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Simon let out his pent…up breath。 The scent of the valley rose up to him； musty and bittersweet。 He caught the smell of growing things； a pungent odor like mown grass； but also a deep and intoxicating spiciness reminiscent of the bowls of hippocras Morgenes had mulled on cold evenings。 He took another whiff and felt strangely drunken。 There were other scents； too； a dozen； a hundred…he could smell roses growing against an old stone wall； stable muck； rain puffing on dusty ground； the salty tang of blood； and the similar but by no means identical odor of sea…brine。 He shivered like a wet dog and felt himself drawn a few steps down the slope。
〃I am sorry。 You may not go there。〃
Simon whirled to see a Sitha…woman standing on the hilltop behind him。 For a moment he thought it was Aditu。 This one wore a wisp of cloth around her loins and nothing else。 Her skin was red…golden in the slanting sunlight。
〃What。。。？〃
〃You may not go there。〃 She spoke his mortal tongue carefully。 There was no ill humor on her face。 〃I am sorry； but you may not。〃 She took a step forward and looked at him curiously。 〃You are the Sudhoda'ya who saved Jiriki。〃
〃So？ Who are you？〃 he asked sullenly。 He didn't want to look at her breasts； her slim but well…muscled legs； but it was nearly impossible not to。 He felt himself growing angry。
〃My mother named me Maye'sa；〃 she said； making each word too precisely； as if Simon's language were a trick she had learned but never before performed。 Her white hair was streaked with gold and black。 Staring at her long； coiled tresses…a safe place to let his eyes rest…Simon suddenly realized that all the Sitha had white hair； that the myriad of different rainbow colors that made them seem like outlandish birds were just dyes。 Even Jiriki； with his odd； heather…flower shade…dyes！ Artifice！ Just like the harlot…women that Father Dreosan had ranted about during his sermons in the Hayholt chapel！ Simon felt his anger deepening。 He turned his back on the Sicha…woman and started downward into the valley。
〃e back； Seoman Snowlock；〃 she called。 〃That is the Year…Dancing Grove。 You may not go there。〃
〃Stop me；〃 he growled。 Maybe she would put an arrow in his back。 He had seen Aditu's terrifying facility with a bow just a few mornings before； when Jiriki's sister had put four arrows side by side into a tree limb at fifty paces。 He had little doubt that others of her sex were just as petent； but at this moment he cared little。 〃Kill me if you want to；〃 he added； then wondered if such a remark might strain his luck。 Half…hunching his shoulders； he strode down the slope into the whispering birches。 No arrow came； so he risked a backward look。 The one called Maye'sa still stood where he had left her。 Her thin face seemed puzzled。
He began to run down the hillside； past row after row of white； papery…barked trunks。 After a moment； he noticed that the slope was leveling off。 When he found himself beginning to run uphill he stopped； then walked until he found a spot from which he could look about and discover where he was。 The entirety of the great bowl still lay beneath him； but he had somehow moved around the valley's rim from the spot where the Sitha…woman stood； watching。
Swearing in fury； he started down the slope once more； but experienced the same feeling of leveling； swiftly followed by the resumption of an upward slant。 He had gotten no closer to the bottom…he was still； as far as he could tell； only a third of the way through the ring of birch trees。
Attempts to turn away from the uphill slope also met with failure。 The wind sighed in the branches； the birch leaves rustled； and Simon felt himself struggling as though in a dream； making no headway despite all his exertions。 At last； in a paroxysm of frustration； he closed his eyes and ran。 His terror turned into a moment of heady exhilaration as he felt the ground sloping away beneath his feet。 Tree branches slapped at his face； but some peculiar luck kept him from striking any of the hundreds of trunks that lay in the path of his headlong flight。
When he stopped and opened his eyes； he was back at the top of the hillside once more。 Maye'sa stood before him； her gauzy bit of skirt fluttering in the restless breeze。
〃I told you； you may not go into the Year…Dancing Grove；〃 she said； explaining a painful truth to a child。 〃Did you think you could？〃 Stretching her sinuous neck； she shook her head。 Her eyes were wide； inquisitive。 〃Strange creature。〃
She vanished back down the hillside toward Jao e…Tinukai'i。 A few moments later； Simon followed。 Head down； watching his boot toes scuffing through the grass； he soon found himself standing on the path before Jiriki's house。 Evening was ing on and the crickets were singing by the river…pond。
〃Very good； Seoman；〃 Aditu said the next day。 She examined the shent board； nodding。 〃Misdirection！ To go away from that which you wish to gain。 You are learning。〃
〃It doesn't always work；〃 he said glumly。
Her eyes glittered。 〃No。 Sometimes you need a deeper strategy。 But it is a beginning。〃
Binabik and Sludig had not e far into the forest； only deep enough to shelter their camp from the bitter wind sweeping down the plains； a wind whose voice had bee a ceaseless howling。 The horses shifted uneasily on their tethers； and even Qantaqa seemed restless。 She had just returned from her third excursion into the forest； and now sat with ears erect； as though listening for some expected but nonetheless dire warning。 Her eyes gleamed with reflected firelight。
〃Do you think we are any safer here； little man？〃 Sludig asked； sharpening his sword。 〃I think I would rather face the empty plains than his forest。〃
Binabik frowned。 〃Perhaps； but would you rather also be facing hairy giants like those we saw？〃
The White Way； the great road that spanned the northern borders of Aldheorte； had turned at last by the forest's easternmost edge； leading them south for the first time since they had e down off the Old Tumet'ai Road with Simon many days earlier。 Not long after the southward turn； they had spotted a group of white shapes moving in the distance behind them…shapes that they both realized could be nothing but Hunen。 The giants； once unwilling to leave their hunting lands at the foot of Stormspike； now seemed to range the length and breadth of the northland。 Remembering the destruction that a band of these creatures had wreaked on their large traveling party； neither troll nor Rimmersgarder had any false hopes that the two of them could survive an encounter with the shaggy monstrosities。
〃What makes you sure we are any safer because we have e a few furlongs into the woods？〃 demanded Sludig。
〃Nothing that is certain；〃 Binabik admitted； 〃but I know that the small； creeping diggers are reluctant to tunnel into Aldheorte。 Perhaps the giants may be having similar reluctance。〃
Sludig snorted and made the blade rasp loudly on the whetstone。 〃And the Hune that Josua killed near Naglimund； when the boy Simon was found？ That one was in the forest； was it not？〃
〃That giant was driven to there；〃 Binabik said irritably。 He pushed the second of the le