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"People n racehorses don’t ride them They hire jockeys And you’re the perfect size, so stop looking at me like I’m daft"

As we arrived at the first of the massive multicolored tents, our conversation ceased as we absorbed the frenzied activity and panoraer, I used to stand ay of the fire festival I had always thought the na the hot season, but because the sounds and sclose to a year in a dungeon, I felt the force slah I were a brick wall A hose mortar threatened to crumble from the overload of sensations

Torches blazed and bonfires burned We walked into a slice of captured daylight The perforhout the festival, with sing to their eoods The aroruretted having skipped dinner in et here

Entertainers, contestants, spectators and laughing children ebbed and flowed around us So froo forward We had lost track of the others If he hadn’t linked his arm in mine, I probably would have been separated from Rand as well Distractions peppered the festival I would have followed the lively ered to watch a skit, but Rand was deter contest

As we reen-and-black uniforh Valek had said Brazell wouldn’t be a threat I thought it prudent to avoid hi for, I watched for unusual faces It was the wrong way to detect a tail Valek had taught ents were unremarkable in appearance and didn’t draw attention to theured if a skilled spy followedhim or her was small

We met up with Porter and Liza in a small tent filled with a sweet aro to a large man in a cook’s unifor Rand, they congratulated him on his first-place win The heavyfive years in a row

While Rand exa the shelves, I asked the man who had won in Military District 5 I was curious if Brazell’s cook had ith his Criollo recipe Thehis short, curly black hair to touch his thick eyebrows

"Bronda won it with a heavenly leht win I used to work at the o with so it’ll win again"

I thought it odd that he hadn’t entered his Criollo, but before I could deduce a reason, Rand jubilantly swept us out of the tent He wanted to buy everyone a glass of wine to celebrate his victory

We sipped our wine and wandered around the festival Sammy materialized on occasion froht, only to rush off again

Twice I spotted a woman with a serious expression Her black hair was pulled into a tight bun Wearing the uniforrace of someone used to physical exercise The second time I saw her she was much closer, and I made eye contact Her al boldly back atfaured it out