I stared at my kavage. I’d first tasted it in the healing tents, with Rafe and Simus and Joden. I’d learned to enjoy its bitter flavor, especially in the morning when the day was dawning clear and cold.

I looked at the gurt on my platter. The little white pebbles looked innocent enough, but for some reason, I’d never get used to their dry, bitter taste.

I gathered up some of the gurt on my platter, and added it to Keir’s as I took another piece of meat from his platter. He was talking to one of the warleaders, but shifted enough so that I could reach it easily.

I was afraid. That was the truth. But I’d been afraid when I’d walked the halls of the castle, to kneel at Keir’s feet for the claiming ceremony.

I snagged the last of the heart meat from Keir’s platter, and he gave me a grateful look.

I could do this.

“Who will dance?” Keir stood tall, at the front of the platform. The food had been eaten, and the warriors had settled around the dancing area.

To my surprise, Rafe stepped forward. “We would dance the elements, to thank them for their gifts. We have covered ourselves to honor the Warprize and her ways.” Prest, Ander and Yveni came up to stand behind him.

I raised an eyebrow at their idea of ‘cover’. They all had the barest of scraps for loincloths, and Yveni had tied a strip of leather over her breasts. Still, I smiled and nodded my head to them.

“Dance!” Keir commanded, and they bowed their heads and moved to stand an arm’s length apart, forming a square and facing each other.

A warrior sat nearby, and placed a drum before him. The crowd grew silent as the drumbeat sounded, a slow steady beat.

“Earth!” Ander called out, and a warrior walked out of the crowd, bearing two bowls filled with dirt.

“Air!” Yveni cried out as well. She received two bowls as well, filled with something that gave off a steady stream of white smoke.

“Water!” Rafe called out, and was handed two bowls filled to the brim with water.

“Fire!” Prest was the last, and his bowls held flames that leaped and burned. I leaned forward, eager to see what form this dance would take. I assumed it was another form of pattern dance. To my joy, it was and it wasn’t.

Together they started to move, slowly, raising the bowls above their heads and stepping out a pattern to gether, moving as one. I held my breath, for what was easy with a bowl of dirt, was not easy to do with a bowl of water.

They lowered the bowls, now starting to move their bodies, bending and twisting down, only to work their way back up to a standing position. It was amazing to watch Prest, his body gleaming in the light, sweat glistening all over, as he moved. And while Ander and Yveni had the easier dance, with air and earth in their bowls, they still had to match the movements of Rafe and Prest. I could see the tremble in the muscles of Rafe’s arms as he fought to make sure that not one drop of water spilled from his bowls.

After a few minutes, one stepped in the center, and the other three formed a triangle around the single dancer. I realized that they were mimicking their elements. Ander’s movements were slow and steady, like the earth that he held in his hands. Yveni, when she took the center, moved as the wind moves, first one way and then the other, with no real set pattern. Rafe was as fluid as water. Prest was fire, first still and quiet and then bursting out in action as the flames in his bowls grew higher.

Finally, they stood there, facing each other, their bodies gleaming and their chests heaving from their efforts. With not one bowl spilled.

Ander held up his bowls. “Death of fire, birth of earth.” He tipped one of his bowls into one of Prest’s, dousing the flame.

Prest held up his other bowl. “Death of air, birth of fire.” He tipped the burning coals into Yveni’s bowl, and placed the bowl on top, smothering the smoke.

Yveni turned with her other bowl. “Death of water, birth of air.” She tipped her other bowl’s contents into Rate’s, sending up a burst of steam from his bowl.

Rafe held his other bowl high. “Death of earth, birth of water.” With that, he turned to Ander, and poured out the water onto his remaining bowl.

Keir jumped up, and the crowd rose with him, screaming their appreciation. I was up too, amazed that my bodyguards could dance so well.

Rafe, Prest, Ander, and Yveni turned in their places, and bowed to each of the four directions. Then they were running, their smiling faces proof enough of their joy. They disappeared into the crowd.

We all settled back, except Keekai, who stood and called out, “Where is Joden?”

There were many cries, and people’s heads turned, until finally Joden stood before us. “I am here, Keekai of the Cat.”

Keekai laughed. “Well and true but why are you not singing, Singer-to-be? Why not sing of the hunt?”

There were many calls to this, as people shifted so that they could see Joden clearly. He was seated next to a warrior-priest. I was fairly certain it was the one that had claimed to heal Iften.

Joden shook his head, his broad face gleaming in the light. “The song of this hunt will take time to make, Keekai. But I would sing, if you wish.”

“I wish it so!” Keekai laughed out loud. “A song of your choosing, Singer.”

Joden shrugged off her compliment, looking around at his fellow Firelander. His gaze drifted over to where I was sitting with Keir, and I felt Keir tense beside me. I turned my head slightly and raised an eyebrow.

Keir looked at me ruefully, then leaned forward just enough to whisper in my ear. “He who can praise can also mock.”

I turned back to see Joden glance at us. It seemed to me that he knew Keir’s concern. The warrior-priest next to him leaned over and made some comment for Joden’s ear alone. I bit my lip. Would he . . .?

Joden drew a deep breath, and walked forward. He turned in a circle raising his right hand, palm to the sky. “May the skies hear my voice. May the people remember.”

The response rose from the crowd. “We will remember.”

Joden lowered his hand, took a deep breath, and then he laughed, a deep strong laugh, and spread his arms wide. “The sun is rising and I have slept well. The day calls to me—but my belly rumbles. What shall I have for breakfast?”

Everyone laughed, delighted, and started to shift their positions, sitting with their legs crossed, and patting the ground next to them. Keir relaxed, and got into position as well, his smile catching my eye. “You will see.”

With that Joden started the first verse, about a root found growing by streams. The verse told us what to look for, and how to peel the bark back and scrape out the soft white insides. I laughed, for this was clearly a teaching song, but the tune was infectious and everyone joined in on the chorus. Keir started clapping, slapping his hands on his thighs, and then on the ground beside him.

Everyone started following that pattern as well, slapping their thighs and lifting their hands to sway to the music. It was like dancing except no one got to their feet—instead everyone swayed to and fro, laughing and chanting. It didn’t take me long to follow along.

Joden started the next verse and sung about berries, red berries that were sweet, green ones that had to be boiled first. And a warning to avoid the white berries, for they would make the shit run down your leg!

Joden hunched over, wrapped his arms over his lower belly, and groaned. He swayed back and forth, groaning aloud, and repeated that verse.

The warriors laughed, and followed right along. I laughed and clapped as well, but stopped when Keir rose from his seat in the middle of the song.

“A dance, Warlord?” Keekai smiled at him.

“A dance, Elder.” Keir looked at me with his eyes half closed. He reached out and stroked my cheek. “For my Warprize.”

I smiled at him, but Keekai grunted. “Afterwards, you will teach me chess.”