Free Azaria by J.H. Hayes Page A

before turning around again and looking up. How many of these foolish children are going to follow her? He saw Dogahn falling straight for him, feet first, arms careening wildly. He feared the young man might land on him, but no, Dogahn had barely cleared Vulture Rock and entered the water several paces deeper. Azerban swam out, desperately hoping the boy survived the fall too. He was relieved when Dogahn's head finally pierced the surface and started swimming for the shore, grinning wildly.
    Yumineh looked to her right as she splashed out of the river. The crowd stood as still as the Great Temple stones she'd passed earlier, their maws agape. She saw runners coming down the incline, but ignored them. She knew Azaria had a huge lead. She could only hope the Boar Camp girl was wearied enough to catch her.
    But Azaria wasn't tired anymore, in fact she was exhilarated. She'd survived and was now in the lead. She expected cheering when she swam out of the water, but everything was eerily muted. The ringing in her head drowned out all other sounds. Azaria entered the camp from the north. She ran past the feasting grounds, past the mud-brick shelters, and toward the path to Sunset Hill. No one would catch her. There was no chance. She didn't know Yumineh and Dogahn had imitated her suicide plunge. She thought all the other runners would be far behind, still on the decline, or maybe even atop High Cliff, mouths hanging, watching her finish the race first.
    Yumineh ran her heart out, still not completely understanding what had happened. She’d been in total control, poised to take the race almost effortlessly and now Azaria was ahead of her. Her head was pounding, her legs numb. She felt nauseous. She’d never liked heights. The urge to gag was overwhelming. Deep down she knew she couldn't catch her Boar Camp rival, only watch helplessly as Azaria peaked Sunset Hill and ran between the finish stones.
    The crowd, finally recovering from the shock of the unexpected drama, ran after Azaria and Yumineh and almost trampled Dogahn as he labored through the encampment and up Sunset Hill. Even some of the elderly were passing him.
    Yumineh finished second and Dogahn third, although the two who'd been leading almost managed to catch up before he ran between the stones. They were completely baffled as to how the other three runners had managed to pass them. It was an explanation they would later listen to in awe, unbelieving, disappointed they'd missed it.
    ---
    Azaria was exasperated. At first she’d allowed herself to glory in her achievement, basking in the praise. The burst of elation she’d gained from the jump and victory had overpowered her natural tendency to shy away from excessive attention. But as she and Daneel gathered with her mother in their shelter to prepare for the Feast, she'd already decided she'd had enough. Children had been following her around all sun, begging her to sprout wings and fly again or just sticking around in case she decided to without their prodding. And they weren't the only ones. Countless young men - and older ones - had approached. Many only wanted to congratulate her, but it quickly became clear some had other interests. Azaria wasn't good at flirting, she didn't understand all the subtleties yet, and was discovering she didn't like too much of it, especially when it came all at once. She was grateful Daneel, who took everything in stride, stuck with her through it all. Daneel, in fact, seemed to enjoy all the attention that suddenly came with being Azaria's best friend.
    All sun long, Swan and Fox Camp members were coming up to re-introduce themselves. Azaria had never met so many people in so short a period. She did her best to remember all the names and ties, but it was too much. She’d forget one person's name as soon as the next approached her. To make it all worse, it seemed each new acquaintance had a host of friends and family members they wanted to introduce her to. Some of the mothers