Extraits

On eût dit une réunion de famille plutôt qu'une assemblée de gens qui cherchaient à prévenir un désastre. Je songeai à ma propre famille et pris conscience que nos réunions étaient souvent les deux. L'amiral de la reine Etta était monté à bord pendant que nous étions occupés avec la figure de proue ; Hiémain Vestrit était déjà assis à la table, et Althéa mettait de la tisane à infuser quand nous les rejoignîmes dans la cabine du capitaine.

"Where are we?"

"Where we need to be. The only place left for us to be."

"You were wrong, [...]. The problem is not that we forget the past. It is that we recall it too well. Children recall wrongs that their enemies did to their grandfathers, and blame the granddaughters of the old enemies. Children are not born with memories of who insulted their mother or slew their grandfather or stole their land. Those hates are bequeathed to them, taught them, breathed into them. If adults didn't tell children of their hereditary hates, perhaps we would do better. Perhaps the Six Duchies would not hate Chalced. Would the Red Ships have come to the Six Duchies if the OutIslanders did not recall what we had done to their grandparents?"

Night had fallen over the harbour. Lanterns burned on the masts of nearby ships and lamplight shone in the more distant windows [...], but they were only brighter sparks beneath the far-flung strewing of stars above us in the night sky. I looked up and suddenly longed fiercely for good forest and soil under my feet and prey that I could kill and eat. For the simple things that made life good.

"Yes, Wolf Father." I spoke his name in my mind to give me courage. I reminded myself that I was the child of a wolf, even if my teeth and claws were pathetic things. I would fight.