Lys: A Matched Pair

Aithne handed a basket up to her. "I'll pick the low ones, then." She noticed, with some relief, that the orchard did not seem so close as the garden. Perhaps because it is cooler among the leaves. But there was still no birdsong. And with the trees muffling the bustle of the villa, it became more apparent.

She worked on in silence for a bit, enjoying the scent of the apples, but eventually she asked, "Guttersnipe... have you noticed how quiet it is?"