ELENA StOOD BY ttIOS o t and tc one by one in tle Borso. At intervals people o ting if anyt all. It le t lay a.
From t all, and no lig, fires banked, t of ts, everyone kne.
ttle noise from een or ty people must o Mattios t knoo join ter, at ting-place; s too fe been enoug year, or t, and t ttles very badly. t er to replace t certainly lose tonight.
It arry nige crescent of Vidomni as s
sky, a different feel to t entirely, in only a fele began.
Carenna stopping to talk. It a time for talking. Elena Carenna tonig oo soon for o be doing t s tarry for any man or he world of day.
So a couple s kno o the house.
t on t, timing ter to in t of ting in darkness and praying.
Praying for rain and to be fruitful to tall of fall. For to nourisake root and t, giving soil. Praying —t ually onig alkers to save their lives.
Elena instinctively reaco finger t s t of transparent birthe womb.
A symbol of good fortune, birt sac o be destined for a life blessed by triad.
te soutains, teac. rites deeper, furto o moutando a c said to be guarded from deat sea, or naively named for fortune.
It was marked for war.
For t eac of ts t began the
year. Foug yet risen seedlings t cities, cut off from trut of suc for all tando, o pray and to be afraid of sounds in t t mighe dead abroad.
From beoucurned to see Mattio looking quizzically at her.
Sh one hand.
quot;Not,quot; she said.
Mattio did not speak, but t s of a of reassurance more turning to go back inside.
Elena criding, solid and capable. t do trestle-table, across from Donar. S t, t Verzar, about love and then desire.
Surned ao look out into t toline of tle in tages errible battle a year ago riump.
Verzar er t defeat, as all tims of t battles did.
touc fall in t cold, final touc, Verzar o o sleep and o t s own.
In ties, t portal of Morian, of longed-for grace in ly intercessions invoked ears.
t in to battle t speak in such a way.
Not t to deny Morian of Portals or Eanna or Adaon; only t t triad, po beyond told s ts sun. Once a year t alkers of Certando their own.
Elena sonigo fig year, and fe. And ed in sucy-ts daug alkers into a time , year by year.
So eyesigtio c come.
It , as ed, stocked ures t could kill a man. Baerd didnt expect to find suc no for a long time now.
ars and t of Vidomni in t it s bot disturb o be abroad on an Ember Nig ual of all across ting in silent darkness beheir walls
offered ude o need. o t lay as if croucive darkness under tars al fires cast back at tever flames triad created for tning out of the heavens.
If ts and spirits a ed to see t o beg their forgiveness.
let y, of pale marble under moonligicos s spend a lifetime studying to understand, of quiet voices understood by a droyard and a steady, strong, sculptors hers hand.
turning the noon sun red.
Smoke and deato fragments, to bounce like a boulder on scorco poer t year, infinite and meaningless by the cold uncaring sea.
tants, ts, t nineteen years. yoked to one in , images of royed, terated. truly obliterated: a sound t ing, year by year, furtide er da different as ides came back.
o live was a co surrender.
to die. Or retreat into madness as heir own hands.
But t could drive terly from t, ead, over and above everythose ashes of ruin.
Against ter, he dark.
And so Baerd into ts across t, or singly, or dark ars. Among t, or tumn in Astibar or Senzio, along snoled mountain slopes in tregea, or at the highlands.
to o smell ten to ters aste grapes and moonlit er, lie motionless in a forest tree to c predators at t. And once in a great or in ion, restless and soon gone. Anot, a part of he River Deisa.
In every corner of t urning of t in t and t field, by t mountain ridge, reac or back or inime to was ever and again denied.
imes before on t. back a long o tains at t of the
ne. From ter and misgave t omorro — as ed—to ease or s.
tonig called to le. Alo tonigsteps led . to t lay beneatle edly open door, Baerd sa as if sing for opped.
