There's a special event outside of the city tonight, not far from the Musket Range. There's an open field with a dip in the middle which makes for a perfect spot for an open-air auditorium – and that's just what it's being used for tonight.

Raccoons rush about the stage, fiddling with large boxes and all sorts of strange gadgetry. Bright lanterns provide just enough illumination for the guards at the perimeter to make sure there are no party-crashers, and for the audience to find suitable places to sit down.

Zoltan adjusts the spotted cub, Pouncer, on his shoulder as he tries to find a good spot to seat himself. "Where person with earplugs?" he scrawks to himself.

A wolf walks up to the stage, to a pipe that is running from about mouth level down to the wooden stage below him. He blows into the pipe, causing a large horn-like device to amplify his huffing. "Testing… "

There are some cubs with Temple Scout uniforms cheerily skipping along, going from spot to spot in the audience, carrying boxes. One comes close. Ah. Here come the earplugs.

Taliamelle blinks around silently, not quite sure why she is here, as she holds tightly to Zoltan's hand.

Zoltan whistles to the closest scout to get their attention and points to the two cubs.

A Scout, a young Jupani with a fiercely wagging tail, skips up and gives earplugs to Zoltan and the two spotted cubs. He gives them a short speech about how to put them in.

Taliamelle looks over the plugs, ignoring what the scout is telling her. She licks one, and, finding it's not candy, she claps them together in her hands.

The Scout barks, "No, no, they go in your EARS!" He's speaking very loudly, probably because he's already put HIS in.

The black Vartan sets Pouncer in his lap as he seats himself and tries to work the plugs into the spotted cub's ears. "Like this."

Taliamelle obediently stuffs them in her ears. "Where sound go?" she speaks rather loudly now herself. She looks up surprised to Zoltan.

Pouncer squirms and fidgets, not liking the sensation of having the earplugs put in her ears.

The Scout skips along, looking for the next "customer".

Taliamelle climbs up into her seat awkwardly, looking around her with wide eyes.

Zoltan jams his own earplugs in before Pouncer can hopefully work hers out. He points to the stage and smiles, "Shinies!"

Pouncer looks to the stage. "OOOOOO!" THAT got her attention. She tries to squirm free, wanting to impulsively rush the stage.

Taliamelle stares!

Taliamelle giggles, and tugs on Zoltan's arm. "Why we nee' cover ears for shinies?"

Several people in the robes of the Temple Choir – some of them children, most adults – file onto a stand behind the stage and to one side. Some workers lug some very heavy-looking equipment that looks like oversized and complicated versions of familiar instruments.

The black Vartan erks and hauls Pouncer back into his lap. He bounces the cub on his knee. "Loud noise… hurt you ears otherwise." he squawks loudly.

Taliamelle goes back to staring at the children in the robes. "Who they?"

Zoltan looks at the children. "Temple Scouts, I thinks. They the ones that give us cookies."

Taliamelle frowns. The big guard must have captured them. "Guard take us, and dress us funny?" She crosses her arms. Those robes look too much like girl's clothes.

Some armored warriors walk up onto the stage. Big wolves, by the shape of the armor, and bearing the symbol of the Knights Templar, with shimmering deep blue capes. There are also two other armored warriors – or, warrioresses, that is. The two feline warrioresses have white armor, and capes of magenta, with paired swords sheathed over their backs. They approach the stage, but stay clear of the instruments and of the wolves. The armored wolves, however, are heading right for the instruments … and take places as if they intend to play them in full armor. The lead one is picking up what looks like a cross between a lute, a Technopriest gadget, and some sort of weapon.

Zoltan smiles and shakes his head. "You only go if you wants to. They takes you camping and teach you how to read and things like that. You stick with it long enough and you get to wear that." He points to the Champions dressed in magenta.

A lady wolf in the outfit of a Temple Scout Den Leader – but not Sergeant Danae Sapphire (wrong hair color) walks up to one of the tubes rising from the stage. She waits for some of the noise to settle, and then begins speaking, her voice amplified so it can be heard clearly even with the earplugs. "Welcome here tonight, on behalf of all branches of the Temple. We have a special treat for the cubs – an appearance by the Magenta and Cobalt Lances… " She goes on in this vein, prompting squeals and cheers from many of the younger members of the audience.

Taliamelle cocks her head. "An' games?"

Zoltan applauds politely and nods to Taliamelle.

Taliamelle ponders that carefully as she watches the stage.

