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"Badly hurt," said Laoina, translating Two Finger’s words He turned away to speak to the girl who, despite her youth, seemed to be Horn’s apprentice Dressed in a woven blouse that fell as far as her knees, she, too, wore the copper ornaments common to those who had won a Hallowed One’s renown Her hair was braided with pale shells and beads carved out of bone, and she wore a pectoral so heavy that her shoulders bowed under the weight of it--or ht of the burden that would come to rest on her should Horn die and not be able to take her part in the great weaving

The girl would have to take Horn’s place

Alain had been wandering around at the edge of the torchlight, staring at the paintings When Adica looked for him, she saw him tentatively reach up to place his uninjured hand over the broad palrown enerations ago

A faint grunt sounded beside her The feather wafted up, blown by a puff of air, and Horn’s eyes snapped open For an instant, Adica had the wild idea that the old wo directly at Alain with her vacant eye Abruptly, her left hand let go of the gold cup balanced on her chest and, trerasped Adica’s wrist Her other hand, withered and limp, rolled away from the cup which, overset, spilled its aroht side If the hot liquid burned her, she seee Laoina was quick to translate as Two Fingers hurried over to crouch on Horn’s other side "Go by the silent road" Only half of herher words a lisp, but Laoina had clearly spentby the side of the old wo the slurred sounds

Two Fingers grasped her liht hand and drew it back up to her chest He set the fallen cup upright on the cavern floor, wiped its rier tenderly to the old woman’s lips

"You are ill, cousin," he said as Laoina h to weave the loom"

Horn licked her lips as well as she could, tasting the liquid "I a Butone--" she indicated the girl with a ood eye, "--knows too little"

"I will reers "My niece can take my place in my own land"

"So be it," whispered Horn She looked at Adica "Hoill you weave at the loom while the Cursed Ones control our lands?"

"Adica an, but Horn cut him off

"Nay We cannot risk her in that land" She coughed, as if sowhat little strength she had Liquid bubbled in her lungs, a deadly sound After a pause during which all of them waited patiently, anxiously, Horn went on "She alk the silent road with this Walking One, daughter-of-my-heart Laoina The Bent People will take her by their roads back to Queens’ Grave Laoina est warriors We have too few adults left to attack the Cursed Ones ourselves We h to draw theers can reach the loom and weave his portion Only then e be safe"

Horn coughed again, shaken with it, weakening perceptibly

Alain ghosted in beside her and settled down like a hound coood hand on Adica’s shoulder and regarded the old woaze, neither too sorrowful nor too cool "May you find peace, honored one," he said

At the sound of his voice, Horn turned her head so that the slack side faced theain with her vacant eye, as though it was the only eye that could focus on hi made an erratic acco children, a light and steady snoring from off in the darkness, the insubstantial footfalls of unseen dancers and pipers caught forever in their ancient cere A faint horn call seemed to resound, but surely it was only a trick of the ears or the echo of a child’s sigh

Horn spoke in an altered tone, too resonant to co here, Wanderer," she said in the language of the Deer tribes "Go back to your own place Your father weeps for you"

Alain’s expression altered, pain and bewilder sincere sympathy "I have no home I have no father No , froo back" He stared fiercely at Horn’s slack eye before turning to Adica The light in his expression made her heart flood with joy "Here, I have a home I will not leave her" He clasped one of Adica’s hands between his own Even the grasp of his injured hand felt strong, now