Page 222 of Salt Between the Wolves

"There were references to records that no longer existed."

Eira leaned forward slightly.

"What kind of records?"

"Genealogies."

Ilva set aside one scroll and reached for another.

"Treaties."

Then another.

"Legal codes."

After a brief pause, she added,

"Religious texts."

That last category immediately caught Eira's attention because she knew exactly how carefully Frostvein guarded anything connected to tradition.

"Why destroy them?"

Ilva met her gaze.

"That is usually the correct question."

Neither woman spoke for several moments before the archivist continued.

"People imagine history disappears because someone hates the past."

She shook her head.

"In my experience, that is rarely true."

"What is true?"

The older woman rested one hand on the parchment.

"History disappears when it becomes inconvenient."

The words settled heavily between them.

Eira thought of her father immediately, not because she wanted to, but because she couldn't help it. The feeling must have shown on her face, because Ilva watched her quietly without pushing, without rescuing her from the thought, and without interrupting the conclusion forming in her mind.

Finally, Eira spoke.

"Do you think my father destroyed them?"

The question sounded far more personal than she intended.

Ilva's answer came slowly and carefully.

"I think powerful people rarely burn documents themselves."

Eira blinked as the older woman continued.

"But they often create reasons for someone else to do it."