She swished a forehoof in the water, drawing a spiral in the foam. "In this age, a spiritual colt, known now as Maestro Romà de Balj, believed that through ascetic studies and the practice of an artful 'dance' one could achieve enlightenment and a glimpse of the will of the Mother-of-Stars. I say 'dance' because this is the word which he used to describe the thing, his 'Shining Stellar Dance' -- but the dance was actually a style of fighting; a practice of graceful combat against one or more foes, but always performed alone, so that one could 'lose' oneself in the divinity of the moment."