STANDING ON THE ROOFTOPS

Quote:The woman who greets him is neither King nor Queen (for all he knows, his dam is still the leading woman in Glaciem). Ruby gaze settles upon her, deciding her to be an Armada of a lesser strand, particularly due to her close resemblance to Vereux?s appearance. The thought makes his heart ache; he misses his littermates dearly, and he needs them. He needs his parents as well, of course, but he does not feel quite the same protective urges towards them as he does towards his brothers and sisters. Alas, when the woman arrives at the obvious conclusion, he nods. ?As are you,? he announces. ?Or you?re a sheep in wolf?s clothing,? he says, eyes cutting over her, trying to decide which. She could very well be blood and not qualify for the name Armada.

Alas, Voltaire cannot truly make a decision about what sort of woman she is right off the bat. Instead he questions. ?Where are your Queen and King? I want to speak to my mother and father,? he says. No offense to her, of course, but with his age and the tension in his body he hopes she understands the desperation of a boy to see his parents. Perhaps he acts like a man, but he is a child still, and much growth lies ahead of the promising boy.