Graceful Fenister
- Graceful Fenister might only be twelve years old, but she knows a lot about how her life will turn out. She knows who she will marry, where she will live, and even what her kids' names will be. It's not that she's a planner or anything—this is just how things are done where she lives.
- In fact, the only things she doesn't know about her life are: (1) when she will die, and (2) how many kids she'll have.
- While she's thinking, a horse wanders close to their land and she bets her dad what type it is. She and her dad have a friendly banter about stuff.
- A messenger from the Uplanders—named Gerrad—arrives and Graceful's stepmom makes her curtsy.
- At dinner, they talk over the messenger and how Uplanders like silk. Still Fenister linen is famous all over because it's soft.
- Graceful thinks back to when she first started making bets with her dad. She was little and wanted to go riding with him, but she wasn't allowed.
- She promised to not move from the stables until she got to go riding, but her dad promised to get her a pony if she moved. Tough choice.
- Graceful confides in us that her father always wins the bets, but somehow she always ends up on top.
- The next day, all the women of Fenister Fort go out to the fields and pick the flax to make the fabric. It turns out this fabric made Fenister into what it is today, so it's really important.
- Out there, Isla teaches Graceful a new clapping game and song.
- Later, Graceful's dad asks her if she wants to plant a special mulberry tree; she's excited to plant it, and he tells her a little tale while she works.
- Long ago, Fenister Fort and Dorn-Lannet were both full of lords in charge of the defense line. This seems weird to Graceful, because everyone farms in Fenister, but her dad explains that each of the lords fought each other until there was only one left: Dorn-Lannet.
- Hmmm… this makes Graceful think of Cam Attling, who was sent back from war with a new horse, but without an arm.
- Once they're done planting the tree, Graceful must name the new field. She picks the name "Merrydance" since that was her stepmom's last name before she got hitched and became a Fenister.
- Just then, her dad's creepy woodman comes out from behind the trees. Her dad gets annoyed because he's not supposed to be here, so the woodsman goes back into—you guessed it—the woods.
- Then Isla comes up and tells them that they are here and want to talk. Pronto.
- Graceful hears someone say the war has hurt their livelihood and everyone seems to know it.
- After her dad leaves, she chats with Isla about boys and how Graceful is betrothed to Cam. Her dad has to make him a visit to finalize the details of their union though.
- Then Graceful's stepmom explains how silk is made to Graceful. It's pretty gross to her because it starts out with boiling caterpillars to find the silk thread. Yuck.
- Graceful asks her dad if he will pay Cam a visit soon, to, er, smooth over the wedding negotiations, but he doesn't answer her at first.
- Later, he tells her that Cam is "undone" and she can't marry him any more. What?
- Graceful doesn't get it. How could she be about to get married one minute, and then have the wedding called off the next? She's asked to leave while the grown-ups talk over the specifics.
- When all the T's are crossed and I's are dotted, Graceful's dad asks her if she wants to go down to the stable and check out what kind of horse it was—they do have a bet to settle, after all.
- It's a filly. Even though Graceful won, she still feels like a loser.