One of the lupine warriors pulls a bow across what looks somewhat like a violin. It lets out a resonant sound, an undertone as the Den Leader speaks. "… and you have been invited here because you all have the potential to join the honored ranks of the Temple Scouts. Yes, you! And, if you do your best, and are obedient to your parents and your superiors, you may have a chance to go even farther – to a respected career in the Temple! … "

( The Magenta Lance is here… where is the Champion herself? ) Zoltan looks around at the crowd.

The wolves continue testing their instruments, though for the most part the Den Leader can still be heard. At last, though, two armored figures can be seen approaching the stage from opposite directions. One is a particularly LARGE wolf with a blue cape. The other is a much smaller feline in white armor, with a magenta cape. Their armor is much more elaborately adorned than the armor of the Lancers.

Cubs and kits squeal, cheer, clap and hop up and down. (A few go briefly airborne, before their parents haul them back down again.)

Zoltan glances at Taliamelle nervously as some of the cubs take to the air.

Taliamelle blinks back up at Zoltan. She doesn't personally see why the fuss is about.

The Vartan just smiles back at Taliamelle and looks towards the stage again, he squints at the feline on the stage.

The very large wolf leaps up onto the stage, and takes the Lute to End All Lutes from a Lancer. He moves up to one of the pipes, as the Den Leader says, "And we now present … the Champion of Sound, and the Champion of Roses!" The Champion of Roses makes no move to approach one of the amplification tubes, but just does a flourish with her blades and bows to the children.

Taliamelle ohs! at the blades. Shiny. She tries to stand up in her seat.

A kitten behind Taliamelle protests at having her view blocked … but the sound of the protest is lost thanks to the earplugs and all the competing noises.

Other kits and cubs are getting the same idea, standing up, and thus prompting OTHERS to stand up or forfeit their view of the stage.

Zoltan keeps his seat, there are some advantages to being tall after all. He looks down at Pouncer to see how her view is faring.

Pouncer is straining and stretching, but, really, she can probably see just fine, since there's nobody sitting right in front of Zoltan.

The Champion of Sound lets out a loud HOWWWWWWWWL, joined in a chorus by his fellow Lancers … and several cubs in the crowd (even some non-lupines).

Behind the Champion of Sound, another very large wolf in armor swings a couple of sledgehammers in his hands as if they were drumsticks. He's surrounded by several large drums, so it appears he's going to use them that way, too.

Zoltan nudges Pouncer, grinning, and HOWWWWWWWWLS himself! Might as well go along with it.

The Champion of Sound begins playing on his "lute", which doesn't really sound much like a lute at all. Many of the other instruments sound a bit unfamiliar, and otherworldly. The drums, though, sound like drums. There's just no mistaking that. The Champion of Roses, on a lower tier of the stage, has begun her sword-dance, accompanied by her two Lancers, their multi-colored ribbons zipping this way and that – at first seemingly random, but the ribbons form loose patterns of a sort as they go, the two Lancers moving in symmetry with each other, their leader in the center.

Even with all the noise, the choir can be heard in the background, accompanying at points. It's the sort of effect that makes the hair (or fur or feathers) on the back of one's neck to stand up just a bit, with the subtle resonations underlying the not-so-subtle sounds of the instruments.

Taliamelle shifts nervously. She begins to be very grateful for the plugs in her ears.

The black Vartan stares wide-eyed. Never in his lifetime has he seen anything so… er… loud before!

Some of the Scouts are moving out in the crowd … handing out simple instruments to various of the cubs and kits – little cymbals, tambourines, bells and such. The recipients are quick to make use of them … though the sound doesn't carry to compete. But that doesn't seem to disappoint the children at all.

The same wolf cub that offered the plugs before comes up to Taliamelle and Pouncer, offering them their pick of the assorted instruments in his box.

Taliamelle ohs! and looks over the box. She rummages around a bit, but doesn't seem to find what she likes. She frowns and reaches into her pouch, pulling out a strange looking instrument of her own to use.

( Pleeeeeeeease make them give them back when this is over. Oh Pleeeeeeasepleasepleaseplease. Otherwise nobody is going to be getting any sleep in she house for a long time. ) Zoltan thinks nervously to himself as he holds Pouncer out towards the box.

Pouncer looks at the box … and picks the biggest, shiniest thing she can: the cymbals, of course! Perhaps fortunately, they're small-sized. (They're not metal, though, but very shiny chitin. Probably won't last very long under normal little-kid enthusiastic use, and might not even survive the concert.)

Pouncer doesn't slam the cymbals together. She just smiles, looking at her reflection in the surface, as the wolf cub moves along.

Taliamelle is lost in her own instrument. Her eyes close, as she blows on the shiny shell with strange coral pipes running out of it. She plays a cheerful tune, trying to harmonize with the stage.

