out.” She thumped the handle of her broom against the courtyard’s packed clay. “You can’t even say her
name
?”
“Come on,” Tazir said quietly. “We just wanted to see how Shina’s doing.”
“Did you?” said Chaqal.
“Yeah,” Tazir said.
Her old quartermaster stepped back, staring at her with narrowed eyes. Tazir couldn’t see, but could picture the scrunched mouth underneath the veil.
“Fine,” Chaqal said. “I’ll take
you
back to the rectory.
They
can wait back here and think about their manners.”
Tazir opened her mouth to protest as Chaqal turned on her heel and walked back toward the outbuildings, but she couldn’t find a damn thing to say that wouldn’t get her in deeper trouble.
“In here,” Chaqal said, gesturing to the door of a small round hut. “We’re having dinner—I was going to join her once I got chores finished.”
Tazir paused in the threshold to take her shoes off. She noticed that Chaqal now went barefoot. “How long you been here?” she asked, almost under her breath.
“A while,” Chaqal said.
“Since you left me?” Tazir set her shoes down and looked her in the eye.
Chaqal slid her eyes away. “Yeah,” she said. “Since I left you.”
“Huh.” Tazir nodded and took a deep breath as she followed Chaqal inside the hut.
“It’s me,” Chaqal said as she approached the table in the middle. Shina was sitting there, still lanky and baby-faced—as long as she was looking down. When she turned her face up, Tazir could see the bright green stones in her eye sockets.
“Tazir?” she said, perhaps blinking out of habit.
Tazir took a step back. “Y-yeah,” she said. “How—”
“I heard your voice outside,” she said, grinning. “And you smell like tobacco.”
“Oh.” Tazir took a deep breath and pressed her lips together. “Yeah,” she said. “It’s me.”
“Good,” Shina replied. “I’ve been hoping you’d come for a visit—sit down!” She gestured to her right, where a round cushion sat unoccupied in front of the table. “How was your trip up here?”
“It was smooth sailing,” Tazir said as she shuffled over to the cushion. “You do a good job, I guess.”
“I’m still only part-time,” Shina replied. “Mathul-uncle does most of the work with the trade winds.”
“Well, I’m sure you’re plenty helpful,” Tazir said. She couldn’t take her eyes off those stones—and what kind of sick fuck had gotten her that pink hair scarf embroidered in matching green thread? “They treating you all right?”
“Oh, of course.” Shina smiled. “I’ve been living here since the temple was rebuilt,” she said. “But I went to Druhuk for the surgery.”
“Mmh.” Tazir tried to hide the disgust on her face from Chaqal, but she still earned a filthy look. “I see you got that.”
“It’s better now,” Shina said. “I don’t worry so much,” she said. “About everything.”
“Oh-h?” Tazir forced a smile on her face. “That’s—that’s good.”
The smile faded from Shina’s lips. “What do you want me to say?” she asked.
“I—I don’t—it doesn’t matter to me,” Tazir said.
“It was painless, if you want to know,” Shina said. “They were right about that—”
“But your
eyes,
” Tazir blurted. “They took your
eyes
.”
“They did,” said Shina. She felt on the table for the teapot and an empty cup. “What did they take from you?” She carefully moved the teapot until its spout clinked against the cup’s rim, and poured most of a cup of tea. She pushed it across the table to Tazir.
Tazir was staring in front of her. “What?” she asked.
“What did they take from you?” Shina repeated. “I spend my days studying storms, touching clouds, molding winds—for that, I gave up my eyes.”
“I didn’t give up shit,” Tazir said. She picked up the tea and took a drink—it was far too hot to do that, but she refused to show a lick of pain. “And I’m doing what I want,
name
?”
“Come on,” Tazir said quietly. “We just wanted to see how Shina’s doing.”
“Did you?” said Chaqal.
“Yeah,” Tazir said.
Her old quartermaster stepped back, staring at her with narrowed eyes. Tazir couldn’t see, but could picture the scrunched mouth underneath the veil.
“Fine,” Chaqal said. “I’ll take
you
back to the rectory.
They
can wait back here and think about their manners.”
Tazir opened her mouth to protest as Chaqal turned on her heel and walked back toward the outbuildings, but she couldn’t find a damn thing to say that wouldn’t get her in deeper trouble.
“In here,” Chaqal said, gesturing to the door of a small round hut. “We’re having dinner—I was going to join her once I got chores finished.”
Tazir paused in the threshold to take her shoes off. She noticed that Chaqal now went barefoot. “How long you been here?” she asked, almost under her breath.
“A while,” Chaqal said.
“Since you left me?” Tazir set her shoes down and looked her in the eye.
Chaqal slid her eyes away. “Yeah,” she said. “Since I left you.”
“Huh.” Tazir nodded and took a deep breath as she followed Chaqal inside the hut.
“It’s me,” Chaqal said as she approached the table in the middle. Shina was sitting there, still lanky and baby-faced—as long as she was looking down. When she turned her face up, Tazir could see the bright green stones in her eye sockets.
“Tazir?” she said, perhaps blinking out of habit.
Tazir took a step back. “Y-yeah,” she said. “How—”
“I heard your voice outside,” she said, grinning. “And you smell like tobacco.”
“Oh.” Tazir took a deep breath and pressed her lips together. “Yeah,” she said. “It’s me.”
“Good,” Shina replied. “I’ve been hoping you’d come for a visit—sit down!” She gestured to her right, where a round cushion sat unoccupied in front of the table. “How was your trip up here?”
“It was smooth sailing,” Tazir said as she shuffled over to the cushion. “You do a good job, I guess.”
“I’m still only part-time,” Shina replied. “Mathul-uncle does most of the work with the trade winds.”
“Well, I’m sure you’re plenty helpful,” Tazir said. She couldn’t take her eyes off those stones—and what kind of sick fuck had gotten her that pink hair scarf embroidered in matching green thread? “They treating you all right?”
“Oh, of course.” Shina smiled. “I’ve been living here since the temple was rebuilt,” she said. “But I went to Druhuk for the surgery.”
“Mmh.” Tazir tried to hide the disgust on her face from Chaqal, but she still earned a filthy look. “I see you got that.”
“It’s better now,” Shina said. “I don’t worry so much,” she said. “About everything.”
“Oh-h?” Tazir forced a smile on her face. “That’s—that’s good.”
The smile faded from Shina’s lips. “What do you want me to say?” she asked.
“I—I don’t—it doesn’t matter to me,” Tazir said.
“It was painless, if you want to know,” Shina said. “They were right about that—”
“But your
eyes,
” Tazir blurted. “They took your
eyes
.”
“They did,” said Shina. She felt on the table for the teapot and an empty cup. “What did they take from you?” She carefully moved the teapot until its spout clinked against the cup’s rim, and poured most of a cup of tea. She pushed it across the table to Tazir.
Tazir was staring in front of her. “What?” she asked.
“What did they take from you?” Shina repeated. “I spend my days studying storms, touching clouds, molding winds—for that, I gave up my eyes.”
“I didn’t give up shit,” Tazir said. She picked up the tea and took a drink—it was far too hot to do that, but she refused to show a lick of pain. “And I’m doing what I want,
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