Chapter 8: The Water Source
The hunting party was back. Seven or eight male beastmen crowded around Leon, asking about his wounds all at once.
Violet crawled out of the tent. Bandaged right foot. Leon's coat wrapped around her.
Every eye landed on her.
"Leon." She spoke. "Where are your maps?"
Leon glanced at her. "Satchel."
"I looked at them. Drawn three years ago. North Spring is dry. The eastern riverbed shifted. The southern camp is thorn brush now."
A low voice came from the back of the crowd. "You've never even set foot in Thornveil Gorge. And you know all this?"
Gray Bone stepped out. Bear clan. Shoulders like a door. A string of bone teeth hung across his chest. His deep brown eyes held nothing but hostility.
"It's in your hunting records." Violet said. "No one ever put it together."
"Hunting records?" Gray Bone's voice dropped lower. "You can read those?"
"Yes."
Gray Bone turned to Leon. "Chieftain. This woman—"
"She marked three water sources." Leon said. "Finn went to verify."
Gray Bone's mouth shut. He stood by the fire, arms crossed over his chest. Waiting for Finn to return. Waiting for her to be wrong.
---
Afternoon. Finn still wasn't back.
Seraphina walked over to Leon. "Leon, should I go look for Finn?"
"No."
Her lips pressed together. She didn't leave. She sat down beside him. Her eyes found Violet.
"Cecilia. What if Finn can't find the water source?"
"He'll find it."
"What if the map's wrong? You haven't been there yourself—"
"I only arrived in Thornveil Gorge last night." Violet said.
"Then how do you know where the water is?"
The question silenced everyone. Gray Bone turned and stared at her. Seraphina's honey eyes held a glint.
Violet looked at her. "It's in your hunting records. No one ever put it together."
Gray Bone walked over. "You say you can read the records. Then tell us. What else is in there?"
Violet took a breath.
"There's a stone pile to the south. Seven circles drawn on it. Those aren't stones. They're graves. Seven graves. Each grave has three layers of stones. Largest on the bottom. Smallest on top. The recorder drew seven circles. Three dots beneath each one."
Gray Bone's pupils tightened. "How do you know that's my brother's grave?"
Violet didn't answer. She hadn't known it was his brother's grave. But she couldn't show the crack.
Gray Bone stared at her. A long time. Then he looked down at the bone teeth hanging on his chest.
"That recorder died three years ago. No one could read what he drew."
He looked up.
"You're the first."
He stepped back. Walked away from her.
Seraphina stood and walked to Violet. She reached out her hand. "Cecilia. You're really amazing—"
Violet didn't take it. She turned and walked away.
Seraphina's hand hung in the air.
---
Hoofbeats. Finn was back.
He jumped off his horse and ran to Leon. His chest heaved.
"Found it. The first water source. Exactly as she said. Water. So much water. Enough for fifty people."
Someone in the hunting party let out a breath.
Gray Bone's mouth opened and shut.
"Two more." Leon said.
"Tomorrow." Violet said. "Your hunting party needs rest."
Leon stared at her for three seconds. Then he nodded. He walked into the tent and came out with a fresh roll of hide and a pot of pigment. He set them down in front of her.
"Starting tomorrow. You draw maps."
Violet looked at the hide roll. Her hands were shaking. She had won.
"Deal." She said.
Gray Bone stepped out from the crowd. "The maps you draw. Can you mark those graves?"
"Yes."
Gray Bone reached out his hand. "Gray Bone."
Violet took it. Rough. All calluses. Like gripping a stone.
"Gray Rock Tribe owes you." He said.
He turned to walk away. Then stopped. "My brother's grave. Draw it clear."
---
Night. The fire burned again.
Seraphina walked over and sat beside Leon. "Leon. I want to verify the water sources tomorrow too."
"Ask Darryl."
She turned to Darryl. "Darryl. Can I go with you?"
"The path is rough."
"I'm not afraid."
Darryl was quiet for two seconds. "Fine."
Seraphina's mouth curved up. She glanced at Violet. There was something in that glance. Determination.
Gray Bone sat down beside Violet. He broke off half a piece of dried ration and handed it to her. Soft. Warm. Tasted of honey.
"That recorder. Before he died, he gave me all those drawings. He said, 'Someone will read these someday.'"
He paused.
"I thought he was raving."
Violet bit into the ration.
"You're not Silver Spring." Gray Bone said.
"I am."
"Silver Spring people don't stand here."
Violet was quiet for a beat. "Silver Spring doesn't want me anymore."
Gray Bone stared at her for a long time. "Gray Rock Tribe does."
He stood. Walked away.
---
Late night. Violet sat by the fire drawing maps. Her fingers no longer shook.
Leon came out and sat beside her.
Hoofbeats sounded in the distance. Many of them. From the south.
Leon's ears twitched. "Ten riders. Silver Spring markings."
Violet's heart slammed once.
Leon woke everyone. Gray Bone stood at the front. His bone axe glinted cold. Seraphina stepped out of her tent. Leon barked at her to get back.
The hoofbeats stopped. A woman's voice came from the dark.
"Cecilia Winter. Come out."
Violet stood. Walked toward the dark. Leon followed half a step behind.
Astrid emerged from the shadows. Golden hair. White dress. Beautiful like a blade.
"You're alive." She said.
"Thanks to you." Violet said. "When you pushed me off that cliff. Did you ever think I might not die?"
Astrid's face shifted.
"Your secret." Violet's voice wasn't loud. But everyone heard. "You're not pureblood. Your mother was a human captive."
Astrid's lips trembled.
"Kill her."
Two Silver Spring warriors stepped forward. Leon's long blade left its sheath.
"One more step. Your lives stay here."
The two warriors stopped.
Astrid looked at Leon. "Leon Hart—"
"She's mine."
Astrid's face went pale. "You'd start a war with Silver Spring over an exiled woman?"
"She's not exiled." Leon said. "She's Gray Rock Tribe's mapmaker. She found water we couldn't find in three years."
He paused.
"She's worth more than your entire Silver Spring territory."
Astrid's hand lifted. Her fingers trembled in the air.
"You have two choices." Violet said. "One. Take your people and go. Pretend none of this happened. Two. Kill me. And your secret spreads across the North by tomorrow. You lose your inheritance. Your mother is executed."
Astrid's eyes went red. "Don't speak of my mother!"
"Choose."
Astrid's hand dropped. Her shoulders caved.
"Go."
She turned. Walked into the dark. Hoofbeats sounded.
Then stopped. One Silver Spring warrior rode back.
"Astrid sends a message. Three months. Silver Spring Trade Market. All the tribes will be there. She'll make you kneel. In front of everyone."
He rode into the dark.
The camp went silent.
Leon walked to Violet. "You're not going."
"I'm going."
"Cecilia—"
"She challenged me. If I don't go, I've already lost."
She turned and walked back to the fire. Sat down. Laid the hide across her knees.
"What are you doing?" Leon asked.
"Drawing maps." She said. "I'll need them tomorrow."
Her hands no longer shook.
---
End of Chapter Eight
Three months. Silver Spring Trade Market. Kneel before all the tribes. That is Astrid's challenge. But Violet is no longer the prey pushed off a cliff. Maps. Water sources. Information. She'll return carrying all of it.