"We gather tonight in remembrance of the dead." Joden spoke again, his voice melodic andbeautiful. In the silence, every word carried, clear and firm. "All life per-ishes. This we know.
Our bodies arise from the elements, and return to them when we fall."
The drummer started a beat then, a slow but steady pulse.
"But we are also more than our bodies. This we know. That which is within each of us, lives on.
Our dead travel with us, until the snows."
Joden paused, then continued. "How can we mourn then? How can we sorrow for what mustbe? If our dead are with us, and we will join with them when our bodies fail, how then do weweep?"
The drummer's beat continued behind Joden's words.
"We grieve for what we lost. For the hollow place within our hearts. For the loss that is felteach time we turn to confide a secret, to share a joke, or to reach for a familiar touch."
My eyes filled. I remembered Epor, his flashing grin. Gils's serious face. Father's joy when hewon at chess, his mind sharp even as his body failed.
'This is our pain, the pain of those left behind. Let us share it." Joden began to sing then, liftinghis face and voice to the sky. It was the same song that he'd sung in the throne room ofWater's Fall, and my tears flowed when I recognized the words.
I was not alone. Others, too, wept, clinging to those around them, offering and receivingcomfort. I sheltered a bit deeper within Keir's arms and felt his rough breathing as his eyessparkled in the fading light.
At the end of the song, Joden started a chant, similar to the one that I'd heard when I'd been ill.
The phrases repeated over and over, to the rhythm of the drummer's beat.
"Death of earth, birth of water, death of water, birth of air, death of air, birth of fire, death offire, birth of earth."
A movement caught my eye, and I turned my head to see Isdra rise and walk past us, awayfrom the area. Her face was stoic, but her sorrow hung about her like a cloak. She staggeredslightly, but walked swiftly away.
I moved to follow, but Keir held me back. "Don't."
"But she's so sad," I started, but Keir shook his head.
"Nothing you can say will ease her pain, Lara."
I eased back into his arms with a flash of guilt. I had my heart's fire. Living, breathing, sittingbeside me, his arms around my waist. Isdra had lost that. Keir was right. I'd probably justremind her of her loss.
Keir drew me closer, and pointed toward the lake.
Two cloaked warriors stood, and were making their way down to stand at Joden's side. Hebowed to them, and they dropped their cloaks. Each was dressed in plain black tunic and trous,no armor or weapons. Joden stepped back to stand at the drummer's side. As the last of thechant faded, the standing warriors threw back their heads, and wailed, lifting their arms andcrying out. They started to dance, using their bodies to express their grief, tearing at theirclothing until they were nearly naked, crying out for their loss and pain.
The drumbeat grew faster, and their wails turned angry, now howling their rage to the skies.
The crowd joined in, shouting and cursing the elements and the skies. Even Keir spit out acurse. The emotion startled me, but I felt my anger too, at a disease that I knew little about andhad no way to defeat.
The man kicked over the brazier of fire, and stomped out the flames. The woman overturnedthe brazier of water, and then did the same to the one with the earth, stomping the clods flat tothe ground.
The brazier of air received the same treatment. Their hands moved to dissipate the smoke thatrose from the coals. Their angry howls filled the air, and with a final beat of the drum, theydropped to their knees, and embraced one another.
I was crying openly now, sobbing in my anger and pain. Keir produced the bundle of cleancloths he'd brought from the tent. I fumbled with one to clean my face, when the silence wasbroken by another drum beat, and Joden, calling out to the people.
"Death and pain are a part of life. But not all of it, People of the Plains! Joy is also there, to beenjoyed and shared! Rejoice!"
I looked up to see the dancers moving, embracing one another, kissing, rubbing their…
I blinked.
The drumbeat was getting faster, and the dancers moved with it, their hands stroking oneanother, removing their torn clothing. The man was kissing the woman's neck and…
