At the same time, two bolts leaped out from the sword to kill the other two lion dogs. That was the kind of action we had come to expect from Almo’s...sword, but it was his quick reaction that saved us from considerable pain or even death. Naturally, I thanked him for his quick action.Okay, no more casual walking around. There were mortal enemies at this level, and it was up to us to eliminate them before they did any more damage. We decided to stick together because we had no idea what to. Thursday morning was a bit hectic. Mom asked me to help her in the kitchenall morning, and I was happy to oblige. I was proud at how much I wasstarting to learn about cooking, and I had my mom to thank for that.Besides, spending time with her was always wonderful.We even got to talk to Grampa and Gramma Campbell for a while in themorning. My dad's parents had retired to Florida a few years earlier, andsince then I had only seen them twice. They were planning to come out tovisit in the spring. " I said, "I have some time." What now?" he asked.I replied, "It's up to you."We walked over to a bench over looking the beach and sat and down towatch the ocean. It was beautiful. It was cold and he held me tightly.After a few moments, he grabbed my chin and gently turned it toward him."You look beautiful." he said.He made me blush, it had been a long time since anyone said that. Hemoved slowly toward me and gave me a long, passionate kiss. We weresittinng on the bench, on a freezing cold. Most had wide eyes and opened mouths, unable to comprehend the ri’Dagowyn no more than twenty yards in front of them. One, however, a smallish girl only a few inches taller than herself whose hair was only, perhaps, a shade or two darker than her own white locks, was not shocked at the sight. Instead, her face was filled with a strange combination of worry and fear. She was not standing still. She was striding forward purposefully, heading towards her countryman wearing the blue metal instead.