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Briar wandered into the temple It was lit with hundreds of small laers in Gyongxe: All of the others were in the Realers ers here, a priest told them They missed the warmth and the ability to roam that was theirs elsewhere Also, the snow leopards resented interlopers

Briar was fascinated by the artwork that covered the tee painting were ods, deers shown in every aspect, froes were done in vivid colors, showing their subjects in various poses What bothered Briar was that the sures seemed to move in the corner of his eye They turned to chat with their neighbors Worse, soet a better look at him, Parahan, or Souda When he whipped around to stare at the paintings dead-on, they were still -- except that the little border folk had changed position Soles with one or several hands One tiger had rolled onto his back Another urinated in Briar’s direction

He just had to ask Fortunately a priest-artist was nearby, touching up the colors on a large painting "Excuse me," Briar ures in the border over there placed differently before?"

The priest smiled tolerantly and caht and the e…" He stared at the section of paintings that had ed warrior-demon noed his bare behind to anyone who cared to see it

Briar looked at the priest The man blinked, then backed up a step He leaned in closer and inspected a broad section of the paintings with borders that hadhis novice to put his paints away

Briar turned his back on the paintings and tried not to look at anyto his cos and the naga queen before If they thought his twitches and flinches were strange, they were too polite to coes were expected to be odd He would ask Rosethorn as going on when she ca to do with his touching her cursed burden

Briar also refused to sleep inside, despite the arguments of Parahan, Souda, and Jis to avoid In the end, his friends gave him an assortment of furs to use as well as his bedroll, to keep off the early sus inside the curtain walls, and the stars above moved only as they were supposed to ods to watch over her

When thesun touched his eyes, Briar opened the beside hi off a scant mouthful of teeth "Don’t worry, emchi youth," she said, and offered him a bowl of butter tea "Once you return to the thicker air down below, you will no longer see things Whatever touched you was powerful I can see its blaze all around you Its power calls to the little gods whose doors are on our walls"

Briar sat up and accepted the bowl "Thank you You’re very kind I would prefer not to have been touched at all"

She cackled "But then they would not have their fun with you, the little gods, and it is so rare that they may play! The power in you makes it possible for the for years, knowing that the evil was co is over, and ill all see"

Briar sipped the tea for aShe was a nice old woman Perhaps she wouldn’t ner "May I ask -- why do even the te cities do? From what I’ve heard, you aren’t attacked very often"

The priestess chuckled "We aren’t worried about enehbors who are trouble too hters are to keep the tribes and warriors frood-warriors take your teod, and your teod And the tribes are always fighting"

"But you weren’t fighting when I was in Garot at least five different tribes and warriors fro with us I heard Parahan say so"

The priestess straightened "When were you here before?"

"This winter"

She snorted "Nobody fights in winter Everyone would die And no one fights now because we all have the sas to us, not to that lowland eht Weishu"

Briar had finished the bowl of tea "Thank you for tellingthe bowl to her with a bow

"Don’t let the little gods worry you," the priestess told him "They are on our side Mostly"

She left Briar He dressed under the covers in the chilly air It unnerved his that moved on her walls The priest-artist hadn’t see?

And what of these little gods? he asked hiled into his boots If they could leave their walls and boulders, e hiht as well ask Lakik or Mila of the Grain to pick up weapons and fight!