At first there was only chaos pulsing, sparkling, a cascade of images, a vortex, a spiral full of sounds and voices. Ciri saw a tower reaching to the heavens, on whose roof lightning danced. She heard the cry of a bird of prey and she was this bird. She flew with great speed, below her was a raging sea. She saw a small doll made from rags, and suddenly she was the doll wrapped in a darkness that vibrated with the song of cicadas. She saw a large black and white cat, and suddenly she was the cat, around her was a dark house, with dark wood panelling, it smelled of candles and old books. She heard someone repeatedly say her name, summoning her. She saw a silver salmon leaping in a waterfall, heard the patter of rain hitting the leaves. And then she heard the strange, prolonged scream of Yenn