Sitting at table, resisting temptation to count time, trying to appear as if all could be on t of tio side t, as it al coward hey had been for years. Even before poor Verzar had died.
able at Donar, but tco stio follo ttio forced o smile reassuringly. Carenna caugo a fehe more visibly nervous people.
Not at all easy tio stepped outside someone ly bearded and of middle , stood motionless before Elena, glancing from o t speaking. regean fashion.
Mattio looked over at Donar repress a shiver.
quot;Someone may come,quot; tereve. And notle. Mattio looked over at Elena; left tranger. Sanding very straigionless, s Mattio years c . illness, and for ing to hide her fear.
Donar again, and tepped forending to tranger.
Calmly ;Be is not to be abroad.”
t ed o use ;Nor, as I understand t a nigo have doors and windows open.”
quot;and t; Mattio said. too quickly. Elena still looked ahere was an odd expression on her face.
Moving a little nearer to stand beside tio realized t imes to tle. A musician, o remember, or a merc of some sort. One of t, o see ttle.
tranger responded to ort. revealed, to be giving tter t. ttio.
quot;Im sorry,quot; ;If I am trespassing upon a custom in ignorance, forgive me. I o your peace.”
ually turned aending to leave.
quot;No!quot; Elena said urgently.
And in t Donar spoke for t time.
quot;tonig; rusted so muc;And you are not
trespassing. I t someone migching for you.”
And at t tranger turned. hem now.
quot;Come for ; he asked.
ted co one side to let and in front of tranger. Mattio looked across at e-gold in t. Sook he dark-haired man.
eadily at Donar. quot;Come for ; ed, mildly enough.
Still Donar ated, and in t moment Mattio realized ttio, for ood to do.
And t. o one from th.
quot;e are t alkers of Certando,quot; eady and deep. quot;And t of ts of spring. t. I must ask you: where a mark .
. . did ttended declare a blessing found?quot; And slo h.
Out of ttio saing tranger, c Donar so t.
time tretced sounds from ted tio could see t lay be been revealed.
till not speaking, tranger moved one o and reac out, so t tarlig, too wore.
Mattio edly t himself.
quot;Eart; Elena murmured, unable to stop herself. She had closed her eyes.
quot;Eart springs from it and returns,quot; Donar added. rembled.
t it for Mattio to finis;Returns, to spring fort ; tranger, at t identical to Mattios oo Elenas, to Donars, to them.
It ion spoken in sequence by t Baerd finally understood w umbled upon.
time of failures, of violence and blood, taken root o spread t tum and ads ening speed. And against Carlozzis central teac triad ies, subject to and agents of an older, darker set of po set their hands.
Faced e unity among t up in tarvation, ti, Prince of tigana, ed doried and executed all across tever means executions ed in eac time.
A time of violence and blood. two hundred years ago.
And no declared to be Carlozzini.
And more. Nig army of t. C no one kne noo be in danger noo be holding himself carefully, as if prepared for violence.
tood ciful, t in t, every spoken a feline undercurrent of danger. too young, too s make from s not in a e danger. Deliberately Baerd forced o relax. ; o tell me, then?”
Elena ears from tranger again, absorbing , quiet solidity, y, t t y, painfully a, trying to move past t and before erval o touco be sure t tio and Donar. Someto be o rate on w Donar was saying.
quot; I tell you no many people,quot; ly.
quot;For till us destroyed and tyrant in Astibar his.”
quot;I kno; tly. quot;ill you say why you are confiding in me?”
quot;Because tonig of battle,quot; Donar said. quot;tonig alkers into erday at sunset I fell into a sleep and dreamt of a stranger coming to us. I o trust my dreams, t to know whey will come.”
Elena saranger nod, calm, unruffled, ackno , and t ing in o be a sadness in it oo dark to tell so mucting ion run free at sucime.
On t. Men griefs of tain. So ask.
quot;You are t; o Donar.
quot;; Mattio cut in s;And you to d; From tone it ed tion. Elena kneive respected in too oo important a moment for misunderstandings. Surned to ly.
quot;Mattio!quot; s Donar moment tranger smiled for t time.
quot;You leap at a slig is not meant,quot; ;I o find my bearings. It is darker is for you.”
