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Replying would have requiredmy cracked lips, so I let his jibe pass I could not understand how thirst and hunger affected ly and left hiht, he " He turned and walked back to his post and squatted down again Feeling childish, I curled intoprayers silently, asking the good god to grant ht this man could teach me Perhaps this endurance of privation was hoished to measure me Or perhaps this old eneain with my father and tormentto trust hi and a traitor to ain for strength and courage, and sought sleep

In the dark of night, I caes No I smelled smoked le of a water skin My ain, and the slosh as it was lowered from Dewara’s mouth It occurred to s as a water skin and a wallet of dried ether as I opened ht on the Midlands The stars were distant and uninterested Deas coeant Duril had often counseled er, and sleeplessness can lead to apoor decisions He said I could add lust to that list when I was a few years closer to full ain Was this a test of my perseverance and endurance? Or had my father been deceived by his old ene ment or my own? My father was older and wiser than I But he was not here and I was I was too weary and too thirsty to think coherently Yet I must make the decision Obey or disobey Trust or distrust

I closed uidance, but heard only the sweep of wind across the Plains I slept fitfully I dreamed that my father said that if I orthy to be his son, I could endure this Then the drea that he’d always knoas stupid, that even the youngest child knew better than to venture out on the Plains without water and food Idiots deserved to die How ure out how to take care of hiet out of the way before he brought down his whole regiment I wandered out of e who disliked me I had no food or water I doubted that there ater within a day’s walk of here, or that I could walk a full day without water Grimness settled on me I decided to sleep on my decision

In the creep of dawn, I arose from my hollow in the sand I went to where Dewara slept He did not sleep His eyes were open and watching me It hurt even to try to speak but I croaked out the words "I know you have water Please give me some"

He sat up slowly "No" His hand was already on the haft of his swanneck I had no weapon at all He grinned at me "Why don’t you try to take it?"

I stood there, anger, hatred, and fear fighting for control of me I decided I wanted to live "I’m not stupid," I said I turned away from him and walked toward the taldi

He called after me, "You say you are ‘not stupid’ Is that another way to say ‘coward’?"

The words were like a knife in nore them "Keeksha Stand" The ht for what he needs to live He has to fight, nohis swanneck fro sun His face darkened with anger "Get away frorasped the mane at the base of her neck and heaved myself onto her

"Your father said you would obey me You said you would obey me I said that if you disobeyedto find water" I don’t knohy I even said those words

"You are not a man of your word Neither is your father But I am!" he shouted after me as I rode off "Dedem Stand!" At that, I kicked Keeksha into a run Deprivation had weakened her as much as it had me, but she see hoofbeats behind us It can’t be helped, I thought toon