Zoltan whews!

Several of the lanterns go out … to be replaced by multi-colored beams of light that sweep the stage and the audience. One of the devices projecting the beams promptly blows out, prompting many Technopriests to scurry about, but the rest still make for an impressive display.

"Oooooooooh!" Zoltan squawks, wondering what kind of bright shiny is making the beams from inside the strange boxes.

Taliamelle concludes her own little symphony with a few haunting notes, then opens her eyes and bounces when she notices the lights.

At some point, the Champion of Sound has begun to sing. Or, at least, it MIGHT be him. Since he's masked and so far away, it's hard to tell for sure. The lyrics are not terribly complicated, and not particularly on par with even popular ballads, but nonetheless he sings, and someone from his band echoes back with a response to each line in the chorus.

Out of the stage rises a rotating sphere, multi-faceted, reflecting the lights, on an unseen support.

The Champion of Sound sings, "When you wish upon a star… "

The Lancer echoes, "(It won't get you very far… )"

"Dream whatever you want to … (It's still just a dream to you… )"

"Doesn't matter where you are … (… if reality's not up to par… )"

"Any star, any will do … " and then they sing together, "But only one can make those dreams come true."

Taliamelle sits down. "Eesh." Dumb lyrics.

Zoltan watches the shiny sphere with eyes as round as saucers… the singing rings in his ears.

Taliamelle concentrates on the ball herself. She sways a little dizzily.

The Champion of Sound goes wild, running his gauntlets along the length of the alien "lute", notes running up and down the scales, the choir singing in the background, the drums incessant, the Champion of Rose and her Lancers a maelstrom of color and flashing blades below.

The shining sphere … explodes!

It bursts into a shower of glitter that rains down, catching myriad sparkles of color as it goes down.

Where it once was, a floating light flares, as if a star hovered right there above the stage, twinkling.

Zoltan whistles loudly and applauds. "Shiny!" he says again.

Taliamelle shares his enthusiasm, by bouncing in her seat. She looks over at Pouncer, "You like?"

Pouncer bounces, grinning, looking up from her nice shiny cymbal. She nods her head up and down enthusiastically. The concert continues, through several numbers, but not long as some concerts are measured. After all, the audience is very young, and the parents are going to have very exhausted cubs to take home afterward.

And, as concerts go, they have to end sometime. The bows are made after the last song, and the choir begins to file out as acolytes re-light the lanterns at the perimeter. The colored beams shut down for the last time this night.

By this time, Taliamelle is leaning on Zoltan's shoulder, her eyelids drooping.

Zoltan cradles Pouncer in his arms as he rises from his seat. He balances the cub in one arm for a moment while he removes her earplugs and his own. "You have fun?" he scrawks to Taliamelle.

Not all the cubs are quite ready to doze off, though. Several are heading down to the stage, some depositing their instruments in boxes along the way. At the stage, the various Lancers, the Champions, and a few representatives of various branches of the Temple receive the abundant questions of the youngsters.

Taliamelle nods slowly, rubbing an eye. She slumps out of her seat.

Pouncer says, "That was a most intriguing experience." She smiles, giggling. "LOUUUUUUUUD!" she squeals.

Taliamelle grabs for Zoltan's hand, suddenly reviving a bit at a thought, "Cookie'?" she asks.

Zoltan blinkblinks at Pouncer?

Pouncer waves her hands around wildly, with the cymbals in them. "BAH BAH BAH BRAAAAAAAAAM!" She plays air-lute with cymbals.

The Vartan feels something wrench in his stomach; he inhales sharply and them smiles to Taliamelle. "You want to gets some cookies?"

Taliamelle pulls on her vest, and cringes. "Yes! No more lou'."

Pouncer oops and covers her mouth (and the rest of her face) with her cymbals.

Zoltan nods to the winged cub and pulls out a five shekel piece. "Find someone that selling them." He points to the area where the Champions are. "I goings there, you be able to find me?"

Due to the distinct lack of black Vartans in the audience, it shouldn't be a difficult task to find him.

Taliamelle nods! and runs off, steering the shiny piece in her hand to guide her in pretend.

Zoltan follows along after Taliamelle, since they're both going in the same general direction for now. He sets Pouncer down and motions for the cub to follow her older 'sister'.

Pouncer skips along, keeping along with "big sister", clanging her cymbals the whole way.

