On their last night at Mirror Moon, one lit by a yellow late-summer moon, the people of the little village that now took up most of the north meadow held a great bonfire and feast in their benefactors’ honor, and it was a lively affair. Kordira joined them, and even Dorin took part. There were several good fiddlers and drummers among the villagers, and a ya’shel girl who played a reed flute. Seregil and Alec were coaxed into singing as well.

When the feasting was over, Seregil climbed onto one of the tables and shouted for silence, then held down his hand for Alec to join him. They’d shed their coats hours ago in the lingering warmth of the day, and it was good to feel the sea breeze against his skin.

“My dear friends, and you are that,” he began, “Alec and I are so very glad to celebrate with you, for the home you’ve made for yourselves here.”

“We owe it to you, my lords!” a woman shouted, and many others took up the cry.

Seregil smiled and gestured for silence again. “That may be so, but we’ve no wish to make dependents of you. You’re free to live and work as you like. That’s all the thanks we need. We very much appreciate your warm hospitality and we have a gift for each of you, if you care to accept it. Anri?”

The weaver and Vhadä came forward with two large baskets of cloth. Anri handed one up to Alec, who shook it out to show the crowd a large square of fine, soft wool, woven with white crescent moons against a sea-blue ground.

“Many of you may not know what this is,” said Alec. He passed his to Seregil and took another from Anri. “These were woven by Master Anri—who’s very good at keeping a secret, by the way—here at Mirror Moon, from the wool of Mirror Moon sheep. The blue dye comes from the shells of sea snails gathered on the seashore.” With that, he and Seregil folded, twisted, and tied them around their heads, with the long tails over their shoulder.

Seregil took up the speech. “These, for those of you too young to know, are sen’gai, the birthright of everyone with a drop of ’faie blood. They are worn to honor Aura Lightbringer, and to show which clan one belongs to. And that’s what you are, my dear friends. You are the clan of Mirror Moon, wearing Aura’s moon and the color of the surrounding sea. Will you accept our humble request, and live as a clan?”