Rofina nodded. "I did not sleep," she agreed. "I think I should go back now." She pulled her hands away.

"But you have just come! Let us lie here for a time so you can rest. Then, we can make our plans. Your mother and Mara will come with us to my tribe. That will be fine, will it not?"

"I cannot come," Rofina said tremulously. "I cannot leave the Leader."

Durak was bewildered. Yesterday, she had wanted very much to leave, had smiled like an eager child and assured him she would come. Now everything seemed to have changed. He took a deep breath and tried again.

"Rofina, it is not good for you to stay here," he told her gently. He stroked her arms, her back and shoulders, to soothe her, then urged her to lie down so the tall grasses would hide them. He did not think anyone knew of their meetings, but he did not want to take chances.

Rofina knelt, but she would not lie down. "I must stay here," she whimpered, and her eyes pleaded with him to understand. "I must. They will not let me go."

"Then I will take you with me anyway," Durak said stoutly. "They cannot stop us."

Covering her eyes with shaking hands, Rofina began to weep. Durak pulled her into his arms to comfort her and felt the terrible resistance of her body, so stiff with misery it could not bend. Over and over, he assured her that it would be all right, that he would find a way to take her without the Leader's knowledge or Korg's, but the crying only worsened. Rofina wept with total, helpless abandon, and Durak did not know why. Finally, he stopped talking and simply held her.

Limp now with exhaustion, she let him lower her to the ground and after a time she slept. Every few moments, her body twitched, as if some terrible fear, or perhaps a memory, was buried deep inside her that could not be controlled.

When she woke, she insisted that she must return to the Leader right away. Durak tried to dissuade her, but that only made her weep again and moan with fear. Reluctantly, he let her go without speaking further of their plans. This time, his heart contracted with anguish when he watched her walk away. Before, he had been certain she would come again the next day; now, he did not know.

When he told Runor what had happened, she did not seem surprised. This, too, he did not understand.

"Wait until Rofina is more rested, and then try again," she advised him. 'still, we will take her with us anyway if we must," she added grimly. "There is no choice now."

Dusk had come already, but Durak was too restless and upset to think of sleep. Instead, he decided to hide in the trees and watch the Leader's hut. He was certain now that something was terribly wrong with Rofina and that the Leader was involved, or Korg, and he had to know what it was.

"Be careful," Sorlin warned him, looking worried. "I do not trust these people."

"I will be careful," Durak promised, and headed into the thick trees to find a place that gave a good view of the huts. For a long time, he saw nothing but the usual activities in any village - people going to the bushes, speaking softly around the fires, and tending them. Then silence fell. Briefly, he fell asleep, but uneasy dreams of Rofina weeping for him, of Rofina tormented by Korg, soon woke him. Rubbing his eyes to dispel the images, he waited again. Just when sleep had almost conquered him a second time, a sound came, not from the Leader's hut but from the woods some distance away. The sound was so low he would not have heard it had he not been listening hard. It was the drums again, he realized, not the hard pounding he had heard before but a soft, seductive sound that drew him forward.

He moved cautiously through the trees, determined not to let even a footfall betray him. Still, when he came to the place he almost gasped and gave himself away. Before him was a low fire and beside it sat Rofina. Her beautiful face, white and pleading, was turned up to the Leader, who murmured soothing words. Korg crouched beside them, mixing some kind of potion in a small bowl. No sound came from Rofina, but her eyes begged. Finally, Korg handed the cup to the Leader, who placed it gently against Rofina's lips. She drank greedily and the tension in her face began to relax. "That is good," she murmured. Sighing, she slipped to the ground and closed her eyes.

Durak stared in horror. What had they given her? And why was she here, with both of them?

The drumming sounds had stopped, he realized. Then they began again, and he saw that Korg made them, had stopped only to mix the potion. With practiced hands, he beat gently with two slender sticks against a skin stretched across a large wooden bowl. The rhythm was hypnotic, demanding. After a time, Rofina rose and began to sway seductively. Her eyes were glazed, unseeing, and her lips were parted in a kind of ecstasy. Abruptly, she pulled at the closure to her garment and it dropped away, revealing her pale smooth body. Durak saw Korg's tongue come out to moisten his lips. The gesture was obscene.

