บท 847: Impatience

Azheba recalled the first time he had ever participated in a horseback archery contest.

At that time, he had only been thirteen, and all of his opponents were adults from various tribes. He had focused on shooting and had ignored all the others' doubts and sneers. In the end, to everyone's surprise, he won the contest. His father and all the other fellow tribe members ran to him and lifted him high, bragging all around.

Azheba still had a deep impression of that occasion, because that had been the very first time that he had ever felt a surprising antagonism towards the "crowd". Before that, he had always been a part of the crowd, but in that moment, the bow and arrows had separated him from the crowd. Two simple movements – looking up and looking down – drew a clear line around his individuality.