by Stone, Leia
The man nodded. “But break a hundred year peace treaty like this?”
I interjected. “I’m happy to fill his water caravan to keep the peace.”
Seth looked me over. “It’s not that simple. The water you pour is owned by the King of Jewel Mountain. That would have political ramifications. They would owe us.”
He was careful not to say that I was owned by the king, only my water, but it was the same thing to me.
I leaned back casually. “Okay, let’s go to war because we let Coal Mountain’s men die by the side of the road.”
The man on the horse chuckled. “She has a point.”
Seth pondered my words. “Hmm, that she does.”
“What would the king do?” I asked.
Seth barked out a laugh. “The king would pass by and pretend he never saw them. The prince though, he would give them water in hopes for continued peace.”
It didn’t sound like I was going to like the king.
“Then let’s pretend we are with the prince,” I told him.
Seth looked at the rider and nodded.
Seth suited up into his chain mail, no doubt planning for a scuffle.
I looked around the small quarters. I was wet and sticky with sweat, desperate for a change of dress.
“Seth, would you mind turning your back to me while I change?” I requested after he changed and was seated.
His eyes looked up at me and I saw his cheeks redden. “Of course, my lady. I’m sorry about the lack of privacy. In the king’s castle you will have plenty of that. It’s just that, until then, my orders are to stick with you at all times.”
Part of me thought he was riding with me to get to know me. Stupid, naïve, just like my stepfather said.
He turned around.
I unwound my cloth and let it fall to the floor. I took a new bright red cloth with yellow border and expertly twisted the ends to tie around my neck and under my bust and then behind my back. I wrapped the rest around my waist and folded the bottom up to keep it short so that my legs could breathe. We didn’t know how to sew in my village. All of our garments were twisted and tied from bigger cloth. The colors were found from grounding roots and spices into colorful powder.
I cleared my throat. “You may turn around.”
I bent down to gather my old cloth, shoving it in my satchel. Seth’s eyes roamed over my body and then rested on my eyes. The carriage stopped and voices could be heard outside, but he still stared at me, at my lips. He wet his with his tongue.
My belly heated and I decided to say something bold. “You only fancy me because I’m the Water Blessed. If you came to my village last week, you wouldn’t have looked twice at me.”
I threw the curtain back and leapt out of the carriage, leaving a stunned Seth to follow in my wake.
Favor
I approached the coal mountain representative. The ground was muddy and wet from their water supply spill. It was a sad sight, a complete waste. I could feel my palm tingle as I walked past it, like it wanted to suck up the lost and wasted water.
"Can I offer some assistance?" I asked.
He was dripping sweat and red in the face. His round belly hung over his breeches.
"We don't want to owe a debt to Jewel Kingdom," he said with regret.
Seth came up behind me. "You won't. Give us ten barrels of coal and we will call it a trade."
The man considered the offer. He looked to his guard. "Put the barrels in their storage carriage."
He looked at me and bowed. "Thank you, my lady. You of all people know the terror that runs through you when you think you may not have enough water. Crossing Death Valley is no small feat."
His words shook something inside of me. I did know. And I had the power to help, but it was confined to helping one kingdom. It felt wrong.
I climbed up to the opening of his water storage carriage. The wooden carriage, I could see, was built around a large steel drum. The top was open and a trap door had been fixed so you could reach in and retrieve water. A carriage as such would have changed our lives in the village. We could have traveled. We could have traded with other villages. We could have been self-sufficient and prosperous. I took a calming breath and thought about water, the way it rippled, the wet sheen it had on the top. Without effort, it flowed from my palm. I tried to inspect the process. There were no holes in my palm, my skin did not swell; it was like magic. Once the water drum was full, I ceased my water thoughts and my hand dried up. I dropped to the ground and ignored Seth's outstretched hand.
"Thank you," the Coal Mountain man told me.
"If you had thrown in this water travel carriage, I might have entertained your offer." I winked.
