father rose, glancing at Curunan.
“Relieve the lady of those gifts, if you will. There is one more awaits her.”
Baffled, Eliani handed the contents of her lap to Curunan and accepted her father's assistance to rise. Gharinan came forward again, bearing across his arms a length of folded velvet, deep violet in hue.
Felisan threw back the cloth, revealing a sword. Eliani gasped as he picked it up, its golden-hued blade flashing in the fading daylight.
“This day you become warden of Alpinon's Guard. May this sword serve you well, even as you serve your realm.”
“Mountain-forged!”
Eliani glanced at Gharinan, who was smiling. His village was high in the Ebons, on the slopes of a peak whose fiery heart was the crafthall of mage-smiths.The blades they made there were infused with fire-khi, the molten power of the mountains. They were stronger, sharper, more perfectly balanced than normal blades. As Eliani accepted the sword from her father, she felt a whisper of the smith's khi, and an echo of fire, running through it.
“Thank you, Father! Oh, thank you!”
Felisan smiled, then began to usher the theyns out to the public circle for the Evennight celebration. Luruthin came up to admire the blade until Felisan shooed him away.
“Time enough for that later. The sun is about to set.”
Eliani gave the sword into Curunan's keeping and glanced at the large basket where he had stored her other gifts. She wanted to wear either House Jharanan's brooch or the crystal kestrel. It would be a politic gesture to wear the brooch, but it was large and heavy, and she feared it would weigh down her gown. She opened the box to look at it again. The gilded stag's heads gleamed, and torchlight glinted on the stones.
It was almost too fine. She remembered her thoughts about the clasp of Turisan's cloak: how it was finer than anything Alpinon could produce, how he seemed unconscious of its worth. Closing the box, she put it back in the basket.
She unfastened the kestrel's chain and put it about her neck. The little crystal bird lay atop the silken veil just at the hollow of her throat. She smiled. This was a burden she could bear.
Getting up from her chair, she found Luruthin hovering nearby. He offered her his arm.
“I thought my father had chased you away.”
“I am not so easily got rid of. May I escort you to the circle?”
“Thank you.”
She laughed, glad to be finished with courtesies,slightly giddy with her new gown flowing about her and an evening of celebration ahead. As they stepped out of the hall, she drew a deep breath of the cool autumn night, smelling wood smoke and roasting apples on the breeze.
All Highstone was gathered in the circle, the theyns mingling with the populace. Stonereach blue and violet flashed everywhere, accompanied by the colors of lesser kin-clans and autumn colors bright in the evening twilight.
The circle was decorated with flowers and harvest bounty: sheaves of ripe grain from the valley farms to the east, baskets of apples and grapes from mountain holdings. Minstrels played softly from the dais at the eastern side of the circle. They ceased as Lord Felisan stepped toward them, with Curunan bearing the Alpinon banner before him.
The governor walked to the easternmost point of the circle and raised his hands skyward. All fell silent.
“Ældar of the east, guardians of the air, we bid you welcome. Be with us this Evennight and watch over our celebrations.”
Solemnly he paced the perimeter of the circle, pausing again at the south to greet the ældar guardians of fire, the west to greet the guardians of water, and the north to greet the guardians of earth. Eliani watched and listened, knowing that someday, as governor, this would be her duty. Strange to think of herself addressing the high ældar. Those brightest of the spirits, guardians of the physical world, seemed remote to her.
Returning to the east, Felisan stepped onto the dais and raised his outspread arms. “Citizens of
“Relieve the lady of those gifts, if you will. There is one more awaits her.”
Baffled, Eliani handed the contents of her lap to Curunan and accepted her father's assistance to rise. Gharinan came forward again, bearing across his arms a length of folded velvet, deep violet in hue.
Felisan threw back the cloth, revealing a sword. Eliani gasped as he picked it up, its golden-hued blade flashing in the fading daylight.
“This day you become warden of Alpinon's Guard. May this sword serve you well, even as you serve your realm.”
“Mountain-forged!”
Eliani glanced at Gharinan, who was smiling. His village was high in the Ebons, on the slopes of a peak whose fiery heart was the crafthall of mage-smiths.The blades they made there were infused with fire-khi, the molten power of the mountains. They were stronger, sharper, more perfectly balanced than normal blades. As Eliani accepted the sword from her father, she felt a whisper of the smith's khi, and an echo of fire, running through it.
“Thank you, Father! Oh, thank you!”
Felisan smiled, then began to usher the theyns out to the public circle for the Evennight celebration. Luruthin came up to admire the blade until Felisan shooed him away.
“Time enough for that later. The sun is about to set.”
Eliani gave the sword into Curunan's keeping and glanced at the large basket where he had stored her other gifts. She wanted to wear either House Jharanan's brooch or the crystal kestrel. It would be a politic gesture to wear the brooch, but it was large and heavy, and she feared it would weigh down her gown. She opened the box to look at it again. The gilded stag's heads gleamed, and torchlight glinted on the stones.
It was almost too fine. She remembered her thoughts about the clasp of Turisan's cloak: how it was finer than anything Alpinon could produce, how he seemed unconscious of its worth. Closing the box, she put it back in the basket.
She unfastened the kestrel's chain and put it about her neck. The little crystal bird lay atop the silken veil just at the hollow of her throat. She smiled. This was a burden she could bear.
Getting up from her chair, she found Luruthin hovering nearby. He offered her his arm.
“I thought my father had chased you away.”
“I am not so easily got rid of. May I escort you to the circle?”
“Thank you.”
She laughed, glad to be finished with courtesies,slightly giddy with her new gown flowing about her and an evening of celebration ahead. As they stepped out of the hall, she drew a deep breath of the cool autumn night, smelling wood smoke and roasting apples on the breeze.
All Highstone was gathered in the circle, the theyns mingling with the populace. Stonereach blue and violet flashed everywhere, accompanied by the colors of lesser kin-clans and autumn colors bright in the evening twilight.
The circle was decorated with flowers and harvest bounty: sheaves of ripe grain from the valley farms to the east, baskets of apples and grapes from mountain holdings. Minstrels played softly from the dais at the eastern side of the circle. They ceased as Lord Felisan stepped toward them, with Curunan bearing the Alpinon banner before him.
The governor walked to the easternmost point of the circle and raised his hands skyward. All fell silent.
“Ældar of the east, guardians of the air, we bid you welcome. Be with us this Evennight and watch over our celebrations.”
Solemnly he paced the perimeter of the circle, pausing again at the south to greet the ældar guardians of fire, the west to greet the guardians of water, and the north to greet the guardians of earth. Eliani watched and listened, knowing that someday, as governor, this would be her duty. Strange to think of herself addressing the high ældar. Those brightest of the spirits, guardians of the physical world, seemed remote to her.
Returning to the east, Felisan stepped onto the dais and raised his outspread arms. “Citizens of
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