Children of the Garden, Part 1 (Len's Song, 2022 edition, Snippet 15.1)

A story fragment from the Dustsong Cycle

(Read Len’s Song, 2022 edition, Snippet 14.)

Past the east wall, skies were clear and the sun shone. Len felt himself drawn that way. He slipped past chiefs with his mark sewn on the arms of their tunics, who waved curved swords for emphasis while barking orders. The rest of the men leaned over the wall, loosing arrows or light spears. Nobody seemed to notice Len, yet each of the chiefs in turn moved clear of his path, just barely, as if by subtle sense or strangest happenchance.

When he reached the east wall, he found something altogether new. The storm of upheaval and malice didn’t seem to touch the waste-ward side of the city—only, it wasn’t even the same place. With a glance back over his shoulder, Len saw it was likewise all around. Danoh-town and the darkness that enveloped it were disappeared; and, indeed, he was left alone on the wall in bright midday.