Page 69 of Between Soul and Vessel
“Fair enough,” Folkoln replied. “So what do you want to do?”
“I think we do a quick sweep of the water. If we find nothing, we head further downstream. If some of the others did surface further up the river, then hopefully they’ll travel the same direction as us. We’ll leave a message, written onthe wall, with an arrow pointing downstream so they know where to find us.”
“Alright. I’ll go back in, see if I can locate anyone else before we move ahead.”
“Don’t get lost,” I ordered, my tone serious.
“I’m insulted you think I would,” he said with a cocky, arrogant grin before he dove into the waters with little care, as if he were going for a leisurely swim. I looked down, peering beneath the surface, watching the souls as they drifted by.
This river reminded me so much of the Da’Nu.
Turning away, I walked over to the wall of the cave, contemplating what message I should leave behind. I didn’t know who or what might be lurking in this place so I wanted to make sure it was something only Fallon, Ryker, or Soren would understand.
Then, it came to me.
Slowly, I waved my hand from left to right, and my shadows went to work. Tiny bits of rock sputtered out from the wall, as if they were being removed by chisel and hammer.
When I was done, sitting over an arrow that pointed downstream, were the words—Four found their feet, two need time.
Sage
The snow crunched beneath our boots as Artemesia and I ambled through the camp, chatting with one another about insignificant things like the weather. It was nice having a light conversation with her. It felt nostalgic. Simple. Easy. But best of all, it served as a distraction—one that kept my mind occupied, away from the heavy throes of sadness.
A man walked toward us, a deer slung over his shoulders. That was one thing I had noticed about this place—there always seemed to be a steady stream of game brought into the camp. To the extent I wondered what they did with it all; surely, they couldn’t eatthatmuch meat. Following behind the man were a boy and a girl who looked maybe a year apart.
“It doesn’t matter, mine is bigger,” the girl huffed as she held up the sizable rabbit she had caught.
“Yeah, but I caught two!” the boy snipped back. Sure enough, in his hand, strung by their hind legs, were twojackrabbits.
“That’s enough, you two,” the man scolded them softly. When he reached us, he dipped his head and said, a bit out of breath, “Good day, chieftain.” He nodded to me, and I returned the gesture.
“Good day,” Artemesia greeted him. “Nice looking buck you got there. Where did you find it?”
He nodded over his shoulder, toward the woods—the branches of the green spruce trees were dolloped with fluffy snow. “Near Cocoah Lake.”
“It’s been a good spot lately,” Artemesia stated, then introduced the two of us. By the time she did that, the kids had started to argue again over who was the better hunter.
The man shot them stern looks, but the flicker of his grin made the look fall flat. Heaving the deer further up on his shoulders, he looked at us and said, “Well, I suppose I better get going before these two end up in a fistfight.”
“Fair enough,” Artemesia chuckled, blue eyes glancing at the children. “Go easy on your father, you two.”
“Yes, chieftain,” the boy and girl replied in unison, flashing big, toothy smiles before they raced ahead, following after their father.
I watched them for a moment, wondering whatthatmust feel like—to have your little ones trailing after you. I wondered what it was like to teach them how to hunt, to watch them grow . . . to tuck them in at night and kiss their foreheads. I wondered what it was like to have a place for your love to go, rather than it all being stuck inside your chest, yearning to be spent, but no child to give it to.
Grief drifted to the forefront of my emotions, standing there with her solemn face. She took me in her arms, wrapping them around me. The weight of her hug was crushing.
“Sage?” Artemesia asked, her hand clasping my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
I took a breath. Then, another. “Sometimes yes, sometimes no,” I answered. That was the strange thing about grief, it was constantly coming and going, ebbing and flowing, always changing. One second, I felt okay, but by the next, I was breaking all over again.
“I think that’s a pretty normal way to be, all things considered.” She offered me an understanding look. “We can go back to your tent if you would prefer.”
“No.” I shook my head. “The outside air is good for my soul.”
As soon as the words left my tongue, the wind picked up ever so slightly. I felt the cool breeze run its fingers through my hair, felt its touch dance across my cheek, and it reminded me of Von—of the promise he’d made to me in the arena. That promise was what kept me going. It kept me from fracturing apart and reverting to the person I’d been before—the broken goddess of nothing, lying on the floor in the empress’s dungeon, covered in her own urine. Yes, being outside was exactly what I needed.
“Alright,” she said, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze before we continued forward.
