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1、Prologue:Itwasafinedayonthewoodedhillside,westofthepalacegroundsandhalfwaytowardsthevalley.Thelonggrassswayedinthewind;theflowers,infullbloom,filledtheairwithadizzyinglysweetscent,andthevast,clearskyenclosedasweepingviewofthefoothillsandondownintothe
2、plainsbeyond.Eventheforest,oldandcrampedasitwas,haditsownwondrousarrayofsightsandsounds,although,forYaibel,thiswasnotimetoenjoythem.Sheranbetweenthetrees,clutchingtherevolverKaukettoherchestanddartinghereyesbackandforthinsearchthenexttarget.Sweatdrip
3、peddownherface,straybranchesclawedatherlimbsandhiddenpatchesofmossseemedalwaysunderfoot,butthatwasallpartofthechallenge.Proppedupagainstabranch,highinthecanopywasawoodenboardwithacrudeXpaintedonit.Withoutevenslowingdown,shebrandishedthegun,aimedandfi
4、red.Thebizarre,resonantnotesoundedoutthroughthewoods,accompaniedbythesomewhatfainternoiseofthetargetbeingblowntokindlingbytheforceoftheshot.Pumpingherfistintriumph,Yaibelcarriedonward;leapingoverafallentreetrunkandvanishingintothegloom.Theday‘straini
5、ngcontinuedonintotheafternoonuntil,thelasttargetdestroyed,shefinallymadeherwayoutoftheforest.Dirty,battered,butgrinningfromeartoear.Afamiliar,welcomingvoicegreetedherasshesatdowntocatchherbreath.Shecouldn’tseethespeakerthoughthetallgrass,butsheguesse
6、dhewasinexactlythesamespothe’dbeenearlier.‘Goodshow,Milady’,hesaid.‘That’sfiveminutesknockedoffyourrecord,bymycount.’‘Nice.’Shereplied,asPuagwadedoverthroughthegrasstostandnexttoher.Re-corporatedthoughhehadbeen,hestillmaintainedclosetiestoallthelocal
7、spirits.Evennowafewhoveredaroundhishead,lookingtothenakedeyeliketinymotesoflight.Heleanedintolistentooneofthem,itsvoiceinaudibletoher.‘Ahhh,youevengottheoneinthemiddleofthatsplitrock?Seemstheywereveryproudofthathidingplace.’‘Tellthemthanksforhelpingo
8、ut.’Satisfiedthatshe’daccomplishlittlemorethanadizzinessanddehydrationifshetried,shegotupandheadedbacktowardthepalace,withPuagandhisfriendsfollowingalongbehind.Astheywalked,somethingbegantonagather-orratherresumedit’snaggingafterbeingputasidewhenshew
