Into the fire

"Good-bye, Alver and Dinly and Nix and Farly," she said, weeping. "We will hold you ever in our hearts."

Choking back tears, Tipperton and Beau stepped to their dammias, and taking them by the hand, slowly they trudged toward the host.

They fared back through the craggy hills and over the Dragonboat bridge. And when all the host had crossed over, the bridge was dismantled.

They rode to Caer Pendwyr in a fleet of Dragonships, did the wee Warrows, along with many of the captains and kings, along with DelfLords and corons and chieftains and other warleaders.

Many more would come by the great Gothonian ships, while still others rode northerly and away, away toward Jord and Riamon and Mineholt North. Still even more fared westerly, striking for the Greatwood and Darda Ery-nian and Darda Galion and Kraggen-cor and Arden Vale beyond, or striking for Pellar and Valon and Jugo and Hoven. But many waited in the port of Adeo, waited for ships to come and take them to Tugal and Vancha and Basq, to Gelen and Gothon, some to sail to ports along the Ryngar Arm of the Weston Ocean, where they would disembark for Trellinath and Wellen, Dalara and Thol, or to ride through these lands to the Jillian Tors and Rian.

But Tip and Ry

And down the Ironwater and into the deep blue of the Avagon Sea they rode, sailing south for three days to turn west. Four days later, seven in all after setting sail, they disembarked at the harbor of Pendwyr in Hile Bay, there below the High King's caer.

The city welcomed them with joy.

Uncomfortably, Tipperton turned about so that Ry

"Oh, but you look splendid, Tip," said Ry

Tipperton sighed.

"Come, now," said Li

"It'll be right fun, if you ask me," said Beau, clothed in satin as well-brown with tan ruffles and trim. "We've done this before, you know, attended another ceremony that is, there in the city of Dendor."

His fists on his hips, Tip turned to Beau. "Right fun? Beau, if I remember correctly we were crawling about on the floor."

"Crawling about on the floor?" Li

"Ah, well, hem, love, we couldn't see, you see, and we were trying to get to a place-"

"How undignified," said Li

Tipperton laughed; Ry

Somewhere in the distance a gong sounded.

Tip drew in a deep breath and said, "Might as well get this over with."

Ry

On their way through the labyrinthine passages, they were joined by Bekki and Loric and Phais, and on they strode amicably, chatting of inconsequential things, Bekki growling that it all was a bother, Tipperton clearly agreeing. At last they came to the great throne chamber, and it was filled with hundreds of people, the conversation a babbling roar. Yet when the majordomo hammered his stave to the marble floor and a

Buccan and damman, they did their best to answer the questions put to them:

Yes, a village up along the Rissanin, a village now destroyed.

Silverroot and gwynthyme in equal proportions.

Yes, true gemstones. No no, their eyes, not ours.

Oh yes, it is a splendid city.

Mage Imongar at Dendor is the one who actually slew it.

From the Boskydells and the Wilderland.

One, a daughter. Her name is Lark.

A miller in Twoforks.

Yes, indeed, it was my Beau's words which reminded Tipperton of the tale of a giant and the fly on the wall, a wall broken by the giant, bringing ruin. And so Tipperton simply asked the Utruni to do the same.

Madam, I assure you, I am a full-grown Warrow and not an Elvenchild.

No, it was completely destroyed.

A Gjeenian pe

It's nearly all filled with water now, a brand-new sea.

We met at Caer Lindor.

I don't see how he could have escaped; his body was never found…

Buccan and dammen were greatly relieved when the majordomo hammered the floor and a

The crowd parted and pushed back to form a central aisle, and the Warrows found themselves off to one side and pressed all 'round by tall people.

"Barn rats," hissed Beau, "here we are again, Tip, unable to see a thing."

Li

As Blaine advanced down the aisle toward the distant throne, all men dropped to one knee as he passed, while the women curtseyed. Elves and Baeron bowed and Dwarves clenched right fists at their chests while canting their heads forward, and still the Warrows couldn't see.

And when the High King passed by their own general location, lords knelt and ladies curtseyed, and Beau and Tipperton dropped to one knee, while Ry

Finally Blaine reached the dais and stepped up to his throne, and Lord Steward Voren, bearing scrolls, took station below and to the right.

King Blaine did not take his throne but stood at the edge of the dais instead, and he spoke unto the hushed crowd:

"We have come through a time of great darkness, a time when it seemed all was lost, yet in the end we did prevail, but not without great sacrifice. Many were those who died in this war, many sorely wounded as well, and we must honor those who gave so much, up to and including their all. And even though now is the time of celebration, for Adon has prevailed, still we must keep in mind the loved ones who will no longer stand beside us or answer to our call. Cherish those memories well, my friends, for, as I was told by a small trusted friend, as long as they are remembered they will live on in our hearts."

The King fell silent, and among the assembly there were muffled sobs, and down in the crowd Tipperton and Ry

But then the King called out for a cheer, for the war was ended at last, and three huzzahs rose up in the chamber to ring the marble dome above.

Many were honored that evening-from the common born to nobility, from peasant to warrior to chieftain to king to DelfLord to coron-Humans, Dwarves, Baeron, Elves… and finally Warrows.

When Tipperton and Ry