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Most people slept through the cold light of dawn. But by midmorning, the winter sun was shining in a brilliant blue sky, providing a surprising amount of warmth for the people who began to stir, gathering around the fires that had been kept burning during the night.
They woke to a new day, a new regime, and new friendships between treewrights and outsiders, shamans, and men.
When Sasha and Jon emerged, scruffy and smeared with ash, in search of a cup of tea, they were confronted by several hundred people gathered quietly on the other side of the nearest campfire, just waiting to set eyes on them. A smattering of applause ran through the crowd as they appeared. Sasha’s cheeks reddened and she glanced up at Jon, who merely smiled at her. Knowing this was her future, she took a breath a