The man opened his mouth in shock. He began to say something, but Seth pulled me away.
I saw Lake had changed into different clothing. Her hair was braided like the girls in the kingdom and she was smiling at the head maiden. Her bruise was fading and was a sickly yellowish green color. She looked happy to have been taken under the head maiden’s wing and been given a new job. All we had ever known was fetching water, surviving.
Seth hauled me up into the carriage and pounded on the wall. We started with a jerk and this time I was ready. I tensed my thighs to keep me in my seat.
Seth was looking out the open curtain. He poured some water on his hand and used it to slick back his hair so that it was out of his face.
Finally, he looked at me. He leaned forward so that he was close to my face. "I'm sorry for staring before. It’s just that … I've never met anyone as beautiful as you. Not your water power, you. If I had come to your village a week ago, I would have paid off your stepfather and taken you with me. Just as I am today."
His declaration sent a shock through me. No one had ever said anything like that to me. Manny, my first water wife offer, was a poor young man with not much to offer my stepfather. He told me I would be well fed, cherished for my water fetching. But nothing like what Seth said to me.
My breath was coming out ragged, my stomach had a light, fluttery feeling I didn’t recognize.
Seth laughed. "I've never seen you at a loss for words. Trust me, once I get you to the palace, I will not be the only man peppering you with compliments. Get used to it." A sadness came over his face, but then it was gone.
"But you might be the only man I want peppering me with compliments," I countered. I trained my blue gaze on his full pink lips. His breathing hitched and he licked his lips to wet them.
"I shouldn't do this," he said, almost to himself. Before I could ask what he meant, he jumped forward and his hand snaked out to cradle the back of my neck. My heart was hammering in my chest; it sounded like thunder in my ears.
He slowly tipped my head back and placed his warm lips on mine. Surprise and pleasure ripped through me like sky fire. I had been kissed before, but it was child's play in comparison. My lips parted in anticipation as he deepened the kiss. I could hear sand hitting the caravan, my emotions were wild and free. Something bloomed inside of me, something I didn’t know was there.
Seth pulled away. His eyes were wide, his hands went to his lips as if he was replaying the kiss in his mind like I was. The sand hitting the caravan was louder. That smell. I peeled back the curtain because someone was shouting.
Rain! Two days in a row. It wasn't sand. It was wet, glorious rain. Thank the Fates! Seth was watching me with a quirked eye brow and a grin.
"Stop!" I shouted to the man controlling our horse carriage. He pulled the carriage to a stop and I jumped out.
"Wait, Ocean!" Seth jumped out after me. "What are you doing?"
The rain was peppering my skin. Lake jumped out of her carriage and ran to me, laughing.
"Thank the Fates!" she screamed, and we linked arms spinning around like when we were kids.
We crouched down and jumped up high, extending our arms to the sky and sending gratitude to the Fates. The head maiden looked at us and smiled. I was spinning with Lake and noticed Seth watching
me.
"What is this?" He gestured to my dance.
Lake answered him. "Is the Jewel Kingdom so greedy that they don't stop to give thanks to the Fates for rain?"
Seth shrugged. "It doesn't rain that often, we aren’t as religious in the kingdom as you are in your village."
“Maybe that’s why the Fates chose someone from our village,” she exclaimed.
“Maybe.” He nodded.
Lake looked at me. "Ocean can make it rain because the Fates have blessed her," she told him.
"I didn’t do this. Did I?" I looked at Seth.
We both smiled shyly at each other and the rain poured harder. The kiss. I wanted to tell Lake, but it would have to wait.
"When Maggie lost her son in an accident, it rained for three nights. I think it’s tied to your emotions," Seth proclaimed.
My mother told me our village had a reputation. We were the most dedicated to the Fates in all the realm. We named our daughters after water, we dedicated the first drop of any water we drank to the Fates. Maybe that was why they chose me.
Lake and I continued to spin around laughing as everyone gathered to watch.
We sang a childhood song. "Rain, rain, come today, stay for a while and don't delay!"
