Just a little meme that looks like fun. It comes from this post. This is from page 123 of Wind, Bear, and Moon which happens to be a chapter break (number 27 if you are interested). Feel free to read it, comment, or even just go "wtf are you talking about?". :)

The forest lit up with the sounds and and sights of morning. Birds called out to one other as the fog lingered near the roots of the trees. Above, the sky was streaked with clouds; darker masses were boiling in the west. Rain hung in the air, threatening the day to come.

Still weak, Sonia stumbled with almost every step. The pain from the sword cut had faded, and only the slash in her dress reminded her how close she came to dying. Self-consciously, she dropped her hand to her stomach and felt the thin line of a scar. She frowned at the thought, remembering the agony of it cutting deep. Every muscle in her body felt sore and exhausted, but she still walked.

Her eyes slid to the right, watching Dyfan match her steps as he stared out into the woods. His light delicate scent teased her senses, like a flower just over the corner. On the other hand, Welf managed to keep up with her, breathing heavily as he climbed over logs and through the underbrush. She noticed his arm seemed different, a silvery shimmer to it, and he kept rubbing it. She wondered if it hurt but somehow the silver tracery seemed familiar, like the clouds that haunted her dreams.

Sonia paused for a second, then forced herself to keep on walking before Welf questioned her. Memories of the sky-filled world drifted, and she wondered if it were a dream or something else.

“Sonia, are you okay?”

Sonia jumped as the smells as Welf came closer. Concern radiated from his body as he rested one hand on her arm. She shivered at the sensation, feeling a fluttering in her heart.

“I-I’m okay, nothing wrong.”

“If you are sure...”

He didn’t sound convinced so Sonia wagged her tail. It was obvious to her she lied to him, but Welf didn’t seem to notice. He gave her a shy smile, then focused on climbing around a large rock. She watched him, embarrassed from the attention.

Welf made everything better, although she didn’t know how. She remembered feeling blood on her stomach then the endless sky. She didn’t know how she woke up in the night with Welf clutching her tightly and whispering out her name. The sadness in his voice started her whimpering, and she clamped down on it. The words of the wind rose up in her mind, distracting her.

Wind daughter.

It didn’t make sense, but it gave her something to puzzle over as she struggled through roots and rough ground. Her toes hurt; the soles of her feet hurt; everything hurt. Her feet were blistered, and she wanted desperately to stop, but there was no way she could. She couldn’t fail Welf as he tried so carefully to get them home safely. Even Dyfan’s silent looks pushed her forward and helped her to endure the suffering.

This is actually one of those pauses after a major event in the story. It deals with the realization that the teenagers are changing in the story, one of them with a near-death experience and the other who is beginning to suffer under the effects of being a healer. In this case, the silver tattoos are influenced by Ann Maxwell, who wrote Firedancer and Dancer's Luck, one of those books that influences me.

It is also a time of secrets. Sonia doesn't know how far she was hurt (actually, it wasn't a "near death" experience and more of a "dead" experience) and Welf hasn't figured where the tattoos came from. So, it is that uncomfortable period where two teenagers are gaining magical powers and neither has the social skills to really communicate it with each other. Dyfan, the third teen, is quietly working out his own troubles with the forest spirits, but he doesn't talk normally so it is less of an issue but still haunting him.

Not to mention, Sonia, the dog girl, and Welf, the baron's son, are kind of falling for each other despite the class differences.