For some seconds, all that Taisa could do was to pant. When she finally was able to say something, she shouted out:copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4fSQHFc4w
"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!"copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiF33oAZNK
Gawa was recovering from the effort, breathing heavily:copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkQBgQumsm
"G... great," that was all she said.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1rKThsytw
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.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LPLPS9pSX
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.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sh03yQyVj
"Couldn't you have run faster?" 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!"copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqlmaeDCN7
"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--"copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TTYEIRO8J
"Don't come with any excuses," the boy answered. "Argh, all the grain we gave you... For nothing!"copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡLib3ifB9Ow
"But who does he think he is?" murmured Taisa, ready to go teach a lesson to that whiny boy. Before that happened, Gawa said:copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJWO573IKR
"Taisa."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUKJSprJdA
"Yes?" answered the girl. Did she pick up on that I would...copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZSE2aUEkI
"Just now, " the benti began to speak, serious, "right before you tell me to run, I felt you got distracted. What happened?"copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNr8CwfFf0
"Well," Gawa's tone made her a little ashamed, "I saw an amazing thing. Kinara, that girl from our village--"copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6UhPNHhxV
"That one?" Gawa pointed at the team that just entered the Red Wall's shadow.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0UJEXUyBe
"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!"copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡhM2IUEfajv
"It seems that it really was, given the way you got distracted."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQB68rTQIq
Taisa wasn't sure if that had been a reprimand, but she had no time to ask: a strong voice, above everyone, started saying something.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzqGj5DdEf
"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 wheel and wait for them."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡsV2uDX8T8s
He turned back and climbed some rocks, speaking no more.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjj1prsjia
"Is that him?" asked Taisa. "That Kadu one, who conducts the judgement?"copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3KaJ3fngT
"It's Katu," corrected Gawa. "The best gasami to recognize good soldiers."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIOFcsClmK
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.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡNL47MtzeNR
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.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwU9HEcX1s
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 less teams present than the initial number, indicating withdrawals.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEbFko8WJu
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:copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxgLE3fdi2
"In?" asked Katu, in the benti language.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HzZQgD2dF
"Out," said a watcher. "He fell to the ground five times."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4kGKE4SBO
"Including during the start," said other one. The boy looked like he was going to cry.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡnilE30HidZ
"Out," concluded Katu, going towards the next racer. The boy cried silently.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡliGUixaWzo
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.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5tWMdBR6c
When Katu asked the question of always, the opinions were varied:copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtv17y1ORf
"In," said a watcher. "She brought down a zivar from the back of a benti."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcyu6Q1hMB
Taisa looked to the boy in question, that received an "out". He was looking to nowhere, pretending not to listen anything.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoH9ltnWlt
"Out," disagreed other watcher. "She fell right after that."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90WE24d3T5
"In," argued another one. "She showed a courage too uncommon for a zivar cub."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHhRcoIeGv
"Or an uncommon foolishness," someone replied.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnTxwf1Ucm
More benti entered the discussion before Kinara's fate was finally decided:copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmnk0poeti
"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."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMZBEcZmrG
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.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡRh3LPA0Rud
Now it was the turn of the boy who mointed the tall benti, the boy who almost had won.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSzBcA1AOu
"In?" Katu said.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7hSIV5Iiw
"In," said a watcher. "If the race had lasted a little more, he and his benti would have won."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9OtVE3Wvy
Gawa snorted.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JqJlCjnd7
"In," said another one. "He got rid of a stronger opponent using his wits."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5f9YX53Gn
The mentioned opponent once more pretended not to listen.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5xoyt2Cpx
"In," added a third. "He knew how to use the circumstances im his favor."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzhBiDeB1r
The boy was exhibiting a triumphant smile. Wow, it seems that he really did--copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTxY3wW9zD
"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."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9J4yhxAUX
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 who 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.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85wpHO3Wq4
"The first one" Katu surprised Taisa, that still looked to the grass. "In?"copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaYV81r5a1
I won, she told herself. I was the first, I'm in. I must be--copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHbrMJJkjE
"Out," said the watcher, for surprise of the girl. "She has more training."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡisJOSrDVn4
What?copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LeZGm08rb
"Out," said another one. "She mounts since she was very little."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaTlBG5l1p
And so what?copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjRI7JaLFy
"Out," said one more watcher. "She waited more than the other onea to come race."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGj3F0qF9S
"It wasn't my fault!" the girl couldn't hold her words.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡRj3LFErKZs
"Out"—Katu's voice was like a cold and sharp knife—"You may have won, but didn't prove anything."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYL1HTLSEq
Katu gave the impression that he would continue the ceremony, but the girl stood up, outraged:copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡqu6KyMKZrT
"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—"What's the matter 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!"copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjdV4SzwCz
Katu stared at Gawa for some instants before looking back at Taisa:copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNyLOgEA8j
"If you have not proved anything, you still have no value for us."copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zO8jmU3lm
And, finally, the benti turned back and continued to do what he had to.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdFa8K2IhF
Outraged by that situation, Taisa didn't wait any longer: she turned around and ran as fast as she could, with tears flowing through her face.copyright protection19ＰＥＮＡＮＡigsQ2h6HRf
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