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He took her in his arain and kissed her with a passion that ht, Serenio,” he whispered in her ear

“Jondalar, there will be a festival to honor the Mother tonight,” she reminded him “I don’t think either of us should make co work out its oay We can have each other anytime”

“I forget,” he said and nodded in agreee; he had never felt that way before In fact, he had always been the one toa festival Why should he feel hurt because Serenio had made it easy for hi to spend the evening with her—Mother Festival or not

“Jondalar!” Darvo caain “They sent me for you They want you” He was breathless with excite with impatience “Hurry, Jondalar They want you”

“Be cal at the lad “I come I not miss brother’s Matrimonial”

Darvo s they wouldn’t start without Jondalar, but it didn’t curb his impatience He hurried out Jondalar took a breath and followed him

There was a surging lad to see the to for him Roshario and Tholie conducted him to the raisedon the highest part of the , was a white-haired figure whose face was partially covered by a wooden half-mask with stylized birdlike features

As he drew near, Thonolan flashed hi when he sine how Thonolan must feel, and he was sorry the Sharaether He noticed hoell his brother seeret No two people could have been closer than the two brothers while they were on their Journey, but they had begun to follow separate paths, and Jondalar felt the cleavage For a rief

He closed his eyes and clenched his fists to bring hiht he detected some words, “tall” and “clothes” When he opened his eyes, it struck him that one reason Thonolan fit in so as that his clothes were entirely Shamudoi

No wonder there were coht, and for a moment was sorry he had chosen to wear such an outlandish outfit But then, Thonolan was one of them now, had been adopted to facilitate the

Jondalar was still Zelandonii

The tall h he was not formally a Shara with Jetaifts that would be distributed auests As ht forth The large nuard and status of the young couple, but it would beif they went away unsatisfied

A sudden hush caused the their way toward them

“Do you see her?” Thonolan asked, standing on tiptoes

“No, but she’s co, you know that,” Jondalar said

When they reached Thonolan and his kin, the protective phalanx opened a wedge to reveal its hidden treasure Thonolan’s throat went dry when he beheld the flower-bedecked beauty within, who flashed him the most radiant smile he had ever seen His happiness was so transparent that Jondalar beaentle amusement as well As a bee is draard a flower, Thonolan was drawn to the woroup, until Jetamio’s kin surrounded Thonolan and his kin

The two groupsa repetitive series of whistles on a flageolet The rhyth a large, single-sided hoop druer to him, yet there was a familiar aspect, perhaps it was just a similarity shared by all Those Who Served the Mother, but she brought on thoughts of home to him

While members of the two sets of kin formed and reformed in patterns that appeared complicated, but were actually variations of a simple series of steps, the white-haired Shaht stick, reamed out with a hot coal, with a whistle th, and an open-beaked bird head carved at the end And so from the instrument mimicked exactly the sounds of birds