For some seconds, all that Taisa could do was to pant. When she finally was able to say something, she shouted out:8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuDmRaNaAh 維尼
"We won, Gawa!"--dismounting and taking her mask off, she gave her companion a strong hug--"It was a close one, but we did it!"8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGtGsAppi6 維尼
Gawa was recovering from the effort, breathing heavily:8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡDv2aUJjNaT 維尼
"G... great," that was all she said.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡJG42tWxUYN 維尼
Taisa couldn't be happier. She had waited so long for that day, when they would let her race... And she had won! Everything will get better, mom, she thought, still pressing her face against Gawa's soft feathers.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUnjERsLD4 維尼
The Red Wall was benti territory, and Taisa had never seen it from so close. It was a huge elevation of reddish rock, with maybe ten times Gawa's height; the side in front of them, that covered them with its shadow, was so steep that one could barely go up, although there were many saliences where benti rested; the other side, in turn, was inclined, and came down smoothly to the ground. It was possible to see many benti up there; near the base, many others were also gathering, and the watchers who followed Taisa, Gawa and the other team now were joining them.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTlQBKGvVH 維尼
"Couldn't you have run faster?" The one who spoke was the boy who ended up in second place. " I brought us there, so close to the victory, and you didn't do you part!"8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡH80wrqlvs4 維尼
"I'm sorry, Ankal," the benti answered in a low voice. "We raced well, if we had a little more time I'm sure that I--"8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWAkyJzvfF 維尼
"Don't come with any excuses," the boy answered. "Argh, all the grain we gave you... For nothing!"8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwyszjOgz7 維尼
"But who does he think he is?" murmured Taisa, ready to go teach a lesson to that whiny boy. Before that happened, Gawa said:8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2jlOFG3G5 維尼
"Taisa."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRTTEgTBOD 維尼
"Yes?" answered the girl. Did she pick up on that I would...8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡWK0DalgSzE 維尼
"Just now, " the benti began to speak, serious, "right before you tell me to run, I felt you got distracted. What happened?"8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1lvsQOWJN 維尼
"Well," Gawa's tone made her a little ashamed, "I saw an amazing thing. Kinara, that girl from our village--"8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0akdp7M58 維尼
"That one?" Gawa pointed at the team that just entered the Red Wall's shadow.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpiszkxc1l 維尼
"Exactly"—Kinara waved briefly at Taisa, that returned the gesture--"She jumped from her benti to the back of the other one, Gawa! She went there and made the boy fall! It was amazing!"8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡJudID0sG27 維尼
"It seems that it really was, given the way you got distracted."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOESR9vcWr 維尼
Taisa wasn't sure if that had been a reprimand, but she had no time to ask: a strong voice, above everyone, spoke.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTYFfuzDjG 維尼
"Racers!" spoke a benti with air of autorithy; he was tall and had grey feathers among the predominant brown ones. "When all the watchers arrive, the judgment will start. Make a circle and wait for them."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9vr1dGCCY 維尼
He turned back and climbed some rocks, speaking no more.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeNWha7H1F 維尼
"Is that him?" asked Taisa. "That Kadu one, who conducts the judgement?"8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡLN8WQWD59l 維尼
"It's Katu," corrected Gawa. "The best gasami to recognize good soldiers."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡEinJrQneRm 維尼
In fact, Katu seemed to have fought uncountable battles; it wasn't by chance that all the others looked at him with so much respect.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sKdDrA6sn 維尼
The watchers guided them to a small elevation that formed a low platform. There they sat and waited, speaking about the benti who lived there.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbhK8Kp9Ql 維尼
Little by little, as the Red Wall's shadow was getting shorter, racers and watchers arrived and filled the place. Just before the judgement began, the platform was so full of children and benti that it looked that no more beings could join them. Still, Taisa noticed, there were fewer teams present than the initial number, indicating withdrawals.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVPrQ7YNOr 維尼
With all the racers making a circle, the watchers around the platform and Katu in the middle, the judgement began. That's it, thought Taisa, the time of the truth. Katu approached a boy that Taisa didn't knew:8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uUDLHU5rW 維尼
"In?" asked Katu, in the benti language.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrktRtF84G 維尼
"Out," said a watcher. "He fell to the ground five times."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡBy6HzfsBib 維尼
"Including during the start," said other one. The boy looked like he was going to cry.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfWq9qUqgI 維尼
"Out," concluded Katu, going towards the next racer. The boy cried silently.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjIrT0DFYI 維尼
During the following minutes, similar scenes repeated: Katu always asked "in?" and the watchers answered with "in" or "out", explaining their reasons. If nothing was said, the conclusion was "out". Since each benti valued different talents, in some cases there was some discussion; however, in the end, the common values of the gasami always won and a verdict was reached. And the veredict was never "in" until it was Kinara's turn.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xDcL4Oj1q 維尼