Mattio opened . ure of apology was Donar who replied.
quot;I am Elder of t; ;And so mine, tios aid, is leaderstle. But you must kno to figonig like any battle you mig again from t sky entirely t sky, in t cs and shadows, few of us will appear as we do here.”
ted uneasily for t time. reluctantly, to
look at Donars hands.
Donar smiled, and hand, five fingers spread wide.
quot;I am not a ; ly. quot;t ep into it and are marked for it, s. t wizardry.”
tranger nodded at lengtesy, quot;I can see t. I do not understand it, but I can only assume you are telling me to a purpose. ill it please you noo tell me is?”
And so Donar said t;Because tle tonight.”
In t follotio spoke, and Elena ;e need.”
quot;?quot; ther man said.
quot;e call t; Elena said tio spoke. quot;to us year by year. Generation after generation.”
quot;to ruin t t,quot; Donar said. quot;For tando tle t, and for all time o .”
Mattio said, quot;For almost ty years no ts , and about they have—”
But tranger ed gesture.
quot;Almost ty years? And from t?quot; ep nearer and turned to Donar. quot;tyrants came almost ty years ago. And Brandin of Ygrat.”
Donars gaze eady as c t;true,quot; ;and it is a t t o some of us, but I do not t signifies. Our battles on t eacion, and hey come.”
quot;But still—quot; tranger began.
quot;But still,quot; Donar said, nodding ;teries to t are beyond my poo grasp. If you discern a pattern t I do not . . . ion or deny t it migrue?”
o ouc;You carry t your presence oniganding t, tell you t deato meet us in t I can also tell you t our need goes beyond tando, and even, I the Palm.
ill you figonight?”
tranger a long time. urned a tars, but Elena ruer vision really looking up at ts.
quot;Please?quot; s;ill you please?”
urned back it o look at Donar once more.
;I understand little of ttles to figo ake. If you dreamt my coming myself be guided by your dream.”
And tears again, Elena sao ;Yes, I ; smiling, ;I . My name is Baerd.”
And so it seemed t er all.
Elena mastered ears, standing as straigumult, a terrible c of t c seemed to Elena t se plucked on . Beyond Donar, Mattio said somet s it ranger, and realizing, as s before, t incts misled. t could not possibly be missed by any man or o see, even in night and shadow.
Sig, trying to for all seeking in trangeness of t. O. Oh, my dead love.
Sook a careful breat;I am Elena,quot; s;ill you come in and meet thers?”
quot;Yes,quot; said Mattio gruffly, quot;come in ; time s t came tried to mask it. S t sound, caring for rengty, ing so muco give sorro t and tides of t could scarcely be ruled even by t of day.
Besides, s, already, as turned to go into to find in o or called by Donars dream.
Baerd looked at t t placed in o touc one edge, ted color of red soil.
o Donar, to to t in urned a as somet deal noeen of t women, all ing for him.
t ting-place, Mattio tell.
a, by trut t ting for come up to empting of fate, t aspect of it, something he seldom did.
But no to do it. of Ales-san, and of all times ting ake ongued Catriana? Or Devin? No, Devin c careful, focused attention, and come to ime. Sandre would call him a fool.
And per someto the words Donar had spoken.
rivial superstition. A c dro .
Almost ty years, Mattio had said.
t, Donar had said.
t be little in it, or a great deal, or not all, or everything.
to the lees.
It ter, deatter. For one panicked, irrational moment e of spring.
ttio wince
ruefully at taste of he panic passed.
table aed from its trestles. Pallets to lie upon. Elena moved to ook t s do.
Baerd t of er, of t clear image of he wide world.
Donar to on Baerds otc t.
quot;Leave your s;It will be useless whe fields.”
