They walked down the hills through the walled bailies, under the cool river breeze and wide sky. It felt so strange, to be without the oppressive heat and thick scrub of home.

They descended, eventually, to an unpaved path where the dirt was all grey and dusty; the path surrounded a high-fenced pasture. Even the fence was made of heavy, smooth stone.

"You know, they always told us that everything was Aetheri's fault," Liya said presently. Lightly she stepped up onto the lowest rung of the fence, seeing not the green pasture but remembering instead a stifling twilight on rotting wooden docks, and the way the last gasp of light and the glow of the radio graced her brothers' faces and hands and shoulders.

"'Aetheri started the war in your country,'" she said. "'The spirits want your homes and your lives. They won't stop until they're satisfied.'" She paused. "...'they're the reason your family is all gone.'"

She hesitated. It sank in. The pasture had animals in it; one, she thought was a horse, until it lifted its head and showed her a massive thick banana-shaped beak. It was striped grey and had fluffy fur around its feet, so that she couldn't even see them. There were also massive elephants--but spotted black and brown and white, with thick manes and brush-like tails of cream fur, and curly horns around their ears. They grazed sedately, pulling up the tall grass with their trunks.

Helly said nothing.

"They even brought a hurricane that destroyed my city," Liya continued, unable to keep the tinge of resentment out of her voice. "And then they invaded, and trapped all the humans inside. So they could pick us off slow." She glanced down. "That's what they say, anyway."