The hot sun was hidden behind the rain clouds.
Lake and I hugged. "Twice in a week, thank the Fates," she told me.
I smiled.
"Okay, ladies, we need to make Mule by nightfall. I have rooms at the inn waiting," Seth told us sternly.
Mule. Lake and I shared a look. We would have walked forever to reach Mule. Would we have made it? I didn't want to think about it. I climbed inside the carriage and Seth told me that he wanted to ride outside on the horse for a while to get some fresh air. Was it because of our kiss? Maybe he wasn't so taken with the kiss like I was.
The sound of rain stopped and I sat back and stewed in my thoughts. After another couple hours of riding, I began to feel nauseous. It felt like waves were crashing inside my stomach. Oh Fates, I was going to be sick. I tore open the curtain and shouted to Seth.
"Stop!"
The carriage jerked to a stop and the horse reared up. I jumped out of the opening and fell to the floor on my hands and knees. The nausea was stronger and my mouth was dripping water.
"What is it?" Seth asked me. Lake came running.
"I'm sick. Oh, it’s awful," I managed to say.
"She's been poisoned!" Lake shouted.
"No, not poison! I’ve seen this with Maggie once before," Seth told us.
The sloshing in my belly was worse. It was pushing me forward. I felt the need to walk.
The man next to Seth gave him a look. "Out here in Death Valley?"
I walked off of the road. "Explain," I managed between bouts of nausea. My belly was full of water.
Seth ran to catch up to me. Lake followed him.
“Maggie got sick like this before, when she could sense water under the earth, a natural aquifer. It’s called water divining."
After he said it, I knew it was true. I was feeling led to walk in a certain direction. With every step, my nausea increased.
I groaned again and swayed on my feet. Seth scooped me up into his strong arms and continued to walk. My mouth was watering, the heat was baking my skin. Finally, I felt a tidal wave of nausea hit me.
"Stop!" I shouted.
Seth set me down. I placed my hand over the ground. I could feel it. Water, tons of water hiding under Death Valley all this time. The second I thought it, my nausea was gone.
"It's here," I told them.
One of Seth's guards had a long pipeline rod in his hand. He set in on the place where my hand was and tapped it down with a hammer.
"It’s not deep, maybe fifteen feet," I instructed. I don’t know how I knew that but I did.
Seth looked down at me and helped me up. "If you're right, the king will be very pleased. We can build a well post here and charge travelers for the water."
I frowned. "So the king will be pleased to make coin from this," I stated.
Seth looked annoyed. "Yes, but you have found water in Death Valley. That means people from your village can travel to Mule regularly and fill up water here to make the journey. People from Mule can travel to your village and buy goods from the market stalls we will build. Everyone will prosper. Water is a business, Ocean."
I nodded. A business the king was dominating, I wanted to say.
Two men were cranking the rod down with some type of drill, a second rod was placed on top and threaded through the first to create a pipeline. Once they had laced three rods down, water trickled out the top of the pipe. Everyone cheered and looked at me in amazement.
Seth clapped his man on the back. "Stay with the well. I will send more men once I get back to Jewel Mountain. They will build a proper well with an outpost here. Spread the word. There is water in Death Valley!"
The cheers were loud. I tried to feel happy, but I could only think of how I just lined the King’s pockets.
Inn
Seth and I rode the rest of the way to Mule in relative silence. When I caught him looking at me, he looked away. I wished I were riding with Lake, she was much easier to read. When the caravan finally stopped, I got out with stiff legs and stretched my back. My thick, inky-black hair was pinned up in a knot on top of my head. I longed to let it loose, but it was far too warm for that. The guards had taken up position all around the entrance. I followed Seth down a cobblestone walkway and into a small back door that hung ajar. I had never been out of my village. I was desperate to explore Mule, but I doubted that would happen. The inn keeper greeted us quietly and shepherded us away from the loud noise of the dining hall. My mouth watered when I smelled some type of stew and fresh bread.
