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She described the trance, but her words did not really make sense to him Was it truly Liath she had seen? Was Liath dead? Or was Adica simply unable to describe the place he had once known, the halls where nobles walked and feasted and where the church reigned in splendor? Had Adica’s vision shown her the future, or the past?

"I thought I heard the prince speak of Liathano," he said, re his conversation with the two brothers, "but he was talking of the Holy One, who is called in her own tongue Li’at’-dano"

Adica clapped hands over her ears "I must not hear the holy name, lest it burn htened It was given tohis head "Maybe I am afraid to say it iven her name in the time yet to come But if that’s so--" He shook his head The only explanation that occurred to hi, so ie of the answer the centaur sha else ht , to pull it off

"Nay, you must wear it The stone will protect you froan, hesitant, al Ipast him with a sudden expression of relief "Mother Weiwara!"

"I thought you ather up the herbs and petals you spilled I know you would like to finish the purification, so you can be alone with your husband sooner" With a smile for Alain, Weiwara crossed the fence and the to urgently

Surely it was not his fault that the wind lifted their ht them to his ears

"What must I do? He doesn’t know"

"Haven’t you told hihtens him away from me?"

"Nay, Hallowed One, do not say so You know that isn’t true The Holy One sent him He won’t desert you"

Adica’s ansas lost as the to house A ed and, with a dis up the pouches and petals scattered on the ground

Alain knew a command when he saw one He retreated to the less coed at this tie for winter Urtan set hi thatch for the roof of thethe heavy spring rains Froe and up to the tu torches, stuffing and binding wood chips with tow flax or he these flambeaux in beeswax or resin Wo baskets Crab apples had been piled up in heaps to sweat Now and again he sawwater or firewood up through the cleft where two rampartsup on the roof, besides listening to his coirls they wanted to marry or just to kiss, was that he could keep an eye on the distant birthing house and then, later, on Adica as her tasks took her around the village Everyone could tell hiswith Alain about just what exactly it was he eese, scrape skins, sleep

Their good-natured conversation and cheerful companyfor the afternoon’s feast Because in truth, even the feast, feting the centaurs, welcoht came quickly at this time of year, and Mother Weiwara made sure to chase them off to bed at dusk even if she could not restrain his friends fro Adica by the hand

Laughing, they ran through the dark village to their house They needed no laand fell backward onto the bed, the feather ether under furs

What things he said then to her he could not remember nor was even really aware of Just to touch her was like a deliriu Maybe they had drowned twice or even three tih simply to lie side by side in the darkness, her shoulder fitted under the curve of his ar over his hips, and they rested this way for a ti his throat and occasionally on his lips Outside, he heard one of the dogs get up and pad restlessly all the way around the house before settling back in at the threshold He found the ring on her finger and twisted it around, teasing it off over her knuckle and sliding it back on