Name: Lost For Words
Story: Starfall
Colors: Light Black #26 (swap)
Supplies and Styles:
Word Count: 1143
Rating: G
Warnings: None.
Notes: Portcallan, 1313; Leion Valerno, Viyony Eseray, Arna Valerno, Leily Valerno, Nin Valerno. Follows on from Shadows On the Glass
Summary: You can't believe everything you read.

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Leion swooped down on Nin as she was sitting on the floor, scowling at an old book. "What are you doing with that?"

"Using it for school," said Nin. "Isn't that all right?"

Arna looked up from her chair. "I made sure she was being careful with it. Is there something wrong?"

"Not with Nin, don't worry," said Leion. He patted his niece on the head as he lifted the book out of her hands. "This!"

Nin scrambled to her feet. "It was glowing. I told you it was glowing, didn't I?"

Leily, who was perched on the edge of Leion's desk, paused in the act of dangling string in front of the long-haired grey kitten to roll her eyes. "Books don't glow."

"Some of them do." Leion laid the volume down on the desk, open. He waved at Nin to lower the brightness of the lightstone lamp, and in the gloom, the faint illumination from its pages was obvious.

Viyony stepped nearer, brushing her fingers against the pages. "A lightwood book? How fascinating! I've heard of them, but I've never seen one before."

"Yes, well, this one is an oddity all round," said Leion. "I was supposed to take it up to the relevant offices in Chamber Square and get it sent to Starfall Manor, but I've been busy."

Arna shook her head. "What a surprise." She rose, and crossed to join the rest around the desk, where she turned to Viyony with a smile. "Imai Eseray. It's good to see you again."

"But can't I still use it to finish my work?" asked Nin. "I'm almost done, and I won't hurt it, I promise."

Leion sat on the desk, shunting Leily to one side. "If it was only the lightwood, I'd let you, starlet. But it's also not an actual copy of Eforo's History of Callamaine and it's got some downright lies in it. You'd better make sure you haven't copied any of them. What were you looking at?"

"Things about the first High Governor." Nin moved closer. "Uncle Leio! I can't do it all again! You should have proper history books—that's not fair."

He raised his gaze over the edge of the book to look down at her. "Luckily for you, I'm pretty sure that section was the same as usual." He flicked over the pages, scanning the text as he went. "Yep. Looks right, although if you've got a copy at home, you'd better double check that to be on the safe side."

"What is the matter with it, then?" said Arna.

Leion passed her the book. "See Chapter Ten."

Arna took it and began reading. A minute frown formed on her forehead. She turned over a page, and then another. "I don't understand."

"Nasty little joke, isn't it?"

"What, exactly, is supposed to be different?" she asked.

Leion raised his eyebrows. "All of it! General Sola's rebellion crushed before it started, and everything after pure fiction, not history."

"Don't be silly—there's nothing like that here." She closed it and handed it back. and then shook her head. "Leio! It's been much too tiresome a day for you to come in and start pulling their legs like that. When are you going to grow up?"

Leion rose slowly, clutching the book. "Good question. Sorry. You know me."

"Well," said Arna, and shrugged. She leant over and kissed his cheek. "Come on, you two, say goodbye to the cats and your uncle, and then we must go."

Leion held onto the book, watching as Leily and Nin crouched down to pet the kittens and Fern one last time in farewell; Leily then helping Viyony to corral them all back into their box for the night.

"Really, Leio," said Arna, standing beside him. "That business isn't something to joke about, even now."

He nodded. "I know."

Arna cast him a quick look, but Nin called to her, and Arna shook off whatever question might be forming in her mind; instead hastening over to gather up her own young and take them back to their beds. She turned at the door, as Nin and Leily moved ahead of her into the street. "Well, it's always nice to see you, anyway—and you, Imai Eseray! You are coming to dinner soon, yes?"

"I'm looking forward to it," Viyony said. She waved at them, while Leion leaned in to close the door. He still had the history book tucked under his arm.

Viyony followed him back into the study, watching as he put the tome down on his desk. He pressed it firmly shut, his hand resting on it, as if something might otherwise escape.

"Was it a joke?" she asked softly.

"Perhaps," said Leion. "Just not mine." He dropped into his chair, and re-opened the book. Viyony moved to stand beside him, where she could see it. He felt the faint warmth of her there; the scent on her festival dress. "I can't be going mad. Yita—the bookshop owner—pointed it out to me. I swear on all the Powers that the last time I looked through this, it had pages and pages of wild alternate history right here. And now—it's back to normal."

"Is it the same book? Could the bookshop owner or someone have been playing a trick on you? If they swapped it round afterwards, perhaps?"

Leion gazed down at the print, words blurring into each other. "I suppose that is the likeliest answer. But Yita wouldn't do a thing like that—why would he?"

"Not your friend, then. But someone else?"

"A mystery joker, who passed it to him, knowing he would give it to me, and who then crept in here to replace it when I was out?" Leion folded his arms. "It might not be as impossible as text changing when you're not looking, but I'm sure he told me he bought it at an auction. He gave me the flyer! Besides, there was no guarantee Yita would let me have it. He'd have sold it like a shot if a likely buyer had come along first. It can't be a trick, and it's not funny, if it is a joke."

"Then what is it?"

"I don't know," said Leion. He raised his head, meeting her gaze. "Almost as if something really did slip in here from another universe, just for a moment."

Viyony opened her mouth to object, but the memory of the vision or ghost she'd seen in Chamber Hall earlier caused her to bite her lip.

"You think I'm mad."

"No," she said, and laughed, sitting on the desk. "We both must be. Have you forgotten already? I see dreams and ghosts— you pick up books from another world."

Leion broke into a slow grin. "When you put it like that, it's oddly comforting."

"I'm not sure it should be."