I saw in front of me a thin dark haired girl holding her shredded blouse closed. There was blood on her lip and her eye looked to be turning a horribl...e shade of blue and swelling shut. She jumped back a bit and I realized that I was pointing my rifle at her. It took me a moment to recognize that she had addressed me in English.'What happened to the guard?' I wondered, then I heard Stretch moan from the other side of the TACJAM and realized that they were at it again. I was going to have to have. ”Ari was sixteen and Alana was seventeen; both on the cusp of womanhood. This was the eve of their rite of passage, a trial organized by their village to prove their commitment to their people. The challenge would test their skill and resolve in ways neither of them would expect.Aemon waved away her concern. “Stop worrying, Ari. Your whole lives have prepared you for this.”“Yeah. There’s nothing to fear. You’re the best sorceress we’ve had in generations and I’m the best warrior-in-training.. My skirt was flying about, up, down, out, and around, making me an inviting target. The ground was a tad rough, making walking all the harder, and as I raised up, just barely managing to stand upright, I felt a hand cover my mouth! The wind was howling in a gust, and the sounds of trees, leaves, and the rush of air simply allowed my stalker to grab me without a hint of his presence. I screamed, weakly, into the hand, and then felt a hot breath on my neck. Rough whiskers scratched at my. Paying 'respects' to someone he never could stand was irritating enough without the rest of the flock being late on top of it. "Well, I'm here now," he muttered to himself with a low, fatigued sigh. "Might as well go see how the little slut looks with her mouth shut for a change."Bob slowly walked through the archway leading to the darkened funeral chapel. The only lights in the entire room were over the casket and the floral displays all the way at the back of the room. Bob stepped past the.