Page 9 of Married By Wind
Anat was a younger, shorter, more petite version of Ulika, impatient and full of chatter, with a restless energy.
“I’ve come to help,” I explained.
Anat clasped her hands together. “With the sand devils? Ulika said she was going for help, but I didn’t expect you. She was going to Fae Mountain…”
Ulika raised her hand. “I’ll tell you everything later, Anat. Please don’t pester Vinn with questions. He’s our guest for tonight.”
Anat wiggled her eyebrows. “Lucky for us we just had a big catch of fish, even though I’m getting sick of eating fish. Ulika, come to the tent. Mama and Papa will want to see you. It’s been almost a full day since you left.”
I watched the interaction, wondering if I should walk away and leave them to discuss. There were undertones and nudges in their speech, another reminder of what I lacked. Touching Ulika’s shoulder, I gestured toward the river. “I’ll go listen to the bard. Find me when you’re ready.”
Her eyes went soft with gratitude. “Thank you.”
I appreciated her words, but it only made me feel more alone. Like she’d said, the camp was quiet. Most tent flaps were open, the inhabitants hoping for a cool breeze while they slept, and I passed families deep in slumber. The sand devils had attacked these people, and I didn’t need to hear their stories to know what had happened to them. The gods had sent me to make their lives easier, and instead I’d failed.
The waters sparkled by the bank, and I sat down under the shade of the palm tree. Ulika was right; the music was soothing, and as I sat, watching the fish swim mindlessly under the surface, an idea bloomed.
12
Ulika
Vinn walked away, and I wished he hadn’t gone, even though I sensed he was giving me time to speak privately with my family. But we were in this mess together, and he’d left me to deal with it alone. It was too late to call him back as his muscular form disappeared around a tent, leaving me alone with Anat. She pinched me, grinning with excitement. “You found Vinn! I thought he was gone forever. Explain!”
Twisted emotions made my throat thick. I was happy he’d returned yet upset about who he was. I need more time to process what was happening, but there was no time. Squeezing Anat’s arm, I kept my voice low. “Where are Mama and Papa? I need to speak to them, and I’d rather tell you with them.”
Anat’s eyes narrowed, but she slipped her arm in mine. “Ulika, what’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy that Vinn returned. I know you like him. What did he do? Did he hurt you? I’ll take Papa’s spear and drive him away.”
I squeezed her hand. “Vinn did nothing wrong. Please be patient. I’ll explain.”
Anat was never patient, nor could she stop talking. It was no surprise she wasn’t asleep at this hour. She barely slept at night, waking up every few hours to whisper her dreams to me. Still, she was loving, was protective, and had a way of cheering me up. Suddenly, I hugged her. Tomorrow I was leaving for an unknown amount of time, and I’d never been away from my family.
The big tent in the middle of the encampment belonged to my parents. Each person in the tribe had their work, but my parents were skilled in finding old relics, and my Uncle Noah was in charge of trading with each tribe. He was a jolly man, full of stories, or at least he’d used to be before the sand devils had attacked. Now he sat up on the rocks above the cave, keeping watch and whittling wood into crude weapons. Weapons made us feel better, even though they were useless against the sand devils. Who could fight the wind except the god of wind himself?
Anat burst into the tent, where Mama sat cross-legged on a rug, polishing jewels, and Papa shaped clay into vessels. Anat got her restless energy from them, for their hands were always busy.
“Ulika!” Mama exclaimed, dropping her cloth. “Where have you been? It’s been a day and night since you disappeared. We thought you’d been kidnapped, but Anat said you went to Fae Mountain. Is this true?”
Papa squinted at me, taking in my appearance, and then pointed to a rug. “Sit, eat, then tell us. All that matters is that you’re home safe now.”
Weariness overcame me as I sank down. Papa passed me a plate of flatbread and crushed beans with spices. I’d forgotten about food during my adventure with Vinn, now I ate quickly, my eyes heavy with sleepiness when I finished. Anat’s never-ending chatter floated to my ears. “She came back with Vinn, but he wasn’t wearing a shirt or carrying a pack. We should give him some clothes.”
Clothes for Vinn was a good idea, but I wished Anat hadn’t brought it up, because suddenly Papa was staring at me, his lips turned down with displeasure. As a patient man, he’d reserve judgment until I shared my side of the story, but all the same, my stomach turned sour. Why had I eaten so fast?
“We’ll discuss Vinn in a moment, but going to Fae Mountain is forbidden for a reason,” Papa said. “Care to explain?”
I fumbled with the scarf around my neck. The gods had seen fit to return the cursed treasure to me, and slowly I unwrapped the lamp.
Mama gasped. “Where did you find that?”
“Do you know what it is?” I searched her dark eyes.
“It’s a lamp, a golden lamp. If the trade routes were still open, my daughter, you could have anything you desired.”
Tears clouded my eyes as the truth burst from my lips. “I found it a few weeks ago, and I know I should have shared it, but I wanted something special, just for myself.”
“Oh, Ulika,” Mama tutted.
“I would have done the same,” Anat added, bouncing on her toes as she stared at the lamp.
