacked a sense of identity with Verity.So, Verity alone wields the Skill against our foes, leaving himself prematurely aged.I fear that he will overuse his energy, allow himself to become obsessed with the Skill, and let his body gradually weaken. By the time I climbed to the top of the spiral staircase in the Beacon Tower, the wind made my legs ache.Because the hinges on the door were oiled, I pushed lightly and the door swung open.I walked quietly into the room out of habit, thinking I wouldn't see Verity or anyone else in there.The fierce sea winds are our winter guards, preventing robbers from invading the coast.The windows in the beacon tower did not have curtains, and the gray light came in through the windows, and I couldn't help blinking.Verity looked like a black silhouette against a gray sky in a storm, and he didn't turn around. "Close the door," he said quietly. "The vents on the steps make the room as windy as a chimney."

I closed the door and stood shaking.The wind brings the breath of the ocean, and I breathe it in as if it were life. "I didn't know I'd find you here," I said.He kept his eyes on the sea. "You don't know? Then why are you here?" His tone was full of interest.This shocked me. "I don't know, I'm just going back to my room..." My voice got weaker and weaker as I tried to remember why I came here.