Baerd ated a moment longer; ter recklessness, of a mystic folly against tches.
quot;Close your eyes,quot; ;It is easier t ; ant. ever o act upon ;It ; s;but it be. Eart us grace, and t.quot; It thing he heard.
It sleep. ever it sleep, for no dream could be this keen in his face.
all of coming many people—tios.
t range. he looked up.
And Baerd sa t green-gold of spring. It s green and golden ligars in constellations ed, pounding, searctern t o retc sains at all. No snole Borso to nort. Or ?
est. ition urned to look t trees, of grass, bare of flower and se and barren.
quot;Yes, look t; Donars deep voice said from be;and understand e as t year ttles of t years. e are fig not far from noo t battle of our war.”
quot;And?quot; Baerds eyes ill on t, on tony ruin of the hills.
quot;And all t just ando. And people will die. Of hunger or of plague.”
quot;All over t; look aion t . was sickening.
quot;take, ttle for a small peninsula. All over t is said t ours is not ttered by time and tars.”
quot;Carlozzi taughis?”
quot;Carlozzi taugand eacly, our oroubles perhaps in dream.”
Baerd sill looking out at t. quot;t is too remote for me. too difficult. I am a one and a sometime merc and I o fig my ion, over many years. I live in a peninsula overrun by enemies from overseas. t is the level of evil I can grasp.”
urned aern Donar. And despite t. tood on traight and his head held high, a man in his prime.
A o t greatly cer, till e trangeness of t. her eyes, he saw, were a very deep blue.
quot;ere your eyes t same color an ; he asked.
S;It knohis year.
It ctle for me every time. color are they now?”
quot;Blue. Extremely blue.”
quot;ell t extremely blue, but blue.quot; ;Sell you ; ty, a lig his lips.
quot;tell me.”
quot;You look like a boy,quot; stle laug;A fourteen-or fifteen-year-old boy, beardless noo cut if we half a chance.”
Baerd felt t in . It actually seemed to stop for an instant before beginning again, laboriously, to beat. urned s his hands.
t. Smoot in tregea five years ago there. he closed his eyes, feeling suddenly weak.
quot;Baerd?quot; Elena said be;Im sorry. I did not mean to—”
ried to speak but found t . ed to reassure it time in almost ty years.
For t time since teen-year-old boy forbidden to go to war by o figo an end.
quot;Be easy, Baerd,quot; le. quot;Be easy. trangeness here.”
to meet and clasp at . ed against rong and s o cover his face as he cried.
Above t trange fields ing-time, or utterly bare and desolate and lost, in t.
quot;t; someone said, o t;Look. e claim our weapons.”
tios voice. Elena released epped back. Baerd wiped his eyes and looked
to t again.
And to make rig terly een.
Over t, far off yet but unnaturally clear in tural ligh.
quot;O; aken breath.
quot; do you see?quot; Mattio said.
Baerd turned. tly trimmed, but ;Ygrat; e of excitement. quot;Soldiers of t, but t is exactly hers.”
Mattio looked suddenly tful. it was Donar who spoke.
quot;Be not deceived, Baerd. Remember in our peninsula, ttle of t your invaders from overseas.”
quot;I see t I see.”
quot;And sell you t their numbers?”
quot;And t again,quot; Mattio said bluntly, almost angrily. quot;to a tail like tain cats. t teeths.”
Baerd of ill, in tance, pouring do of ting knives of Ygrath.
urned to Elena, a little desperate.
quot;I do not like to name ; s;ten me too much.
tures of my c it is not s e, but t ttle of your daytime world.”
, a rusreaming out of the hills.
quot;I am alle,quot; o o ;All my life.
I see out tell you t I am fifteen years old no fourteen or I could not be ; A t struck ;tell me: is tream of us, a river below whey are descending now?”
quot;t; Donar said. quot;Do you to join battle there?”
A red, fierce joy rollable.
quot;I do,quot; ;Otio, where do we claim our weapons?”
quot;t; Mattio pointed sout to a small nearby field alks of corn your stream very soon.”
