Free The Prize in the Game by Jo Walton

moved or spoke. Behind them, Elenn knew, the sun was rising slowly. Usually she stood beside her family and watched it rise. It seemed a great deal of trust to put in Conary to let him watch alone, though he was the king, and he had no wife or children to stand beside him.
    After a time that seemed endless, Conary spoke again. "The sun is risen, Lord Bel, master of life and death.
    No fire will be kindled again in Oriel until we see the fire that has been kindled on the Hill of Ward." It was much too far to see the Hill of Ward from here, of course. But there was a bonfire prepared on each hilltop, and as each hilltop sighted the fire on the next, they would light their fire until every fire in the land was lit.
    Then the feasting and dancing would begin.
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    "Let the Ward hold across Tir Isarnagiri," Conary said. "Let there be death in bright sunlight, life out of darkness, war without hatred, strife without bitterness. And let the evil time come not."
    Everyone murmured their assent. Then they sang the Hymn to Dawn, voices rising together.
    When it was done, people started moving and talking. Elenn stayed still. Weren't they going to sing again? But it seemed they were not.
    "Come and have breakfast," Darag said, taking Elenn's arm.
    "It seems strange to do this and be hungry," Ferdia said, taking her other arm.
    Elenn smiled up at him. "Do you eat first in Lagin, too?"
    "Ah, but breakfast is the best part," Darag said.
    People were going into the Speckled Hall and coming out with baskets. Finca was setting up an ale barrel.
    "Are people going to start drinking already?" Elenn asked.
    "Some people will, others will wait until this evening," Darag said.
    "We could drink some ourselves," Ferdia said.
    Darag grinned. "I hadn't thought of that. Have you ever had any?"
    "A little cup at dinner with my father sometimes," Ferdia said.
    Elenn smiled to cover her uneasiness. She wouldn't have wanted ale even if she had been allowed it. Maga had told her all about it, how it muddled people's minds. She did -want something to eat, though. She wondered what was in the baskets. She saw Emer going with Finca into the Speckled Hall. "Should I go to help?" she asked.
    "They look as if they know what they're doing, but I expect they wouldn't turn help away,"
    Ferdia said.
    "You should stay with us," Darag said. He smiled at Elenn, and she smiled back. She liked Darag. There was just something strange about him, even now, when he was being nice.
    Leary came running up to them, whooping. "Ale. Did you see?" he asked.
    "We saw," Darag said, smiling amiably at him.
    "Get some for you, Elenn?" Leary asked.
    "I'd prefer to have some well water," Elenn said, meaning it.
    "Get you that, then?" Leary begged. Elenn smiled graciously at him and gave him permission. Then they went to collect some food.
    There were apple pies and meat pies, cold but delicious. They filled their sleeves with them.
    The boys got wooden cups of ale, and Leary came back with Elenn's water. They sat down to eat on the far field, right over by the wall. Nobody was playing hurley or practicing slingshots today. There were other people around, but nobody was really close. Elenn sat down, spreading her skirts out and putting her pies on them. The boys sat sprawling, Ferdia and Conal on each side of her and Leary opposite.
    "Aunt Finca's been baking for days," Darag said, munching on an apple pie. "She says they've used up every last one of last year's apples and she's asked Uncle Conary if we can have a big hunt soon to replenish the meat stores."
    "Hunt?" Leary sat up a little. "For what?"
    "Boar, deer, whatever we find to fill the smokehouse," Darag said, spraying crumbs.
    "But we could go with the champions?" Ferdia asked, looking eager.
    "Of course we could." Darag grinned. "We're champions now, just the same as the others."
    Elenn didn't say anything. She took neat bites out of her pie. She didn't want to go hunting anyway.
    "Do you think it'll be tomorrow?" Ferdia