The inn keeper opened a door and Seth shoved me inside. There were two small beds in the corner. They looked nicer and more padded than my bed at home. Seth handed the keeper a few Kings Coin.
“Tell no one we have come here. Your life depends on it,” he threatened.
The inn keeper scowled at Seth but nodded before leaving.
“Where’s Lake?” I queried, rolling my head left to right to stretch my neck muscles.
Seth took off his leather waist harness that housed his heavy sword. Then he shed his chain mail. “She will stay with the rest of the party at another inn across town. If thugs come to take you, they will only find palace workers.”
“Or they will see Lake and think she’s the Water Blessed.” My heart was thumping. I didn’t like being away from her.
Seth placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “You saw her. She has palace clothes and braided hair. She looks like a Jewel Mountain hand maiden. It will be all right. This is the best way to keep you safe.”
I sighed. He was right. It was a good idea. A decoy was smart. I nodded. “I’m going to wash up.”
I turned and headed for the washroom. I peeled off my cotton wrap and washed it in the metal sink basin, using my hand to fill it with water. I don’t think I would ever get used to creating water at will. A knock came at the door and I saw something slide underneath. It was a cubed shape, of some sort of putty.
“What is it?” I asked Seth through the door.
Seth chuckled. “Bar soap, made with the finest lavender oil in Jewel Kingdom.”
Bar soap? We used powdered soap in my village from Neem plants that had natural disinfectant, but it didn’t smell good.
I took it and inhaled its aroma. It smelled magnificent. I wet the side of it and slid it up and down my palm. It was slippery and frothed up with bubbles. I laughed.
I filled the large bath basin with an inch of water like we did at home and slid myself inside. I may be the Water Blessed, but I would not waste it, ever. I slid the soap up and down my body as the froth turned clay brown from all of the dust from Death Valley. I scrubbed my hair, nails, and feet, then I rinsed in fresh water. I don’t think I had ever felt so clean or smelled so good. I drained the bath and left the bar
of soap at the edge of the basin. Then I filled it with some fresh water for Seth and filled the bucket next to it with water for rinsing.
After drying my hair and wrapping myself loosely in my last clean cloth, I left the bathroom.
I found Seth sitting in the corner with two trays of food, the smell was heavenly.
“Lavender bar soap, and a hot meal every night. I could get use to this,” I told him and joined him on the floor.
He smiled and looked at me. “This is nothing compared to how you will be treated at the palace. I’m going to wash up, you can start eating.” He stood to pass me and then stopped.
“You smell nice,” he told me and then walked into the bathroom.
I smell nice? Was that just an observation or something more? Ugh. He was starting to confuse me.
I opened the window on the far wall to let a cool breeze into the room. Mule wasn’t nearly as hot as my village, but it was still uncomfortable. I grabbed a bread roll and soaked it into the broth of the stew. I took a bite and was met with a salty, peppery explosion of flavor on my tongue. I moaned. We didn’t get spices so delicious in my village. It was amazing.
Movement at the window caught my attention. Maybe I shouldn’t have opened it. I walked over to close it when a strong hand reached in and grabbed my arm. The person yanked my arm hard, but I put my heels back and threw myself backward and out of their grasp. A tall man jumped in through the window and withdrew a blade. He trained it at my chest as I screamed.
His face was covered with a cloth, save for his eyes, which were brown with golden flecks. He grabbed me by the neck and stood me up. I couldn’t breathe, so I did the only thing I could think of. I shoved my left hand underneath the cloth covering his mouth and flooded his throat with water. Seth burst out of the washroom, soaking wet, with barely a loin cloth to cover his manhood. I kept my hand trained over the man’s throat even when he tried to pull it off. The man collapsed to the ground choking and his body jerked wildly. Then he didn’t move at all. Seth held two fingers over the man’s neck.
My hand flew to my mouth. “Oh Fates. I killed him.” Tears welled in my eyes. Thunder roared in the clouds overhead.
