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Jardir stared hard at his inscrutable wife’s eyes What aren’t you telling reenlander showed no hint of fear or trepidation as the sun set that night He stood tall atop the walls, looking out at the sands eagerly, waiting for the first signs of the eneined fro since a Krasian had gone to the green lands and seen its people for himself? A hundred years? Two? Had anyone left the Desert Spear since the Return?

Tarriors snickered at his back They were Mehnding tribe, thewere devoted wholly to the art of ranged weapons They built the rock slingers and scorpions, quarried stones for hurling, and reat spears that could punch through a sand deh they were less proficient with the spear than other tribes, their honor knew no bounds, for the Mehnding killed ai than the Kaji and the Majah coai kills hi said

"More likely he will soil hihed

The greenlander glanced at thehis focus on the shifting sands

He eht, reht in the Maze

Jardirbetter to do than mock your spear-brother?" he demanded loudly Everyone on the wall turned to look

"But Sharue"

"A savage who looks to the enerowled "Mock hi pavilion to learn to keep a civil tongue" He spoke the words calmly, but the dal’Sharuht Jardir’s attention Thein his guttural tongue He pointed to the sands, and Jardir suddenly understood

The alagai were rising

"To your places!" he ordered, and the Mehnding turned back to their scorpions

Oil fires were lit and reflected with ht for their deadly art

The greenlander watched the scorpion teas while another set the stinger in place A third ai could coer speared a sand de his fist into the air much as Jardir had done the first time he witnessed it as a nie’Sharu the infor tea the ropes to free the counterweights and hurl thethe grains off a dune There were dozens of flame and wind demons, but the sand demons were an endless stor focused in a wide arc around the great gate to the Maze, preparing for the invitation When the alagai were positioned correctly, Jardir signaled a nie’Sharu, clear note on the Horn of Sharak Alates opened The oldest warriors in the tribes stood within, beating their shields and jeering at the delory was endless Even the greenlander breathed a word that rang of awe

The alagai shrieked and charged into the Maze The Baiters whooped and ran, leading the deh twists and turns to where their respective tribesnaled for the gates to be closed again The scorpions cleared the way, and the gates closed with a thunderous boom

"Fetch the nets," Jardir told the nie’Sharureenlander to his test"