Gratuitous Epilogue : Touchstone Extras by Andrea Höst Page A

brother and a cousin, and Mara had to pick the right one just
by squeezing all their hands in turn. Nils told me Mara would have
to get married to whoever she picked, but I don't believe him, and
she knew which one was Lohn anyway – the citrusy scent of the
ritual water gives the groom away.
    We all sat about on
cushions and rugs (or rocks and benches for grandparents) and
watched Mara offer Lohn her name, and Lohn accept it, and their
parents made little speeches and accepted their new son or
daughter, and so Lohn is now Lohn Senez. Then we all ate a piece of
the very alcoholic cake, and had a huge picnic which lasted till
the afternoon got too cold for us to be outside any longer. [Autumn
is now well advanced, and we get warm enough days, but cold
evenings.]
    Lohn and Mara had
included their kids and ours in their getting-dressed ceremony, and
Sen naturally adored that, and Lira and Ys didn't nearly manage to
pretend they weren't touched and awed by the whole thing. Rye was
all pink and blushing. Fein and Shar have been wholly overwhelmed
by Mara and Lohn's families, who have embraced them in no uncertain
terms, and there were plenty of games for the kids as part of the
post-wedding picnic. I think having a lot of Taren kids (and even
some Kolaren ones thanks to a few of Squad One's families being
invited) introduced into the mix is benefiting Ys and Rye
immensely. The idea of being 'just a servant' is wholly against
Taren philosophies, simply not on the radar. Ys and Rye are
Caszandra and Kaoren's wards, brave and exotic and not for a moment
to be dismissed because of the length of their names.
    I think it's helping
Shar, too, to be Shar instead of Sharlotsofsyllables – just some
thirteen year-old boy. He's going to grow up to be a serious and
leaderly person, and Place Sight really is something which it can
be a struggle to live with, but Lohn and Mara are giving him some
quality just-a-kid time as well as helping him with the strange
politics which comes with his name. [A terribly complicated
situation, since he's basically a member of the ruling family who
was left to die with the crowd, instead of joining whatever it was
the Nuran Cruzatch allies were trying to achieve.]
    Sen tore about madly,
got wholly overexcited, and then came and smothered me in very
sticky kisses – I think that was thanks for how happy Rye was,
chatting with a half-dozen boys his own age about Muinan animals
and the park design and canoeing, and making arrangements to teach
them to swim. [We've since had the whole pack over to our island,
for a mass swimming lesson, and gone over to Siriath for another.]
Ys and Lira didn't embrace popularity so completely, but they
weren't hostile or rude either, and I was very pleased to see that
Ys had decided to be protective of Enna and make sure she wasn't
overwhelmed – that's Ys all over.
    The Setari-relatives'
children will be attending the talent school as well – most of them
have near-Setari level talents or were even washed out of the
Setari program early on. I'm really glad of that, of the changes it
should bring to the school, and the opportunities it will give Ys
and Rye to be around some peers they haven't erected huge walls
against. Mara's brother's sons, Del and Serry, have joined Fein as
Rye's closest compadres, and they fill what few moments he had left
spare. Sen, of course, considers everyone around her age as
belonging to her. Ys and Lira are polite, but for the moment
enjoying their own friendship most.
    I eventually got a bit
exhausted from all the socialising, and Kaoren and I have been
having a quiet week this week. We also wanted Sen to have a break
from so many people. She thoroughly enjoyed the wedding, was
brimming over with joy, but this is also an effect of her Sights –
being surrounded by radiantly happy people is a bit like swilling
champagne. Psychic children are complicated.
    Mara came over today
for a bit of peace and quiet as well. First and Second Squad are
really