"That isn't fair!" complained Taisa, refusing to go back mounted. "I won! We won!"8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGk0NKQ6Cs 維尼

"Yes," said Gawa, walking beside the girl along the same trail they used before, "but that wasn't enough."8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUVyoyTTv5 維尼

"But we were better than all of them!" replied Taisa. 8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8tJzFDj8o 維尼

She has spent so long at my side, thought Gawa, and she still doesn't understand. 8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQ0Ad7FXAz 維尼

"That is what you think, Taisa. The benti see the things differently. If you don't prove..."8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡcA0qffMpbi 維尼

"I know, I know," the girl interrupted. "But how will I race with the people of my own age? They don't let me do it, because they say I am too small, but I don't understand that. War is dangerous anyway, right? It doesn't matter if I am big or small."8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡWT80d2Pth6 維尼

Gawa didn't know exactly what to say. She had already foreseen that the girl wouldn't be sucessful, because of the same reasons the watchers pointed out. But she also knew about the rules of the zivar, since she was living among them for a long time. There were an exit for that problem, as Andara — Taisa's mother— showed the benti many suns ago, but it was an exit that should be found, not simply given. 8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJutUa4fMe 維尼

However, Gawa should help the girl. Suddenly, looking to the two walls of tall grass that went on forward, she had an idea of what to say. 8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡXR7AI6nkKw 維尼

"The grass..." she began, " the grass grows from the earth, from nothing; it just takes some rain, and suddenly the grass is tall, very tall. Sometimes, taller than an adult of your people, and in some cases even taller than an adult of mine. Except, of course, when it's cut off."8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjKiEJ6A9c 維尼

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Taisa seemed confused. " So what?  8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡkuDP2WBvW5 維尼

"The grass needs just some water, and then it doesn't stops growing," Gawa continued the speech. "If grass can grow so much, don't you think that you could grow, too?"8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqxXk0BwUy 維尼

"Gawa," Taisa said as if she was explaining something to a kid, "I am not like the grass. People need time to grow, just like the benti. One can't grow so fast."8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8XrfARFGE 維尼

If the benti sighed, Gawa would have done it in that moment. The zivar were more intelligent than the benti, but Taisa's head was hard as a rock. 8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMoE9Z9TTi 維尼

"I know that, Taisa. I'm not talking about you growing taller, I am talking about you growing... inside."8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HknOQPYJB 維尼

Taisa stopped walking. 8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡYN4CpNGLHC 維尼

"Growing inside?" She was visibly upset. "Do you also think that I'm not good enough? That I'm not ready?"8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡY99t79KwA8 維尼

"A good soldier has many qualities, Taisa." Gawa tried to keep a kind voice tone. "And I know that it's hard to understand this now, but you don't have all of them. But don't—8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhu5PS34aH 維尼

"So that's it!" Taisa was furious. "You couldn't become a war benti and now you want to blame me for that, just like you blamed my mother!"8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BWqVO1uK5 維尼

And then she resumed her walk, fast, without looking to her friend. Five steps after that, she was facing the ground. 8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDdkvYuizl 維尼

The words were too strong, even for Gawa, and now her left foot was pressing the girl firmly— yet without hurting her— against the dirt. She lowered her beak until the ears of a petrified Taisa and said:8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡyscMy87gQl 維尼

"You have no idea of what you're talking about, girl."  8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡqahsaWJUwb 維尼

And then she entered the green wall, leaving behind — for her own good — a confused and scared girl lying on the ground. 8964 copyright protection370ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAkDufdqrd 維尼

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