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I didn’t go to watch Kurda being killed Nor did I stick around for the trials of the vampaneze Instead, I returned to ht, for the funerals of Arra Sails, Gavner Purl, and the others who’d died fighting to protect Vampire Mountain Gavner’s body had been recovered after the battle Kurda told his guards where to find it, and a search party soon located it, stuffed into a deep crack far down the mountain

Streak and his felloolf had returned to the pack They slipped aithout a fuss, not long after the fighting had finished, leaving their dead coood-bye or thank them

I wondered if I’d ever run with the pack again It seemed unlikely, even ifto an end, the wolves would be dispersing, to return to their usual hunting grounds I’d probably seen the last of Streak, Rudi, and the rest

I spent the ti onto Vampire Mountain I read back over my earlier entries, then described all that had happened to me since I left the Cirque Du Freak and set out for the ed to lose myself in the diary, so ti - toothe story, the words tumbled out with hardly any effort My pen only paused a couple of tiht an hour or two of sleep

I hoped the writing would help ards to Kurda, but I was just as confused by the end as I’d been at the beginning Nothat Kurda had been both a hero and a villain Things would be sieonhole him It was just too complicated

Kurda had wanted to prevent the destruction of the vampires To that end, he’d betrayed the so? Or would it have been worse to act nobly and let his people perish? Should you stay true to your friends, whatever the consequences? I found it impossible to decide Part of me hated Kurda and believed he deserved to be killed; another part reood intentions and amiablehim, short of execution

Mr Crepsley caotten most of the story down, but there was a bit left, so I stuck es to mark my place, set it aside, and accompanied the sorrowful vampire to the Hall of Cremation to bid farewell to our dear departed friends and allies

Gavner Purl was the first to be cremated, since he was the first who’d fallen He’d been dressed in a simple white robe and placed on a thin stretcher in the cre there, eyes closed, short brown hair carefully combed, lips worked into a smile by the Guardians of the Blood who’d prepared his body Though I knew the Guardians had re with ans and brain, there were no visible signs of their handiwork

I started to tell Mr Crepsley what Gavner’s final words had been, but as I did, I burst into tears Mr Crepsley wrapped his ar ly "Do you want to leave?" he asked

"No," I moaned "I want to stay It’s just hard, you know?"

"I know," Mr Crepsley said, and by the tears in his own eyes, I knew he athered to see Gavner off Usually, only soues attended a funeral Vampires were different froe numbers to pay their condolences But Gavner had been popular and had died to save others, so the cave was full Even Paris Skyle and Arroere present Mika would have been there too, except souard the Hall of Princes

There was no such thing as a vaods and beliefs, they had no organized religion Paris, as the oldest vampire in the chamber, led the brief, simple ceremonies "His name was Gavner Purl," he chanted, and everyone repeated the Prince’s words "He died with honor" Again we followed "May his spirit find Paradise," he finished, and once we’d echoed his sentis and leaves beneath Gavner were lit by two Guardians, who ns over his body, then moved back out of the way

It didn’t take the fla to consume the General The Guardians knew their business and had arranged things so the fire grew quickly and made short work of Gavner I’d never been to a cremation before Toas I’d thought it would be There was soulf Gavner, the s, al

I was glad that I’d corateful that ere ushered out of the Hall when it was tirind them to dust in the bowls that surrounded the pit I don’t think I could have stood by and watched the Guardians doing that

Threeto be cremated before it was Arra Sails’s turn While Mr Crepsley, Harkat, and I waited outside during the cere quarterreeted us and stopped to chat They apologized fortreat on his bad eye had been changed

"How is the eye?" Mr Crepsley asked

"Ruined," Vanez said cheerfully, as though it was no big thing "I’ht, since you were having it treated?

"The treat to my brain," Vanez explained