A Story Told by the Mothers in Grey House The Hellebore Lady Visits
A Story Told by the Mothers in Grey House: The Hellebore Lady Visits
This is holy and ancient knowledge. In the Hellebore Era, the Sparrows first arose, and brought knowledge forth from Black Tower, and back to Black Tower. They had not far to go, for Yellow Tower and Red Tower had not yet arisen. In the Hellebore Era, stories were first written down. The Lady of Black Tower, granddaughter of the first Hellebore Lady, took the signs for writing from the Lady of Blue, and they became the seed of the Library. The Hellebore Lady went out with the Sparrows, bringing knowledge forth from Black Tower, and back to Black Tower. The Hellebore Lady desired that all should know and use these signs, and to her will and her Sparrows bowed Blue.
But Grey did not bow. The Lady said, Memory is the greatest wonder. The Lady said, To remember is to engrave knowledge in one’s flesh. Sparrow after Sparrow was sent to her, but the Lady broke them and sent them back, saying, We will not remove knowledge from our bodies.
At last the Hellebore Lady arose with her Sparrows and came to see her sister. Citrine the Yellow accompanied her, for it was Citrine of Yellow who had long been the arms and hands of Black Tower. Wasp the Red accompanied her, for it was Wasp of Red who had long been the spear and shield of Black Tower. The three of them stood in the court before Grey House and said, Come out, sister.
At this time the Lady of Grey was the one who had always been: the Lady of the Rose Era. Citrine the Yellow and Wasp the Red were of the Roses, too: her true sisters. But Hellebore of Black was not. Dynasties had risen and fallen since the Roses, and Hellebore was new, and arrogant, and young.
And the Lady of Grey came out in the presence of her women and offered them water. They drank. She offered them bread and salt. They ate. And she sang. They listened.
The Lady of Grey sang a song of sleep, and Citrine the Yellow fell. She sang a song of stillness, and Wasp the Red moved not. And to Hellebore she did not sing, but lifted her veil to meet the proud eyes of the Lady of Black Tower. Then the Lady of Grey took the miraculous knife of Wasp the Red, and gave it to the guardians as their sword. Then the Lady of Grey took the miraculous mirror of Citrine the Yellow, and gave it to the doctors to strengthen their sight. Then in the presence of her women, the Lady of Grey said to Hellebore, No.
And never again did Sparrows come to Grey, for terrible in the sight of Hellebore were the eyes of the Lady of Grey. After the Hellebores fell, the guardians learned to read, and the doctors, and the tutors. But the women in grey: never.