When Katu asked the question of always, the opinions were varied:8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNST2hAJ8A 維尼
"In," said a watcher. "She brought down a zivar from the back of a benti."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6q3GFe0YI 維尼
Taisa looked to the boy in question, that received an "out". He was looking to nowhere, pretending not to listen anything.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXBh3LPmHf 維尼
"Out," disagreed another watcher. "She fell right after that."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSJT74MUQx 維尼
"In," argued another one. "She showed a courage too uncommon for a zivar cub."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07nsDIDbtz 維尼
"Or an uncommon foolishness," someone replied.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡy87FVb0q0e 維尼
More benti entered the discussion before Kinara's fate was finally decided:8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUFXGOjiAK 維尼
"You risked yourself, but was sucessful in stopping your opponent," said Katu. "In battle, that could have been like the sacrifice for a fellow"—The girl threw a fast glance towards Taisa, and it looked that her mouth was subtly curled in a smile—"You are in. Congratulations."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJpq99nM08 維尼
Did she...?, Taisa asked herself, while the children applauded Kinara. Katu stood a little longer in front of her but soon resumed the judgement, cold as ever.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5LBg9pQHa 維尼
Now it was the turn of the boy who mointed the tall benti, the boy who almost had won.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0Yk9kJHeu 維尼
"In?" Katu said.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRopUsMvQJ 維尼
"In," said a watcher. "If the race had lasted a little more, he and his benti would have won."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQOMJ83WQ0 維尼
Gawa snorted.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FfQqpqtfQ 維尼
"In," said another one. "He got rid of a stronger opponent using his wits."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aTEq9i5o8 維尼
The mentioned opponent once more pretended not to listen.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡYboDJkY4zk 維尼
"In," added a third. "He knew how to use the circumstances im his favor."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡINRLVbYe8p 維尼
The boy was exhibiting a triumphant smile. Wow, it seems that he really did--8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0l3UAIox3z 維尼
"Out," decreed Katu, bluntly, but with a different tone in his voice. Was it... contempt? "He disrespected his partner, right in front of me and our pack"—the eyes of the boy were wide open like two eggs—"He dared to imply, under the shadow of the Windbreaker, that we sell ourselves to the zivar for grain"—then Katu looked right inside the eyes of the boy:—"You are not worth to mount a benti. Get out of here."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqCKaMh8wH 維尼
The boy, frightened, didn't move at first, but hearing the first scream from a watcher, and then one more, and then another one, he took care of obeying Katu's order. The racer benti also began a booing—even the one he had mounted—and soon screams and caws came from all over the Red Wall, in a deafening choir of the most deep despise that only ended when the boy ran into the tall grass and disappeared.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZGFiGSVte 維尼
"The first one." Katu surprised Taisa, who still looked to the grass. "In?"8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡEztFxcCfJ0 維尼
I won, she told herself. I was the first, I'm in. I must be--8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhtJVoaf4r 維尼
"Out," said the watcher, to the girl's surprise. "She had more training than the others."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPUQT79xWP 維尼
What?8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNAQTCUbup 維尼
"Out," said another one. "She has mounted ever since she was very little."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAqtEvgEyF 維尼
And so what?8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCshAtejZ4 維尼
"Out," said one more watcher. "She waited more than the other ones to come race."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡBW2sEnw0N8 維尼
"It wasn't my fault!" The girl couldn't hold her words.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2YFFQkqNn 維尼
"Out"—Katu's voice was like a cold and sharp knife—"You may have won, but you didn't prove anything."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2N90UFrkcF 維尼
Katu gave the impression that he would continue the ceremony, but the girl stood up, outraged:8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGmNlEdoww 維尼
"But I won!" she screamed, with the eyes full of tears. "I was better than all of them!"—she then opened her arms, indicating the other racers—"So what if I have trained more than them? My tribe only let me race now! Please! I need to enter the benti-zai! For my mother!"8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaSrRZRm8r 維尼
Katu stared at Gawa for some time before looking back at Taisa:8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Qd9u7RIYL 維尼
"If you have not proven anything, you still have no value for us."8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxXcz0Cw2w 維尼
And, finally, the benti turned back and continued to do what he had to.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7TfbrXlap 維尼
Outraged by that situation, Taisa didn't wait any longer: she turned around and ran as fast as she could, with tears flowing down her face.8964 copyright protection379ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSBdg88iCC 維尼
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