"It works, Leader." Korg did not bother to lower his voice, but Rofina did not seem to hear. "Soon, she will be ready for you." His eyes glistened avidly in the glow of the fire.

"I thank you, Korg," the Leader answered. "It is good that this should happen. Rofina will be grateful." Durak could not see his face, but the tone was gentle.

Mesmerized, almost paralyzed, Durak tried to think what he should do. He must interfere, he realized, must go to Rofina. Rising, he opened his mouth to call her name, but a hand came over it; other hands pushed him to his knees and held him there. He struggled against them, but they were too strong.

The drums were more insistent now, and Rofina stopped, listening intently. Then, with a sudden movement, she bent backward, thrusting out her hips in blatant sexual invitation. Dropping the sticks, Korg went close to watch. Twice, Rofina repeated the movement while Korg watched. His face held no expression, but drops of perspiration formed on his forehead.

Durak turned his head away, unable to look any longer. He struggled again to stand, but the hands held him firm, pressed hard against his mouth. He closed his eyes, determined not to see any more, but he could not block out the sounds.

"She is ready," Korg said.

Durak heard the Leader rise. "I am here, Rofina," he said tenderly. "I am here. I will give you what you want." The soothing voice continued amidst soft rustling sounds, and Durak tried desperately not to imagine the scene. Was he lying above her? But why? Why would she let him do this? She was moaning now, and there were other sounds, sounds that were torn from a woman and a man as their bodies came together in that frantic moment of need...

Desperate suddenly to be certain, Durak opened his eyes. Rofina's slender body was almost invisible beneath the Leader's big form, and their joined bodies were moving in a passionate rhythm that could not be mistaken...

Durak's stomach heaved, and he retched. Abruptly, the hands forced him to his feet, pushed him back in the direction from which he had come. He stumbled away, choking and gagging, uncaring of the noise he made, unaware of anything except the scene he had witnessed. It would never leave his mind; he knew it would not, and the realization brought an anguish so deep it paralyzed his body, so that his legs froze in mid-stride and he fell again to his knees. Each time he saw Rofina, each time he held her in his arms, he would see the scene, see her pinned under the Leader's big body, begging for more... Always, he would hear the repulsive sounds...

A deep voice behind him penetrated his paralysis and sent him reeling once more into the darkness of the woods.

"If you speak of this you will die," the voice warned. Durak did not doubt the words were true.

Sorlin stared at the scene before her with horrified eyes. Too worried about Durak to rest, she had gone to look for him, had spotted him creeping through the woods to this place. She had followed, but she had not dared to alert him to her presence, lest the men guarding Korg and the Leader hear her and know that she, too, was watching. Nor did she dare to hiss Durak's name as he blundered away, or to creep after him. Instead, she forced herself to sit perfectly still, aware that no one could see her unless she moved, so well was she hidden beneath the big fur she used for sleeping.

The Leader and Rofina were still now. "I am pleased, my dear Rofina," the Leader murmured to her unresponsive form. "Now you are a woman, and that is good." Sorlin saw him stroke Rofina's face with loving fingers before he rose to his knees and pulled his garments together again, and she cringed. To use Rofina in that way and then to comfort her... How was it possible for a man to behave that way?

Korg's words provided part of the answer, as well as more questions. "They are always grateful to you, Leader," he said in his ingratiating voice, "for helping them to become women."

"It is you, Korg, who makes that possible," the Leader replied. "Without you, they would not understand."

"For you, Leader, I would perform any service." Korg bent forward in a small bow, then he walked away.

Sorlin frowned in the darkness. Did they do this often, for many young women? And what was Korg's role? Did he give them some kind of potion that made them desire mating? That must be the case, she thought. She was familiar with many herbs but could not remember one that was used for this purpose, though she was sure it must exist. But why should they do this? Surely, the young women would discover Akat by themselves.

Still, there was something else about Rofina, something about the way her face had pleaded. What she had begged for was not an herb that brought desire, but peace.

She was still asleep. The Leader picked her up as easily as if she was a child and bore her away, still murmuring soothing words. Sorlin waited until she was certain the other men had left; then she rose wearily to her feet. She should find Durak, make sure he was all right. She trudged through the dark woods, calling his name softly. There was no answer, and after a time she returned to the hut where they slept. Perhaps he had gone there.

