EPILOGUE
Four sixdays later found the Wolves getting dressed in preparation for the wedding of Carthinal and Yssa. Tradition stated that both groom and bride have two attendants. Carthinal had asked Basalt and Fero to attend him, while Yssa had asked Randa and Thadora. She had not known the young thief before her adoption by Rollo, but had since met her and liked her. She had considered asking Emmienne, but decided that asking her apprentice was not a good idea, so had asked Thadora, as Rollo's other daughter. Thadora was thrilled at attending Yssa. She had never been to a proper wedding before and she was most excited. In the Warren formal marriage was a very rare occurrence, most people just deciding to make a home together if they were in love.
Yssa was staying at the Palace for the last few days before her wedding. Her parents had arrived four days previously, and were also staying there at Rollo's insistence. He would not countenance them staying at an inn, even the Golden Dragon. Yssa's mother, Glissimillaria, was as beautiful as her daughter was. She shared the golden hair and blue eyes with her. As is the case with elves, she looked as young as her daughter. Elves have a long life span and age very slowly. An elf is not considered old until well past six hundred years, and there have been cases of elves living for a thousand years, although these are few. Yssa's father was called Porishillarrisimar and was a handsome elf with brown hair and grey eyes, which were crinkled at the corners with his constant smile.
Glissimillaria was less than pleased at her daughter's condition, but was somewhat mollified that a wedding was to take place after all. That Carthinal was "half-human", as she put it, did not please her, but at least he was doing the honourable thing and marrying her daughter. She was not pleased either that her grandchild would not have "pure" blood, but have some human blood running in its veins. She was however prepared to make the best of things, and after a long talk with Carthinal she was won over by his charm and charisma and from then on began talking of him with pride as her son-in-law.
The day before the wedding, Fero and Basalt stayed in the Tower. Carthinal had to get permission for these two non-mages to stay there, but Yssa had enough influence to persuade the council to allow it "just this once".
On the day of the wedding, Carthinal woke early. They were not due at the Temple of Bramara until five hours after dawn, but Carthinal woke with the sunrise. He rose and wandered outside into the gardens. Already it was warm. In fact it had been a rather sultry night. The sun had just risen and the birds were singing their morning song. He wandered to the summerhouse. Here, in the cold of last winter, his child had been conceived. He sat down on one of the benches and thought over the last year. One year ago, he had been a carefree youth, getting excited about going to Hambara just before the New Year to take his Tests. Now here he was about to get married. His old friend and mentor was dead. He had new friends to whom he had pledged an oath. He had been captured, escaped and captured again. He had even had a brief foray into show business. He had talked to and travelled in the company of a dragonet. He smiled at the thought of Muldee trying to drown them in the lake and Basalt's indignation. He counted amongst his friends a thief from the Warren (albeit now the acknowledged second daughter of the Duke) and a Duke's heir. The Duke himself had asked to be called Rollo and not Your Grace. Now here he was, about to tie himself to a woman he did not love, although he was very fond of her, and to become a father. The woman he did love was out of his reach. Suddenly he was aware of someone coming. He looked up. It was Basalt.
'There you are. Thought you'd got cold feet and run away,' said the dwarf.
'No, my friend. Just thinking about how my life has changed in the last twelve months.'
The dwarf sat down opposite Carthinal.
'It all changed with that flood, you know. We'd probably never have met if it weren't for that. Did you ever wonder if the gods had a hand in that? If we'd not met, then Wolf wouldn't exist and the conditions for retrieving the Sword couldn't have been met.'
