The Well of Sacrifice [antikvár]

H A P T E R ONE ven in the middle of a clear day, much of the jungle is as dark as a room at dusk. Only a tiny amount of light filters through the layers of trees that rise to dizzying heights above the ground, higher than our tallest temples. The lack of light means little undergrowth can survive, so the walking is easy despite the enormous tree trunks and twisting vines. Ferns, mosses, herbs, and orchids grow on tree branches to be closer to the sunlight, and climbing vines twine around trunks and branches, forming knots and loops sometimes tight enough to strangle the tree. In open areas where more sunlight reaches the ground, such as the edges of the jungle and near the river, bushes and herbs grow thick. The walking is harder, but I can gather more plants without a difficult climb to reach them. Few girls go into the jungle, especially alone, as I have done so many times, but I know the jungle well, better than I know my own city. My mother and aunt, who were healers, often gathered medicinal herbs,