Meadowcity Read Online Free

doorframe in its usual place, but she tucked a small dagger inside the sheath in her belt instead. It wouldn’t be necessary to bring the long knife to the Healer’s Hall.  Hopefully .
    She shrugged into her jacket, running her hands down its smooth sides.  Her father had bought it for her when she had first become a Rider.  Tripping her memory, she called out into the hallway, “Where’s Lark this morning?”
    Her mother replied from the other room, “Out in the back fields.  He’s been helping bring the grain in.  I think city life is too slow for him.”  Sylvia could hear the smile in her mother’s voice, knowing that Adeline Thorne was one of the luckiest women in Meadowcity.  Her husband, a Rider for decades, had always come home to her.  The same could not be said for every Rider.  Adeline was grateful that Lark had recently retired and settled back down in the city, busying himself with city councils, building projects, and apparently, bringing in grain.
    Sylvia came back into the main room, excited but on edge for what might happen today.  She knew Gero had said war, but could it really be?  There had never been a war in all the hundreds of years the Four Cities existed. 
    Each City operated on its own.  Each had their own ruling government, their own systems that had functioned for ages.  There was trade, there was friendship between them.  What had changed?  Was it the message from Skycity, or the boy from Riftcity?
    Tucking a short strand of sandy-colored hair behind her ear, Sylvia slipped her shoulder pack on and headed for the door.  On her way by the table, she tugged lightly on Sonia’s braid.  “Maybe later I’ll take you down to the lake for those flowers, okay?”  Sonia’s smile grew wide, and she nodded eagerly.
    She called goodbye to her mother and Sonia, and stepped in to the morning sun, closing the door behind her.
    Even with the possibility of war hovering over her, Sylvia reveled in the feeling of the morning sun on her face and the cool, sweet air that filled her lungs.  It’s good to be home , she thought.
    Meadowcity was bathed in light from the rising sun, its rays glinting off of the unlit glass lamps all over the city.  Sylvia struck out not for the perimeter path, but followed the stone one that led inward toward the lake. 
    The path was more or less straight as it led her through the different clusters of villas.  Most of Meadowcity was just waking up; its many chimneys beginning to smoke with breakfast fires.  The Healer’s Hall where she was to meet Gero was located towards the center of the city by the lake.  Sylvia’s path merged with many other paths along the way, since almost all of them led inward.
    Two great intersecting paths divided the city into four quarters.  The upper left quarter was known as the farming quarter, where Sylvia’s father was now.  The other three quarters were not so easily defined.  Meadowcity had many types of shops and workplaces and these were located closest to the center.  The city’s villas were gathered towards the perimeter path.   Sylvia’s wide stone path was now leading her towards the woodworkers’ shops as she headed for the lake.
    The woodworker’s section was one of her favorite places to walk through.  Intricately carved benches, chairs and tables displayed along the path in front of some shops, and beautifully gleaming bows, staves or spears in front of others.  Woodworking was Meadowcity’s pride.  The huge forest that surrounded the city gave them all they needed for their craft; sometimes even using wood that came from the treewall itself.  Those pieces were highly prized and very expensive, as it was illegal to cut anything from the treewall, and they could only use the rare pieces that came off the trees naturally.
    The other Cities were known for other specialties—Lightcity was known for its supreme glasswork, and Riftcity was renowned for its stonework.  Skycity was known for its