‘You could have told me earlier!’ Nona took the vest and began to strip off her layers.
‘And if you had got wet again your death would have been assured.’
‘Fair point …’ Nona struggled into the dry clothes and hugged herself. She felt warmer already though a vest and leggings would be scant protection out in the open.
She cast a suspicious glance at Zole who had stooped to pick up the discarded garments. ‘Why aren’t you wet? You climbed up through half a dozen waterfalls!’
Zole stood, holding one of Nona’s shirts, frowning. A stream of grey water started to run from the lowest points of the dangling sleeves. ‘I find ice harder to work than stone, and water more difficult than ice. But I can do it.’ The stream became a dripping, then the dripping stopped. She handed the dry shirt back to Nona.
Nona put on each item as Zole dried it. The range-coat came last, ice flaking away from the outer surface as Nona slung it around her shoulders. Being dry after so long made her feel human again, the tainted water gone from her skin. With daylight in the distance she felt almost good. ‘Let’s go!’
A few hundred yards on and the end of the tunnel blazed ahead of them, a circle of hope.
‘Follow me.’ Zole raised her voice above the wind’s howl. ‘Step where I step. It is dangerous on the ice.’
‘It’s dangerous under the ice!’ Nona hurried towards the light.
Zole put an arm out to stop her. ‘More of those who leave the Corridor die on the ice than below it. Walk with respect here, Nona Grey. The white death waits.’
17
Holy Class
‘How could you not tell me you’d taken the Blade-test?’ Nona asked.
Ara held up her hands. ‘To begin with I didn’t want to put pressure on myself. If I failed I wanted to tell people in my own time, not have them lined up to ask me. And then afterwards I didn’t want to put pressure on you. Tallow said you’d be called up next.’
Nona shook her head. ‘I can’t believe you beat me to it.’
‘I’m almost two years older than you!’
‘You know what I mean. We joined the same day.’ Nona looked up at Path Tower. They had gone with the rest of the class to the lesson only to have Sister Pan gently point out that neither of them were in Holy Class any more and as such had no business in her classroom.
‘Explain it again,’ Ara said. ‘Nona Grey, a Holy Sister?’
‘I told you.’
‘You did, but I’m hoping it will make sense second time around.’
‘What’s wrong with being a Holy Sister?’ Nona asked. ‘It’s good enough for Jula but not for me? Don’t you love the Ancestor, Sister Thorn?’
‘I love the Ancestor fine, Sister Cage, but I know you love this.’ Ara patted the sword at her hip. ‘How are you going to live without all of … that?’
‘Abbess Glass didn’t need all of that and she made a difference. She was more dangerous than a dozen Red Sisters, or Grey, more deadly even than Holy Witches.’
‘But to never swing a sword again? And you’re so good at it! Isn’t it a sin not to use a gift the Ancestor gave to you?’
Nona said nothing for a long moment, her eyes on Ara’s sword. ‘Any sister can be drafted into the Red during an emergency. Jula says that the convents east of the Grampains armed even the youngest novices when the enemy came for them.’ Nona quoted: ‘“Every child of the Ancestor wore red on that day when the Scithrowl arrayed their number before the Convent of Wise Contemplation. They ran short of habits for Red Sisters and instead painted the newest novices with the blood of captured heretics”.’
Ara opened her mouth. Then closed it.
Nona looked up at the smoke-stained sky and shook her head. ‘I don’t think many days will pass before I’m handed a sword again, Sister Thorn.’
‘I should go and report to Sister Tallow— I mean Sister Iron,’ Ara said. ‘I take instruction from her now. And she from the abbess.’
‘And the abbess from the emperor …’ Nona frowned. ‘You don’t think the emperor actually talks to Wheel, do you?’
Ara shook her head. ‘Father told me that the new Lord Glosis is the emperor’s military adviser. Glosis instructs the generals, and General Wensis oversees the deployment of martial brothers and sisters in times of crisis.’ She glanced across to Blade Hall. ‘I’d better