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Includes "Fire-Eye #6"
Standing bow legged, Kibo listens to Cam be upset over recent circumstances. Cam
feels he's betrayed the elves while Ahnn Li has betrayed him. Kibo tells Cam what
Ahnessah wanted him to do. Cam tells him that the woman is playing a game and using
them and Ahnn Li as pawns on her chessboard. Koni is on a tree branch with Jethel,
trying to figure out why Boots hasn't come back and why she tried to bite him yesterday.
Once an old dog, Capper, was taken by Ahnessah and Ahnn Li and was not seen again.
Koni cries tears. Jethel tells him the story of NEW BLOOD's first trip over the great
water and how the sea monster killed one of their wolves. Koni has never seen any
of his dogs die. Jethel tells Koni, "...that the world isn't really fair. And
it's not really not fair. It just is. Sometimes things happen and we don't know why
and it hurts usóa lot. But the world isn't trying to hurt usóóit just goes on its
way. One moment to the next and there's nothing we can do about it." Chot thinks,
"Don't put your nose in it now, little Chiefóókeep goingóóó" The other
two call them down to join in on a race. Koni says to Jethel, "Awwww, I don't
want to..." Jethel talks him into it. They are using lady bugs to race. On a
map, a human hand crushes a lady bug and cleans the remains on the head of a boy.
These are Ahnn Li's workers. They are to follow the river path up the world spine.
Pei Lar's gang includes: a pig tailed blond girl with a tooth missing in her front
teeth, an Oriental boy in servant clothes, a blond in torn bottomed tunic with frizzy
hair, another blond boy in loose tunic with not much on under it or on his bottom
which looks bare, and another who is either a girl or a boy. Bren passes Pei Lar's
test by fighting the Oriental and kicking him between the legs, then hitting him
over and over when all the kids surround him, trying to take his things, his clothes,
and "what he's got for them." One blond hugs the Oriental, helping him
up, "Little skinny got you a good one, heh.." The Oriental says, "Shut
up!" She tells Bren, "Once I ruled a great city in the jungle far from
hereóóbut one I trusted betrayed me and cast me out (the big wolf haired guard who
seems to have five fingers in this flashback). I tried then to live with the wood
spirits. But they were even worseóótortured me with fire and left me to die."
She tells them the Oldsters and FireóEye are plotting together to make them all their
slaves. She tells them they will show them they will not be put down any longer.
The Oriental hugs Bren with one arm and the blond with frizzy hair with the other.
Koni has on a black leather sleeveless vest and tights, sleeves white and rolled
up. Arro has a kind of towel over his neck, his arms, chest and stomach bare. Jethel
puts the bugs on leaves in the water, to prove to Arro that the strongest aren't'
always the sinners. He crosses his eyes as he blows the leaves in a race. The stream
will decide. Flying in on its own piece of wood, Willowsnap wins. Sylvie says, "Yay,
Willowsnap!!" They laugh at Willowsnap as its triumph is short cut by a dead
end pool where it didn't want to go. Sometimes you can make your own path, sometimes
things just carry you along, Jethel laughs on his back. "The trick is to enjoy
the ride as best wecan." Cam and Kibo go over what to do, Cam putting his arm
around his faithful Kibo. As they do this, Kibo is helping put Cam's boots on and
puts on his own slipper like shoes. Cam wants to take Kibo out the town gate into
the forest. Kibo says, "Wow!" Ahnessah watches them, thinking Cam a soft
and willing old man. His affection for Kibo outweighs his concern for the spirits.
She has her hair in long braids. Now she looks more blond than dark haired. An Oriental
boy (either the same one for Pei Lar or another, different one of Pei Lar's kids)
runs past and knocks into them, telling them he is sorry but has to run before they
beat him. He has a small bag in his hand after, having lifted the pouch from Cam.
The black haired Oriental runs back to Pei Lar before it rains. This is Gillie (as
we find out next issue) and the character might be a girl (make that is a girl, I
thinkóóshe looks like a boy!!!). |