For some seconds, all that Taisa could do was to pant. When she finally was able to say something, she shouted out:copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeg8IQEd2K
"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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWb19QuniY
Gawa was recovering from the effort, breathing heavily:copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTalskk7gy
"G... great," that was all she said.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPMbYv2CI4
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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡmV1yWbpqyH
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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOAy92Tu99
"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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24ZOfXkiA2
"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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXXnwTyVj7
"Don't come with any excuses," the boy answered. "Argh, all the grain we gave you... For nothing!"copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHVdg4g9yq
"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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBuiqKgK2R
"Taisa."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpPJNlDmhW
"Yes?" answered the girl. Did she pick up on that I would...copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUEp7Uun42
"Just now, " the benti began to speak, serious, "right before you tell me to run, I felt you got distracted. What happened?"copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnEiG43XP6
"Well," Gawa's tone made her a little ashamed, "I saw an amazing thing. Kinara, that girl from our village--"copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBwElkZZGh
"That one?" Gawa pointed at the team that just entered the Red Wall's shadow.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡWabAziv3Gz
"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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uXKNDPRBE
"It seems that it really was, given the way you got distracted."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqgu4CO4Bv
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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxFw8fPDiw
"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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡdp0aaOOZFq
He turned back and climbed some rocks, speaking no more.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDQV7VxWZ8
"Is that him?" asked Taisa. "That Kadu one, who conducts the judgement?"copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlG6SOmIsE
"It's Katu," corrected Gawa. "The best gasami to recognize good soldiers."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡeG3fQe4FdJ
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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SnWNvRkrQ
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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSc9Z5YlNq
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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0264hXilDw
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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JosFcXwwp
"In?" asked Katu, in the benti language.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0hzahF8Ds
"Out," said a watcher. "He fell to the ground five times."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEuGIME18i
"Including during the start," said other one. The boy looked like he was going to cry.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡxd1WGG8DdF
"Out," concluded Katu, going towards the next racer. The boy cried silently.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AFkaQCPZg
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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyUMfDyUEG
When Katu asked the question of always, the opinions were varied:copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡccUd8AUhe7
"In," said a watcher. "She brought down a zivar from the back of a benti."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhHDCStfHs
Taisa looked to the boy in question, that received an "out". He was looking to nowhere, pretending not to listen anything.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZ1qLg3kaH
"Out," disagreed other watcher. "She fell right after that."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mUWA3xukM
"In," argued another one. "She showed a courage too uncommon for a zivar cub."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡBi4jVGboWS
"Or an uncommon foolishness," someone replied.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsSSSE9VYj
More benti entered the discussion before Kinara's fate was finally decided:copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0GxWhAtLV
"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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡgndkG81RxX
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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡKopChigqef
Now it was the turn of the boy who mointed the tall benti, the boy who almost had won.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRgrpdI0Gu
"In?" Katu said.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXR9hyiipP
"In," said a watcher. "If the race had lasted a little more, he and his benti would have won."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaeGNvY4Wc
Gawa snorted.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡkH4A8tNQuu
"In," said another one. "He got rid of a stronger opponent using his wits."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡlprczIKR1a
The mentioned opponent once more pretended not to listen.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhlVX8rVcn
"In," added a third. "He knew how to use the circumstances im his favor."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8w4d7dHU4b
The boy was exhibiting a triumphant smile. Wow, it seems that he really did--copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡopBQCayn1z
"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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHRTDO14Ke
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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSLx5SKMNO
"The first one" Katu surprised Taisa, that still looked to the grass. "In?"copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcey2QJBdK
I won, she told herself. I was the first, I'm in. I must be--copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLs2E5RGaB
"Out," said the watcher, for surprise of the girl. "She has more training."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCtG9zzUmm
What?copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkyXTBNCd1
"Out," said another one. "She mounts since she was very little."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpNOrrTi84
And so what?copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3GoJQXjKk
"Out," said one more watcher. "She waited more than the other onea to come race."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuEerxQf93
"It wasn't my fault!" the girl couldn't hold her words.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡhws4kUwedE
"Out"—Katu's voice was like a cold and sharp knife—"You may have won, but didn't prove anything."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7IZvsQtLA
Katu gave the impression that he would continue the ceremony, but the girl stood up, outraged:copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡNr5sFwZwM9
"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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3G281WEga
Katu stared at Gawa for some instants before looking back at Taisa:copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzh1yNuohf
"If you have not proved anything, you still have no value for us."copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4G4wmBwSo
And, finally, the benti turned back and continued to do what he had to.copyright protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡGssmuAnrfD
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 protection29ＰＥＮＡＮＡBycTALG4aX
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