Baerd did not speak. tios lead. Elena and Donar field of corn already and Baerd sa to pluck a stalk to be t. It o take a part of to understand t ern logic of day, grasped t tall yello onig for their hands.
epped in among t cornfield, careful of alk for came free easily, even o green nig on to fallo in cautiously, and already talk iffened like metal forged. It sliced tling sound. ested it alk rue to uries ago.
o t. t of t of t a dream, old a dream.
Donar io stood beyond, a passionate defiance in his face.
Men and ern and resolute and unafraid.
quot;S; Donar said turning to look out upon t;S to the Ember war?”
quot;For t; t alkers cried, and raised t to the sky.
Baerd di tigana bar Saevar cried and not aloud, but foralk of corn like a long blade in o do battle under t enced place.
s, there was never any blood.
Elena understood onige, of any kind of life. o to th.
t of to tream and.
Elena prepared o figinted c. Sened, but s. S Ember ime tle sucures as tmare ones she saw.
But Donar and Verzar of magic it t mattered, s so mucronger on ts, so muc ened oo, t time and even after ion so deal ment to be made. to one degree or anotly image of w he once had been.
Just as Baerds very clearly, reac ed.
Fifteen, fourteen, or understand t, but sime to puzzle suc. Not noream, and norying to clamber out, clad in them.
Sure dripping er as it scrambled up toed eetinctive deadliness s self in t-infested body of her foe.
S, ing ely more. Surned—barely in time to block anotep before ts on . Sed e attempt to ward.
tanding them.
S Baerd. At ranger on t. iganding over t killed. o all. urned and foro tcride into ttle, and s sure o a ruso grieve for too young eyes.
Again, no time for sucs. to it. Screams of pain, cries of rage and fury cut t like blades of sound. So tio beside abbing, neat-footed among te in his courage.
All about alkers of Certando plunged into their war.
Sures from t.
S o to oniger t, and again and again on eacs, t t be fruitful, t to bear its bounty in t year, and t.
In t of t cion, Elena glanced up. S of till- climbing moon, and t stop o t of tated ream, apprec . t yet.
t certain t. of ther side.
Sore s from truck doo a scabrous s, bubbly sound. S barely in time to block a sideo keep ing. Carennas free even ime to look but s was.
It ars, under t of t moon, it es and open sores. Seet, letting t bodys grace be guided by alk t o come from self as muc did from er, and s be blood, but time to cime noo do anyt all but parry and to keep ones footing on to fall o die.
Stered, ory flasime. tride ao quell a movement to t at one point, guarding ing for to come to tacking ter, screaming inco and. iful, and deadly. S like grey sludge blocking tream. ly, sold t yrant in t.
to vanis moved so fast. Knee-deep in tream ood rooted like a tree and t force of o rying to o get furtream. tling alone in ter, t strange on
range on talk t .
Elenas ac an overwhelming weariness.
So ing beside Donar. toget for tretcrying to move in concert, to be of one mind.
t fig trained for battle. t eaceacs apex and ting noaugo speak for life all grain had become.
So t alkers of Certando did battle by t river, fig, oldest dream of try fields beyond all ty and flouriss cycle of seasons and years; a dream of t year none of to see.
And time, amid tumult and te for t to look up and s tream t, disorganized and confused of to ter, o come to ormented it was scarcely knowable as his own.
Elena could barely stand. Sterly spent.
S one of t beside c s beside earing rip to bind it opped hough.
opped oucely, ed across tream. Sed, ao t, fear rising in moment of seeming victory Elena sa t empty anymore. t tanding there.
quot;Look!quot; a man cried just t;hem again! e are undone!”
Otook up t cry along t t spaces of Elena he would.
Just as aleen years, ty; t, Donar o set, green and full, just seemed as if t o force t dark figure o stand as the enemy ranks.
And it s, ing, o tterly contested places of battle, t fields, and claim t and disease and desolation spread wh.
ood no of ted of t rising and flo smoke and darkness sretc to a sudden s of coldness come into , a terrible, numbing co tremble. S seemed t t all, to o her.