The thought of the hut had come into Durak's mind, but he could not bring himself to go there. He did not want to talk, did not want to tell anyone what he had seen, so he just kept walking until exhaustion made him drop. As soon as the light came he rose again, and now all his thoughts were on Rofina. He must find her, ask her. What had they given her and why? Did she know what had happened? But how could she not know!

All day he waited in the field, wondering if she would come. Toward the middle of the afternoon, she did. She looked rested now; gone were the dark smudges, the air of tension. She did not seem surprised to find him there. She took his hand as if nothing had happened and smiled up at him.

Durak stared at her, taken aback by her innocent demeanor. "Rofina, the dancing," he mumbled uncertainly. "I did not know of the dancing."

Her eyes opened wide. "Dancing? I know nothing of dancing. Look, the poppies are blooming. Are they not beautiful? Only now, at this season, do they bloom."

"But surely you must remember!"

Her face clouded. "There was something, I thought," she said, frowning, "but now I cannot remember."

Durak decided to be more direct. "Rofina, is the Leader your father or your lover?"

"The Leader loves me very much," she replied, moving away from him. "He will teach me how to be a woman again, he said."

"Is that why you wish to stay with him?"

She did not answer. Scuffing against the ground with one toe, like a child, she pondered; then she looked up at him with pleading eyes, as she had before.

"It is better that I stay," she said finally.

"Rofina, come with me," Durak begged. "It is not right for you to be here, with Korg watching, and the Leader..."

He could not finish, remembering the scene, but to his surprise, a glimmer of hope came into Rofina's eyes; he saw it clearly before it disappeared.

"Let us run in the field as we did before," she suggested, looking at him through long pale lashes. "That will be fine, will it not?"

Durak shook his head. "I must leave this place, Rofina. Your people do not want me here. I wish you to come with me."

Her eyes dropped to the ground again. Desperately, Durak fumbled for more words. "It is so fine in the place where I live, Rofina. You would be happy there. The days stay warm much longer, and the mountains are lower, so that all through the seasons we can run in the fields together. There are beautiful streams and forests, and meadows that bloom with flowers."

Rofina smiled. For just a moment, the picture Durak had drawn for her became real. In such a place, she would be all right. Everything would be better in a place like that; she was certain it must be. She smiled again.

"Then I will come," she answered, and gave him her hand. Durak dared not answer, dared not even look for Mara and Runor to tell them, lest Rofina change her mind again. Holding tight to her cool fingers, he led her away from the village and up toward the eastern pass. If they could get over it and down into the next valley he would feel safer.

He soon realized they could not. Rofina became more and more anxious as they walked, and her legs seemed to become progressively weaker. Soon after they had crested the pass, she sank to the ground in exhaustion, clearly unable to go on. Durak crouched beside her and looked worriedly behind them to see if anyone had followed. They had not gone very far, certainly not far enough for safety.

As if to confirm his fears, two figures appeared on the pass and then disappeared again behind a ridge that concealed the small lake he and Rofina had just passed. Pulling Rofina to her feet, Durak led her behind some thick bushes. Heart pounding, he waited. The figures slowly came into view again, and he recognized Sorlin and Hular. The tension went out of him with an audible sound.

"Sorlin, Hular!" he called softly.

"Durak, is it you? We have been looking..." Sorlin's eager voice broke off as she saw him emerge from the bushes. Running to him, she hugged him hard. "I have been so afraid for you! I dared not leave for home until I knew you were all right."

"Afraid for me?"

Sorlin nodded and looked down at the ground. "I saw," she whispered. "I saw last night... They did not see me but I was there. I saw you run, but then I could not find you in the darkness, and you did not return to the hut."

Durak could not answer. To know that someone else had seen what he had seen filled him with shame. And yet, the others had to know if they were to help Rofina.

"We were worried," Hular confirmed, placing a comforting hand on Durak's arm.

"I am all right," Durak mumbled finally. "I have brought her with me," he added, pointing toward the bushes. Rofina still sat there, seeming oblivious to him or to anyone else. "She is not well. I do not think she can walk any further."

Sorlin went to Rofina and sat beside her. "Rofina," she said quietly, "we have come to help you. Will you come with us?"

Rofina looked up. Her face was tense, drained of color, and there were beads of sweat on her forehead. Her hands shook badly as she raised them to push back her pale hair. "I must go back," she said helplessly. "I must..."