Approaching the stage, Zoltan easily finds the Magenta Lance. The Champion is standing, quietly as ever, her arms crossed, occasionally nodding to her little "fans". Another Lancer beside her is of a considerably different demeanor, eagerly crouching down to get closer to the shorter ones, speaking in loud, excited terms, and occasionally picking up a squealing cub. The other Lancer is on the other spectrum, sitting down, her body posture looking fairly resigned, such as it can be told with that armor.

Zoltan approaches the Champion casually. "Would like to apologize to you for running from you in Bazaar, thought you meant ill for my cubs," he squawks, bowing his head a bit.

The Champion looks to Zoltan, and inclines her head in response. She looks past him, toward the two spotted cubs. (The one with the wings is, like Zoltan, not all that hard to pick out in a crowd.)

The Vartan looks over his shoulder at the cubs, then back to the Champion. "I know you no talk… but I would like to speak with you sometime, someplace more private."

The Champion nods, and gestures, directing the Vartan's attention to one side. There seems to be nothing in that direction but some trees beside the field, and a collection of very large equipment.

Zoltan nods and slowly begins to walk in that direction, he glances back to see if the champion is following.

The Champion flashes a hand sign to the seated Lancer, and then follows the Vartan, her cape billowing behind her. Some of the cubs try to go after her, but the previously-seated Lancer intercepts them, and distracts them by showing them her ribbons.

Zoltan walks around until he's standing behind one of the pieces of equipment. He self-consciously rubs his neck, ( I wish I could speak Standard better… it would make this much more diplomatic. Well, here goes… )

The Champion turns, her attention focused on the Vartan.

"Was told by a slave named Leeta that you own a slave named Cloud-Mark," Zoltan scrawks as softly as he can manage. "Would like to speak with her sometime. I Swear I mean no harm to her, or you."

The Champion nods once, then pulls off her gauntlets, putting them at her belt. Underneath the gauntlets, her hands are golden-furred, with fuzzy splotches that almost resemble spots. She signs, "You understand Sign?"

Zoltan blinks. Ah, perhaps this is why the Champion was interested in the cubs. "Yes," he signs. "But I no very good with it. Vartan hands not meant for sign. Is understand it just fine though."

The Champion nods, then signs, "Let us get this straight. There is no Cloud-Mark. I have no interest in spreading this sordid story any more than I have to, but it seems of late that everyone finds out anyway. Don't take that as permission to spread it. Don't cause me any trouble."

"I not wish to cause you trouble. You are Cloud-Mark then?" Zoltan signs. He inhales sharply and feels his neck begin to sweat.

The Champion signs, "There is no Cloud-Mark."

"But Leeta… Fire-Mane tell me you own her." The Vartan sighs and throws up his hands for a moment. "Do you own slave named Ibis?"

The Champion nods. "He is in the Vykarin Wastes, with one of my Lancers. As for Fire-Mane … she was disguising the truth. The sordid tale is that I was adopted by Ibis, and captured along with his family. Only after I had a taste of slavery was I turned in to the Temple – at first mistaken for an Exile."

"I am no Savanite," the Champion asserts. "I am not mute. However, raised among mutes, my tongue is wretched. It was with very few regrets that I took a vow of silence."

Zoltan feels his heart pound in his chest. "I am in possession of one of Ibis' daughters."

The Champion pauses, then signs, "I am not surprised. It seems that all of them have been converging upon Rephidim this year. But that is not of my concern."

The Vartan nods. "When Ibis get back, could you send word to me? My… slave… would like to reunite with father. Have already done so with Fire-Mane."

The Champion nods in response.

"I thank you. And also thank you with Temple Scouts. My cubs… even though they not my blood are still everything to me. I know that they appearance might cause them ill in life; I thank you for giving them chance," Zoltan signs.

"I understand perfectly," the Champion signs, then reaches for her gauntlets, detaching them from her belt.

Taliamelle comes running up, holding an almost empty box of cookies.

Pouncer tags behind, pouting. She doesn't have her cymbals anymore.

Zoltan laughs as the cubs approach and kneels down, holding his arms out to the pair. "Time to go home," he scrawks.

Taliamelle's chest heaves from running. " 'kay!" She offers Zoltan the rest of the cookies.

Pouncer bounces up to Zoltan … grabs his leg and clings to it, yawning loudly.

Taliamelle looks over and waves at the Champion. "Wanna cookie too?"

Zoltan munches on a cookie and begins to walk slowly, allowing Pouncer to dangle from his leg. "Thank you you time, Champion. I think my cubs do well in scouts."

The Champion nods, and stoops over, holding out a hand for the cookie.

Taliamelle drops a cookie in her hand, then runs after Zoltan, looking back every few seconds to wave.

The Champion returns a salute to the departing child.