Across tream tions of , saw
retcotlefield. Elena ation in t of to come at t, o , t tly year, and t, and t aco come, even as s to find a o ready ed body to face another charge.
Mattio ; sence, blindly fig figure on t;Not time! Not! Let t retreat again!”
side, anotraigo move to t to t t a sob escape .
And noruggled gamely up from arm dangling at anding ting ting of pride t o pain, Elena sa t alkers retreating. None of to o try. And some of to die now shem would die.
t ;No,quot; he said.
quot;t fall back. e oo many tonig spring. I o play for time, to .
Elena felt o cry, from exion as mucrying to let Donar see anding, , ing to ease triump, ly realized t Baerd ohe miracle begin.
, none at all. From t t- it was. In an odd way he shadow-figure came.
It kno, but teps t nigaken o tc seemed to ime ago.
see t t didnt matter, it really didnt. t.
It oget o t someone knoly ure of its po alkers been able to and because t understand.
inctively t it tio. it turning range se—ern bank.
ools. Rig matter at all. ten by t o deal . Not a pro even t now.
ed up at t sly as ting do t full to overfloainty, conscious t Alessan better, but kno task, and knorangeness of t
nig;Be gone! e do not fear you! I knorengt—onight!”
Gradually t greill, deatill. Baerd could tios labored, painful breat be look back. ed, straining to penetrate t t he hill.
And as ared it seemed to , t tly.
t t dissipated a very little.
ed no longer.
quot;Be gone!quot; , a ringing sureness in ;I of tors yranny in a land t and t to sion, to obliterate a name. Yours is a power of darkness and s I know you and can name you, and so all your shadows are gone/”
came to true! It ing apart, as if taken by a even in t of joy somet tory y at one and time. of flat and rigid at his back.
Mattio w would be a prayer.
t in disarray of tream. Even as Baerd cionless, urmoil, more of ted and spread, beginning to blo Baerd t bearded and slim, and of medium , and yrants t one t sigo t his soul.
quot;My s; ;Quickly!”
tio placed it in of tarting to fall back, slo first, ter, and suddenly t t didnt even matter; t didnt matter at all.
Baerd looked up at t of ted ;Stay for me! If you are Ygratruly t you noay for me—I am coming! In tigana bar Saevar!”
ildly, still screaming of tream, scrambling up t cold as ice t boots. ered a terrain t tonig figure before didnt matter eit didnt matter if he died.
t, to gainsay o be setting unnaturally fast. It looked as if it ing noted against t green moon; t clearly again across tween.
to er of er of till laug all, the
surned and stepped doo t.
Baerd began to run.
quot;Baerd, !quot; ;You must not be on telands whe moon goes down! Come back! e have won!”
t , ttle, ion t onigever alkers of Certando, ts victory could not be. in . And e, kne as of sig low hill.
quot;Stay for me!quot; Baerd screamed again, voice ripping t.
bursting ook stragglers among t even breaking stride. It tered, it year. ttered nort led to the hill.
Baerd reac straige ground.
ted th a surge and a gasp.
And ood upon t, exactly , toy valleys and ruined all.
urned quickly nort too, seemed to irely melted a and tood.
t.
eland under a clear, , alien stars and tigana o coming back t ill dead and o er somewhe world.
Baerd sank to er. It ime in t Ember Nig as t broken long ago.
Elena reaco climb. S t steep. Mattio arted to enter t migo be among ter moonset, but Donar old op smiling since Baerd unned, incredulous glory in his face.
Most of toxicated riumpo t had always happened.
Carefully avoiding Mattios eyes, Elena er Baerd. Be s ering field after an Ember victory. Elena felt e . S Mattios face s ride as s did not falter, and to to run, suddenly afraid for t, and for iness.
Baerd ting on tood in front of tting moon just before ened expression flickered
for an instant across arlit dark.
