Tito said. He looked Caden up and down and scrunched up his face. âDidnât you wear that yesterday? Did you even shower?â
Caden bristled. True, heâd first been confused by the small, closet-size room Tito had called a âbathroom.â It was nothing like the baths of the Winter Castle. They were tiled in Razzonian marble and filled with hot spring water and snowmelt transported downslope to the castle by great stone aqueducts. The waters were always clear and steaming. Then heâd noticed the strange spigot and wash basin.âIâm clean,â he said. âI rinsed my clothes and person in the tiny washroom.â
Tito rummaged around in his pile of unfolded, wrinkled clothes. âHere,â he said.
Caden caught the wad of clothing that flew at his face. âWhatâs this for?â
âYou donât wear good clothes to run the mountain. Especially in the rain.â
Maybe not, but Caden didnât wear other peopleâs clothes, period. Nor would he wear this cheap scratchy fabric. He sniffed the clothes and frowned.
âLook, your royal highness,â Tito said, âtheyâre old but theyâre clean.â
Caden had promised to be gracious, but he couldnât bring himself to say thank you when he wasnât at all thankful for the worn pants and shirt. His clothes were of higher quality and better fit. He rubbed the thin fabric between his fingers.
âIâll wear them,â Caden said.
âWhatever,â Tito said and stood up. âYou coming or what?â
Caden quickly changed into the peasantâs garb. The material hung loose around his shoulders. He pulled at it, but it remained poorly fitted.
Tito seemed amused. âYou gotta eat more,â he said. âAt least try to bulk up.â
Caden was tall for his age, and, no doubt, would growto be as tall as his brothers. âIâm the same size as you.â
âAlmost. But youâre gonna shrink if you donât eat.â
âThatâs nonsense.â Caden grabbed his coat and traced the embroidery with his finger. Legend was that the Winterbird, the symbol of Razzon and the royal family, was one of the eight Elderkind that formed the lands and magic of the Greater Realm.
Four were said to have formed the lands. The Kingdom of Razzon, the whole of the Winterlands, was built where the Winterbird had come to ground. Razzonâs great peaks were the outline of its frozen wings, Razzonâs deep-blue twin lochs, its ever-watching and protective eyes.
Next was the Walking Oak, which rooted to form the Springlands. Third was the great Sunsnake, whose movements turned the sands of the Summerlandsâ deserts. Last was the Bloodwolf. Its red and brown fur could still be seen in the Autumnlandsâ great prairies and red-leaved forests.
The other four Elderkind were the powerful and fickle Elderdragons. Two of themâthe Gold Elderdragon and the Silver Elderdragonâwere charmed by man. In return they taught strategy, medicine, and magic to the peoples of the realms. It was said that magic with the most altruistic of motives often glowed in silver and gold in memory of their teachings.
The other twoâthe Blue Elderdragon and the Red Elderdragonâwere angered. They punished the lands with disease, war, and dark magic. Magic of hate, magicof anger spurred whispers of their influence, destructive dragon-shaped energy that still echoed their true forms.
Tito coughed and startled Caden from his memories of myths and home. He pointed to Cadenâs coat. âThatâll get messed up on the mountain,â he said.
His coat was enchanted. It bore the symbol of the royal Winterbird. It stayed clean, always; it stayed the opposite of âmessed up.â âWeâll see,â Caden said.
âNo, we wonât. Rosa wonât let you wear it.â
Caden pulled his arms through the sleeves and grinned. âHowâs she going to