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.Puppets and puppeteers both, wecontrolled and worked with the other, transforming the torris from a dance in celebration of love andunion to a dance of love and union.All too quickly and yet after much too great a time, the music ended and froze both of us in place at theheart of the circle.We stood so close that I could feel her breath upon my face, and I feared a singledroplet of sweat might roll down my nose to connect us.If that happened, I knew I would die, but I didnot care, because my heart felt full to bursting with such joy and contentment that death did not frightenme I had milked everything possible from life death would just crystallize the moment and allow me to Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlexist within it forever.I thought it was my heart beating madly when I felt the first tremor ripple through my body.I started tosway and realized that if I fell, I might fall into Larissa.Fighting a growing disequilibrium, I threw myselfbackward.Still working in synch with each other, I saw she had done the same thing, and we bothlaughed like children at the embarrassment of it all.Rolling from my back into a sitting position, I winkedat her and wanted to say something, but what I saw between us made me silent.The ground where we had stood had begun to blur the way a bowstring quivers after the arrow has beenreleased.Individual blades of grass merged with others as the ground began to vibrate very quickly.Thetremblings increased in power as their speed slowed, and I watched a six-foot circle of earth ripple backand forth as if it were water.As a circle of little wavelets closed on the center, a spike of dirt shot into theair.A small grass-studded ball pulled free of its crest and hung at head-height for a moment, then fellback to the earth.It merged with the dirt without a splash, though stalks of grass, roots and all, dancedacross the waves and settled outside the circle.The earth within the circle began to boil.Lumps rose up like bubbles in broth, but when the muddy dirtover them retreated, they revealed stones from the size of my fist to one bigger than my skull.As theybounced out of the circle, I scrambled back on my hands and feet, then stood and looked over to see ifLarissa was safe.She nimbly danced back out of the way of a stone, then smiled at me and returned thewink.The dirt circle shifted from a deep, dark brown to a reddish color, then geysered upward.I raised myleft hand to shield my eyes, but the dirt remained solidly locked in a column.It began to spin fast andfaster, akin to the dustwhirls I'd seen in the Centisian plains, but did not move from the spot to which itappeared rooted.Then it all swirled down and resolved itself into a varicolored cloak fastened with anagate clasp at the throat of a Reithrese sorcerer."I bring you greetings from the Reithrese Nation." He hovered in the air and slowly turned a circle,studying the Elves as they came to their feet.His circuit complete, he faced forward again.His eyesnarrowed as he saw me, then his lips spread apart to reveal a diamond smile."You I find in the mostunusual places, Manchild.""Nor had I expected to see you here, Takrakor." I brought my right hand up to Cleaveheart's hilt, butdid not draw the blade as Aarundel came up beside me.He placed himself in the way or any drawcut, soI assumed he wanted no violence, and his having left his ax behind confirmed that assumption."It seemswe only meet at ceremonies: here a wedding and at a funeral in Jammaq.""Such circumstances will change in due course, Manchild.""Pity, I like Reithrese funerals."Aarundel held up a hand to silence me, "Neal, he is here as a guest."I blinked."You invited Takrakor to your wedding?"My friend shook his head."An invitation is always extended to a representative of the Reirhrese people,for marriage is change and they are the masters of change.""Marriage is also the death of solitary life." The Reithrese ran his tongue from crystal fang to crystal fang."We are the masters of death." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlI smiled."Ah, there's a truly appropriate sentiment for a wedding."Aarundel sighed and looked up at Takrakor."It is seldom that the Reithrese accept the invitation."Takrakor shrugged easily."Could we ignore the wedding of one who has proven a fierce foe? Not onlydo we celebrate your nuptials, but we celebrate your coming life here, in Cygestolia.Your retirementfrom the battlefield will remove from us our concern for your safety among Men.""The Haladina have hardly been a threat to Aarundel." I smiled at him."Were I you, I'm thinking I'd bemore concerned about the safety of Reithrese among Men."The sorcerer's red eyes tightened down into bloody slivers."I have not forgotten your antics, Neal.Notat all.You could but hope I would forget." He waved me away with an idle hand, and I felt a light breezebuffet me."I will not let you spoil this joyous occasion among your Elders, youngling."He clasped his hands together for a moment, then spread them wide apart and sprayed out a rainbow ofgems that carried from Larissa's feet to mine."These are for you, Aarundel, and your bride, Marta.Yourskill as a jeweler is not unknown to us, and any gift you craft for her will be enhanced by her beauty."Aarundel knelt and held up a blue diamond as long as my thumb and half that wide."This would bereckoned a fortune even in Dwarven halls, Takrakor.Your earlier words could cause one to construethis as a bribe for me to remain here in Cygestolia."The sorcerer's eyes flared wide for a moment, then returned to normal size as Takrakor smiled."Theyare offered in friendship and fellowship, Aarundel, not as a bribe.We know you do not want to leaveyour bride for the war trail
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