Elena stopped, uncertain.
quot;It is only me,quot; srying to catch.
a moment. quot;Im sorry,quot; ;I expecting anyone. For a moment ... for a moment you looked almost exactly like a ... like somet changed my life.”
Elena didnt knoo say to t. S no furtting s doc said nothing else.
Sook a deep breat;You sed someone. You s I ; S pounding.
For a long moment Baerd ill, ilted a little to one side, as if listening to t lit up oo the hollow, wounded eyes.
quot;t; ;t, Elena.quot; It time ance tars impossibly brighe sky.
Elena felt gaze. S;After all, it is dangerous
even kno back home.”
quot;I ; ;I imagine tonig the ground where you walked.”
Surned to look back. And caug to see t along taken to te flowers were blooming in w h.
Even as sc tions from o ood. to onige o life under tars beautiful things she had seen in all her days.
Quietly, Baerd said, quot;You teac is not only a matter of tle. You must follo is possible to regain lands lost in battle years before.”
Sten long ago. S;truly dead. It can al; Sears a him.
oo sad for a moment suco dispel t sorro only for tonig;t is mostly true, I suppose. Or true for t things can die. People, dreams, a home.”
Impulsively Elena reacook lay in ly but response. In tance, east of t alkers o celebrate and o cry t summer would see.
Elena s s o his man.
S;If is part of t; But t , her own.
Baerd . S so say t sound
ead, t migo speak, s;You said you kneell me?quot; It range, almost an illicit pleasure to speak his name.
ly. le face, especially young as it ;Donar tio, all of you. You y years or so told me. Donar said I oo mucied to transitory battles of day, do you remember?”
Elena nodded.
quot; on. quot;I sa truly so of course. I understand t no I time an ansself. And transitory, must add to t you face s.
t, Elena, it cannot but be so. Everyts. e cannot afford to look only at our o is t friend of my life augyrants in our peninsula goes deeper t evil o ttlefield .”
quot;Darkness adding to Darkness,quot; s certain .
quot;Exactly,quot; Baerd said. quot;Exactly so. I understand your battles going far beyond doesnt mean tion. t ake. It was before him all along, if only he could have seen.”
quot;And t; Elena asked. quot; did to do ?”
quot;Naming o do ,quot; Baerd said quietly. across ;Names matter even more als live and die.quot; ated. And after a silence made deeper by t;Did you hear me name myself?”
It seemed almost a silly question. at top of oo intense for o do anyt answer.
quot;I did,quot; s;You named yourself Baerd di tigana bar Saevar.”
And moving very sloely, Baerd reac it to les, and not only ts widowed daughe village below Borso.
quot;t; ;t ... I t it mig tonight. here.”
tingling . Fig;I dont understand. did I do?”
ill t some seemed gentler no;tigana is t aken as loss is part of t brougo to all your ottlefields for ty years no understand tely, you cant, but believe me you could not land back in your village, even if I spoke it to you from as near as louder tream.”
And no t sum of o convey, but t mattered more for look in the dark of his eyes.
quot;And tigana is your ; s a question. She knew.
ill ;tigana is my ; he echoed.
quot;Men call it Loe now.”
S a long moment, t;You must speak of to Donar,quot; she said.
quot;Before morning takes us back. t sucters, someto to help.”
Somet;Ill do t,quot; ;Ill speak to him before I go.”
t t a s ill pounding, almost as it tle. Baerd did not move.
een, ain again, and sa all around tself of we flowers.
quot;Look!quot; sed and awed.
.
quot;You broug; he said.
Belo, in till singing. Elena kne of ts of spring. t. And tonig o o be almost as close to the flowers.
S;t are different about tonight. here.”
quot;I kno; Baerd said softly.
And te floo take o ouc o ans—before o hers.
S er t, for desire and need cras of bark—carried by a ogete flo hill.
And as so enderness, Elena looked up for a moment past all tars of t.
And it came to t every single diamond of tars would have a name.
t, and all ts scattered from strears. So t o the beginning of spring.