Gathering Blue Summary
Gathering Blue begins with an orphan girl named Kira grieving her
mother’s death in the Field of Leaving. Even though her cot is burned down,
she resolves to make a new life in her village and Matt, a tyke from the Fen,
offers to help her.
When Kira comes to her cot space, she faces the women of the village,
led by Vandara. Vandara tells Kira to go and die in the Field, but Kira
calmly reasons with the women that they should take the matter to the
Council of Guardians. Vandara and the women agree to this.
At the trial, Kira, defended by a guardian named Jamison, is given the
task to repair the Singer’s Robe because of her extraordinary weaving ability.
Kira then meets Thomas the Carver, who is carving the Singer’s Staff for his
remarkable ability to carve. She then starts a daily routine in the Council
Edifice, and starts going to the forest every day to learn how to dye from
Annabella, her mother’s tutor in dyes.
Thomas thinks that he hears crying, so Kira, Matt, and Thomas go to
investigate. They find a tyke named Jo, who has a remarkable singing voice
and is being locked up so that she becomes the next Singer.
The next day, a hunt is being organized. Kira sees Matt and asks
Thomas to help stop him. They bring him back and wash him. Afterwards,
Kira goes into the woods and hears a beast. She tells Annabella, who tells
her there are no beasts. The next day, Annabella dies.
Kira notices that Matt has not shown up the last few days. She asks
Thomas to accompany her to the Fen and there finds out that Matt has gone
to find blue, the only dye she could not make.
The Gathering finally approaches. Kira, Thomas, and Jo are introduced
as the Weaver of the Future, the Carver of the Future, and the new Singer.
During the song, Kira spots Matt and speaks to him during lunch. Against all
odds, Matt has found blue! He says he found blue at another village, where
people are quiet and kind. A few days later, Matt returns with Christopher,
Kira’s father! Christopher explains that men beat him and left him for dead,
but he was rescued. He begs Kira to come back, but Kira says she will come
when the time is right.
The End