"It will be all right," Sorlin soothed her. "I will give you some herbs that will make you feel better."

Rofina's face lit up and she held out her shaking hands eagerly. "You have the herbs? He said someone would give them to me but I did not know it was you."

A wave of pity engulfed Sorlin. Her guess had been accurate. Did Mara know, or her mother? She hoped they did. The shock would be terrible if they did not.

"This will help you," was all she said to Rofina. Rummaging in her pack, she brought out some sleeping herbs. That would have to do for the moment. But someone must alert Runor. Once she understood, she would know how to help.

"We must have a fire," she told the two men. "I must make her a potion, must let these herbs steep for a time." Durak and Hular looked at her curiously but did not argue. Sorlin knew a great deal about herbs and medicines.

"I will find a sheltered place below where we can make a fire," Durak said, shivering in the wind. "It is too cold up here by the lake.

When he had found a good spot, they carried Rofina down the slope to the pallet of dry grass and pine needles they had built for her in the hollow. She sank down gratefully, her eyes fastened on the herbs in Sorlin's fingers.

"It will be ready soon," Sorlin assured her, nursing the fire.

"That is good," Rofina said, when the infusion was cool enough for her to drink. "I thank you." Lying down again, she closed her eyes. Her face was peaceful once again. Durak covered her with an extra fur from his pack. When he was certain she was asleep he turned to Sorlin.

"You must tell me what is wrong with her," he said grimly.

"Have you eaten since last night?" Sorlin's voice was sharp. "I can see that you have not," she added, glancing at his face.

Hular drew some chunks of baked grains from his pack and a wedge of cheese made from the milk of goats and handed them silently to Durak.

"I am not certain, because I have seen this only once before," Sorlin began when Durak had eaten a little. "It is the poppies, I think; I have seen them in the big field, though I had not expected them to grow here, in the mountains."

"The poppies?" Durak was astounded.

Sorlin nodded. "It is possible they gave her an infusion that is made from their seeds, to help her after her child was taken. A few people, and I think Rofina is one, begin to crave this substance and then they cannot live without it."

"It is a terrible thing," she added soberly. "The person cannot sleep, cannot eat, and cannot rest, until the craving is satisfied. But then, for a time, they may not be aware of what they do; they become another person almost..."

"As she was last night," Durak interrupted. "That was not Rofina. That was someone I do not know."

"Yes," Sorlin agreed.

"But then what happens?" Hular asked. "Must they have it again and again, or can this craving be stopped?"

Sorlin shook her head. "I do not know. Of this I have no experience. We must ask Runor. Surely, she will know. It would be best to bring her here, I think."

"Yes, that would be best," Durak agreed. "I will go back for her."

"I will go," Hular offered. "You should stay here with Rofina. I will bring Mara, too. She might be able to help.

"We may not be able to return until the sun is high tomorrow," he added with a worried frown. "Runor does not walk well, and she may need to gather herbs."

"I will stay with Durak until you return," Sorlin assured him. "I have more of the sleeping potion if it is needed to calm her."

"I thank you, Hular," Durak said to his friend, clasping his hand. "Tell Mara and Runor I am sorry I left without them. When Rofina agreed to come with me I dared not stop long enough even to find them."

"I will tell them," Hular promised, and set out along the path.

He found Runor and Mara in their hut. "Rofina has left with Durak," he told them quickly, seeing the worry in their eyes. "He dared not stop to tell you lest she change her mind again. But Rofina is shaking and weeping. Sorlin she is one of the traders and she knows very much of herbs and their uses - thinks... she thinks..."

He stopped uncertainly. To tell them of Sorlin's suspicions seemed so cruel, yet somehow he must manage it.

Runor sighed heavily and turned away. She knew already what Hular would say, but she wished Mara did not have to hear. Once she did, the anger would come, and then the hatred. That these emotions warped the soul she knew only too well.

"I will prepare some medicines and take them to her," she said quietly, hoping to postpone further discussion.

"They are just beyond the pass," Hular answered. "I will show you the way."

Mara looked at him curiously. "Will you help me get water for the medicines?"

Hular nodded and followed her from the hut. Mara did not speak again until they came to the stream, where the noise of the rushing water would cover her voice.