Water & Storm Country

Stopping suddenly, Gard says, “You killed twoof our guards.” His thick brows are like caterpillars over hiseyes, casting them in shadow.

“They tried to kill us first,” Feve says.

“You snuck up on them.”

Dazz shakes his head. “Maybe we should’vedone things somewhat differently, but we approached directly. Wenever raised our weapons.” Right away, I notice a significantcontrast in the way these two speak. Feve’s words are rounder,everything slightly longer. Dazz’s speech is tighter andsharper.

“So you don’t deny it?” Gard says.

“Deny that we defended ourselves?” Feve says,mockery in his tone. “Oh no, we did that all right. Pretty searin’well, I’d say.” A question pops into my mind: Could one of thesemen have killed my mother? A slash of anger scathes across mychest.

Echoing my temper, Gard moves forward,surprisingly quick for such a large man, and clamps his meaty fistaround Feve’s neck, lifting him from the floor. Because they’reco

The Marked one’s face turns red as he chokes,but he doesn’t struggle, doesn’t try to stop Gard from killinghim.

Ten heartbeats pass. Twenty. Feve’s skin issky-red.

Thirty heartbeats. Gard throws him to thefloor where he grabs at his throat, wheezing, coughing, and finallyhocking a clump of spit in the dirt.

Gard waits patiently while he composeshimself. “Did you both participate in the killing?” he asks onceFeve is sitting up again. Did you kill my mother? I want toask.

“Just me,” Feve says. “I’m sure Dazz herewould’ve, but I was too quick. I killed them both before he couldeven draw his…fists.”

When Dazz fires a glare in Feve’s direction,Feve smirks, the closest thing I’ve seen to a smile from either ofthem.

“There is only one punishment for murder inour country,” Gard says. “Death.”

“You kill him and you’ll have to kill metoo,” Dazz says, his voice filled with tiny daggers.

Feve’s head turns toward his companion, and Iswear I see a look of surprise flash across his face.

“Gladly,” I mutter under my breath, butnobody hears me.

“Now why would you say that?” Gard asks.

“Because he’s my brother.” Feve’s eyes widenand there’s no doubt this time that he’s as shocked as the rest ofus. Silence fills the tent, expanding from the prisoners at thecenter and pushing outward in waves until I swear the tent isbulging with it.

They sure don’t look like brothers, Ithink. Clearly, Gard is surprised by the statement too, his eyesflicking from Feve to Dazz with narrow eyebrows.

“You don’t look like brothers,” he says.

“Well, we’re just the same.”

“As much as I’d like to kill you both,” Gardsays, “our law only requires the death of he who committed thecrime. But I’ll gladly let you watch.”

“Now hold on just one minute,” Dazz says, hisvoice rising. “Your men attacked us. We did nothing wrong.”

“You trespassed on our lands and killed twomen. Someone must pay.”

Dazz cringes. Feve says, “What if I were totell you that we have you surrounded by a hundred men, pointersnocked and ready to fly at the first sign of our lives being indanger?”

I gasp and hold it, picturing men, somebrown, some pale, creeping through the forest, weapons in hand.We’ve always feared our enemies on the sea, but what if weshould’ve been focused in the other direction?

As the need to breathe again grows stronger,there’s a commotion outside the tent. “Touch me agin and I’ll smackthat grin right offa yer face quicker’n you can say pricklercasserole!” a high-pitched voice shouts. It’s round and long,similar to Feve’s, but different still, more raw andpronounced.

The tent flap flutters and a brown-ski

There’s a guard on either side, forcing herto walk in a straight line as she does everything in her power towrench away from them, despite how ski

“What happened?” Dazz says, his mouth hangingopen. Next to him, Feve rolls his eyes.

“We kinda sorta mighta got caught,” shesays.

Behind her, another brown-ski

I gawk at the two girls, blinking hard inwonder. Because…they remind me so much of myself, except…brasher,less polished. Tough but a little unpredictable. More mouthy forsure.

But that’s not the end of it. Two more soulsstumble inside, flanked by at least five more guards. There’sanother guy who must be from ice country, his skin every bit aswhite as Dazz’s. He’s thicker and shorter than Dazz, but softer,like the difference between an apple and peach, and wearing thebiggest smile I’ve ever seen, so out of place for thesituation.

The fourth new prisoner is anotherbrown-ski

Gard has stepped aside to let the newprisoners enter, watching silently and with one eyebrow arched asthey’re lashed to the pole. A strange clump of brown and white.

“Welcome to the party,” Dazz says as theother pale-ski

“Of all the searin’ stupid things…” Fevemutters.

“Like you can talk, o’ wise one,” the ski

“Shut it! All of you!” Gard snaps. Silenceensues once more, but it’s less absolute, filled with raggedbreathing, occasional coughs, and lots of scuffling and scraping asthe prisoners try to get comfortable.

Gard steps forward. “And these are thehundred men that had us surrounded?” he says, directing hisquestion to Dazz.

“Uhhh…” Dazz says.

“I see,” Gard says. “Then the one you callFeve must die at dawn.”

Everyone starts yelling at once.

~~~

It takes a whole lot of screaming and theswords of each of the Riders to restore order. I’ve got the tip ofmy sword up against Dazz’s neck, and Remy’s next to me with hisblade pointed at the smiley white-ski

“This is burnin’ crazy!” the muscly girlexclaims when things have quieted down. “You steal our children andthen git all hot and bothered when we come askin’ questions? That’sa load of tugblaze if you ask me.”

Things have been so strange and out ofcontrol that I’d forgotten what got us here in the first place.

We are only here to understand why yousteal our children. Dazz’s words on the edge of camp—the wordsthat stopped me from killing him right then and there.

I stare at him now. “Or don’t you know?” hesays. “Is your so-called war leader keeping it from you? He tradesthe Cure for the Heater children. He tried to buy my sister tomarry his son.”

His words bounce off my face, numbing myskin. None of it makes any sense. It’s the Soakers who trade forthe children. That’s why my mother rode to ice country, as myfather foretold. And what’s all this about Remy marrying this paleguy’s sister?

“Enough!” Gard snaps. “Enough of the lies!They won’t save you now.”

“Wait,” I say, my mind ticking overeverything that’s just been said, trying to make sense of it. “Wehave to understand.”

Gard’s eyes narrow for a second, but then henods once. Carry on.

“Why do you think we’re stealing the Heaterchildren?” I ask.

“Not stealing—trading. But I guess it’s moreor less the same thing. Your”—he waves his arms around the tent atall of us, at the Riders—“warriors attacked my village, burning andfrightening the people half to death.”