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"We feel happy, when this news runs to us Then the loo One of our people, falls through She is wounded She brings a terrible story with her" As he got caught up in the awful tale, his words began to slip; past becae, learned over a lifetime, became sloppier "The Cursed Ones attack the people of Horn All their houses and all their villages the Cursed Ones burn"

A general ain, by the Akka woman’s terse command

"Even the children they kill, cut cut" Hemotion with his hand Children who had crowded up behind hihed "The people of Horn escape to the hills Horn is old wo She isOne, who is once h the loo Maybe Horn die already"

"But if Horn dies, then we can’t weave the great spell!" cried Adica, shocked out of her silence Alain set a hand on her shoulder to cal One," said Falling-down, indicating the dead woman "She is not yet dead, in the home ofher here Healer woman of the Akka people is renowned"

Adica looked around, but she did not see the fa wole feathers "Even the Akka healing woman could not save her?"

"No The Fat One turned her face away After half awoman and our brother Tanioinin pray to the ancestor, the old s I am too old, and Tanioinin cannot walk Tell me this: Why did the Cursed Ones attack Horn’s people and ether? Why did they try to steal you?"

"The Holy One warned us They’ve learned that we ainst thereat weaving"

"Yes We must know if Horn lives We must know if the Cursed Ones attack our co Ones are not strong enough alone to do this You have strong legs and strong estured toward the eaves "The sky is cloaked with clouds We will have to wait until the stars shine again and the weather clears off"

"For that we cannot wait" He spoke so gravely that his words frightened her She knew that the Holy One had power over the weather, but her , in soic of the Cursed Ones "We wait now in this house for the other Akka sorcerers to come Tanioinin’s brothers and sisters and the cousins of the healing woman, they will come down from their halls north of this place and south of this place When they co which can blow the clouds away so you can travel"

"Quick, quick," echoed the Akka woether The crowd around theely on their tongues Someone threw pine needles and a rain of dried herbs and tiny pebbles on the fire The flames hissed and spit, and a thick cloud of shed violently, starting back, and Alain found her by touch and drew her away as the Akka people sang in loud and rather discordant voices a song repeating the same words over and over: "nok nok ay-ee-tay-oo-noo nok nok"

When she had done blinking and could see again, the dead woone Had they vanished through ic, or simply been carried off? She did not really care to know The secrets of her own gods, and her own h

"Come" By some mode of communication unknown to her, Alain found a raised pallet under the eaves and there, after setting down their packs, they lay down together She was too tired to do anything but rest in his ar? What if the Cursed Ones had discovered all their plans? What if the Cursed Ones used their blood ic to kill the hu to sacrifice herself knowing that her death would free her people froods , she had started to cry

"Hush," said Alain, stroking her arms "Sleep, lovely one Do not fear for what is to coht her a side her, she slept