A wave of excitement and nervousness surged in Theora's stomach. This was it. The Capital! The lady happily traded places with Theora to let her watch outside the window as they approached the Capital; the train slowed down as they reached the first line of buildings, and immediately, it hit Theora how big the Capital ought to be compared to her village, or even the city she knew; she couldn't see where the city ended. Only lines and lines of buildings on the horizon, some taller than others, some with a different shape, and a thin cloud of smoke floating above the roofs.
"It's absolutely dreadful in the winter," the lady told her. "The snow turns gray from all the ashes from the chimneys! You're coming during the better months, darling."
Theora would have been curious to see the Capit
