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"You will need to fill large shoes, Nightbird," Toer Lockless"

"Replace hier balked "You speak as if he is already dead"

"In the clutches of Kos-kosio Begulne, he lanced to Juraviel, the two exchanging wry ser said

Belster nearly hopped for joy, his hopes soaring

Elbryan was surprised to find Pony up and waiting for hiinning to brighten with the hint of dawn

"I would have expected you to sleep the day away after your ef-forts with the stones," the ranger said

"I would, were this not so important a day," Pony replied

Elbryan wore a puzzled expression, but only for a moment as he considered Pony&039;s stance, her sword belted at her hip "You wish to learn the sword-dance," he reasoned

"As you agreed," said Pony

The ranger&039;s lack of enthusiasm showed clearly "There are so er Lockless, an iure to these folk, is held prisoner in Caer Tinella, and we have to take a reckoning of the band, to see who can fight and who cannot"

"So you do not intend to do your oord-dance this ht by her logic

"Where is Juraviel?"

"He was gone when I awoke," Pony replied "But is he not gone every , after all?"

"To his oord-dance, likely," said the ranger "And to scout the area Many of the Touel&039;alfar prefer this time of day, just before the dawn"

"As do I," said Pony "A fine tiainst her persistence "Coin"

He led her through the dark forest and down into a se brush

"I have seen you fight," he explained, "but I have never really found the chance or the cause to examine your style A few simple attack and defense routines should suffice" He ive the demonstration

Pony eyed him curiously "Should we remove our clothes?" she asked coyly

Elbryan blew a frustrated sigh "You intend to keep teasing ?" Pony replied too innocently "I have seen you at the sword- dance, and - "

"Are we here to learn or to play?" the ranger said fir," Pony retorted in a voice just as determined "I onlyon" She stepped into the clearing then and drew out her sword, set-ting herself in a low crouch

But then she was grabbed by the shoulder and turned about, to find Elbryan, his expression perfectly serious, staring into her eyes

"It was not my choice to abstain," he said quietly, seriously "Nor yours It was a decision made necessary by circumstance, and one I tolerate, but do not enjoy Not at all You need not worry about keeping me interested, my love All my heart is yours, and yours alone" He bent to her and kissed her softly, but didn&039;t allow that todeeper and more passionate

"We will find our time," Pony promised him as they broke the embrace "A time and place for me and for you, e do not need to act for the betterment of the whole world A tihtbird, and when our love can safely bring us children"

They held the pose for a long while, staring at each other, both taking such great pleasure and comfort in the other&039;s mere pres-ence Finally the tip of the sun came above the eastern rier bade her, stepping back

Pony fell back into her crouch, spent a longherself, then went into a routine of at-tack and defense, her shipping expertly through the air She had spent years in the King&039;s ar theseshort of spectacular

But it was typical, Elbryan knew, so indicative of the fighting style cooblins and powries Pony&039;s hips turned repeatedly as she brought her weight behind each slashing cut, wading forward and then sca back in defense

When she finished, she turned, her face red from the effort, her s out Te a low limb three feet away

Pony settled, then stepped ahead, one, tord going high and back, then rushing forward

She stopped indeep into the branch She had taken a full step before Elbryan had even started the movement, and yet he had beaten her to thethe pose, his body fully ex-tended, right ar shoulder He retreated suddenly, settling back into a defen-sive posture in ae, that sudden, swift stab that no powrie, no opponent, can expect or deflect;"

In response, Pony assu her-self perfectly, knees out over her feet, legs angled perpendicular to each other She stepped out suddenly with her right leg, left ar Elbryan&039;s er didn&039;t even try to hide his surprise, or his approval "You have been studyingback to defensive posture

"And you al her obvious pride

"Aler explained "And yet it is your shich should pull you forward"

Pony looked down at her blade skeptically "I do not understand"

"You will," Elbryan said with a grin "Now coht properly executebi&039;nelle dasada"

They found a proper clearing soon after, Elbryan going off to the side to prepare hi Pony some measure of mod-esty as she undressed Then theythe dance, Pony attuning herself to his everyher fluidity and grace,at how easily she picked up the dance Then he let himself fall into his ownofbi&039;nelle dasada flow through his body

For a short while Pony tried to keep up, but soon she was only watching, awestruck by the beauty, the interplay ofbut always perfect balance

When he finished, he was covered in sweat, as was Pony, the gentle wind tickling their skin They stood regarding each other for a long while, and it seemed to each of them as if they had just achieved a level of inti

Elbryan reached up and tenderly stroked Pony&039;s cheek "Every ," he said "But take care that Belli&039;mar Juraviel does not learn of this"

"You fear his reaction?"

"I do not know if he would approve," the ranger adhest rituals of the Touel&039;alfar, and only they have the right to share it"

"Juraviel admitted that you were notn&039;Touel&039;alfar," Pony re-er replied, soly "I will teach you - I only wish the decision to be kept mine alone"

"To protect Juraviel," Pony reasoned

"Go and dress," Elbryan said with a s and arduous, I fear"

Pony walked back to the brush at the side of the field, satisfied with her h truly exhausted For all these weeks she had desired to begin the sword-dance, and now that she had completed her first experience with it, she was surely not disappointed

So she had received with theher to her potential,her closer to God

PART TWO

THE PECKING ORDER

Once again, Uncle Mather, I am amazed by the resilience of people pushed into a desperate situation As it was in Dundalis, I have found here a group willing to fight and to die -children even, and older folks who should be spending their days telling stories of their long-past adventures I have seen so, and yet have heard little in the way of co for lack of food

And with the co and inspiring As it ith Paulson, Cric, and Chipave their lives for a battle that really wasn&039;t for theallant Bradwarden, who certainly could have chosen a different path, it is noith Belster and Toer Lockless and all the others

I have h,up between hters in the forest back to the refugee encareat victory, I sensed true tension with Toerwart, who, until my arrival, acted as one of the leaders of the forest band, perhaps the strongest voice of all A calm conversation quickly cured that potential ill, for Tomas has been seasoned by years and experience As soon as he was assured that he and I both fought for the saoal - the benefit of the people under his care - the rivalry was no more

But not so, I fear, with another of the band whoer By Belster&039;s words, Roger is young and proud, and has ever been insecure in his position aees, even to the point that he considered Belster and the folk from the northland as potential rivals What will he think when he meets Pony and me? Hoill he react when he sees the respect afforded us, particularly from those who knew us in the north, or from those who followed us in the battle in the forest?

In truth, Uncle Mather, I think it ironic that these displaced folk think of me as a hero For when I see their faces, every one, the expressions of men and women put to the test for perhaps the first ti that cannot be judged by the quality of training and the quality of weapons, Uncle Mather Simply because I was trained by the Touel&039;alfar and carry with reat power, am I any er and her children, or the farmer who trades plowshare for sword to defend his co the battle are greater?

I think not, for heroisth of arm It is a marker of the conscious decisions, the selflessness, the willingness, to sacrifice everything, in the knowledge that those who follow you will be better off for your efforts Heroism is the ulti to soer than one&039;s own mortal coil It is rooted in faith: in God, or even in the er when each individual part cares for the others

It is an incredible thing to th, this hu it, I realize that we cannot lose this war, that in the end, even if that end be a thousand years hence, ill triumph Because they cannot kill us, Uncle Mather They cannot kill the resilience They cannot kill the inner strength

They cannot kill the human spirit

I look into the faces of the ed, too old for such battle, and I know this to be true