hand.
“They’re unbelievable,” he says, “like drops of rain frozen while falling. Others splash up from the ground, or fan out like a palm frond. Some are bright white. Some have colors shot through them. You heard right: they’re beautiful.”
No one ever described the formations to me before. I can’t picture them, but I know what falling rain and palm fronds feel like, and it adds depth and dimension to the rock beneath my hand. I make my way through the space to the other side of the cavern, sweeping my arms in front of me, as he looks around. I’m trying to find the passage on the other side.
Peree comes toward me, pausing a few feet away. “Will you let me help you if I offer, or bite my head off, like in the forest?” His voice is still chilly, but I hear a note of teasing behind his words.
“Ask me and find out.”
He takes my hand. “May I be of assistance?”
“Yes, please.”
As I would with Eland, I automatically slide my hand up to grip his arm more securely in case I stumble. He tenses. Embarrassed, I keep my hand still. He guides me in silence into the next passage, then walks away.
I grope around in my pack for the pouch of crampberries and pull it out. Holding my breath, I crush a few and rub them on the stony wall to mark the entrance.
Peree makes a gagging noise. “What’s that smell?”
“Crampberries,” I say. “I thought I’d use them to mark my route.”
“Good idea,” he says, his voice returning to the flatness I already despise. “Ready to go?”
I slide my fingers along the rock as we walk, missing the warmth of his skin.
“So what’s your plan for finding the Waters?” he asks.
“I’m not sure it’s a plan, exactly. I thought I’d go farther into the caves than I have before, listening for water.”
“You’re right, that’s not much of a plan.”
“Well, no one else had a better one. No one else even volunteered. At least, no one the Three were willing to part with. So it’s just me.”
“Us,” he amends quietly.
We spend the next several hours moving through passages that lead to caverns, smaller caves, and ever more passages, trailing foul-smelling crampberries behind us. We stop for a few minutes to rest and eat. Then Peree puts his torch out to save the light for when we reach parts of the caves I’m unfamiliar with. I have a good idea where I’m going for now. I’ve explored the passages off our main cave many times, although never beyond a day’s walk. But Peree stumbles often in the dark, so I keep our pace slow. We walk mostly in silence. Lulled by the quiet, I jump when he suddenly swears.
“How do you stand this? The dark, and the quiet? Talk to me, will you? I can’t listen to my own thoughts another minute.”
“What do you want to talk about?” I ask.
“Anything, as long as I can hear your voice.”
“Can I ask you questions? About your life?” I don’t wait for him to say no. “What do you do when the Scourge isn’t here? Like, I work in the caves. What’s your duty?”
When he speaks again, he sounds closer to normal than he has all day. “I’m a lookout. I walk the perimeter and watch for signs of the flesh-eaters. I also do a little trapping and hunting while I’m out, and I look for parts of the walkways that need repair. I fix them myself if I can, but sometimes a woodworker’s needed, so my cousin Petrel comes with me.”
“You have a cousin?” Peree’s never mentioned family other than his parents before.
“Cousin, and best friend."
“He’s your age?”
“Two years older. He partnered last year. Moonlight finally realized he wasn’t joking every time he told her he worshipped her. She’s expecting now.”
“ Moonlight? ” I try—too late—not to snicker.
“Yes, Fennel. ”
“I’m sorry, but it sounds strange to me.”
“Your names sound strange to us too.”
I shrug. “They’re having a baby? When?”
“Late fall. Petrel’s thrilled.”
“I wouldn’t be,” I
“They’re unbelievable,” he says, “like drops of rain frozen while falling. Others splash up from the ground, or fan out like a palm frond. Some are bright white. Some have colors shot through them. You heard right: they’re beautiful.”
No one ever described the formations to me before. I can’t picture them, but I know what falling rain and palm fronds feel like, and it adds depth and dimension to the rock beneath my hand. I make my way through the space to the other side of the cavern, sweeping my arms in front of me, as he looks around. I’m trying to find the passage on the other side.
Peree comes toward me, pausing a few feet away. “Will you let me help you if I offer, or bite my head off, like in the forest?” His voice is still chilly, but I hear a note of teasing behind his words.
“Ask me and find out.”
He takes my hand. “May I be of assistance?”
“Yes, please.”
As I would with Eland, I automatically slide my hand up to grip his arm more securely in case I stumble. He tenses. Embarrassed, I keep my hand still. He guides me in silence into the next passage, then walks away.
I grope around in my pack for the pouch of crampberries and pull it out. Holding my breath, I crush a few and rub them on the stony wall to mark the entrance.
Peree makes a gagging noise. “What’s that smell?”
“Crampberries,” I say. “I thought I’d use them to mark my route.”
“Good idea,” he says, his voice returning to the flatness I already despise. “Ready to go?”
I slide my fingers along the rock as we walk, missing the warmth of his skin.
“So what’s your plan for finding the Waters?” he asks.
“I’m not sure it’s a plan, exactly. I thought I’d go farther into the caves than I have before, listening for water.”
“You’re right, that’s not much of a plan.”
“Well, no one else had a better one. No one else even volunteered. At least, no one the Three were willing to part with. So it’s just me.”
“Us,” he amends quietly.
We spend the next several hours moving through passages that lead to caverns, smaller caves, and ever more passages, trailing foul-smelling crampberries behind us. We stop for a few minutes to rest and eat. Then Peree puts his torch out to save the light for when we reach parts of the caves I’m unfamiliar with. I have a good idea where I’m going for now. I’ve explored the passages off our main cave many times, although never beyond a day’s walk. But Peree stumbles often in the dark, so I keep our pace slow. We walk mostly in silence. Lulled by the quiet, I jump when he suddenly swears.
“How do you stand this? The dark, and the quiet? Talk to me, will you? I can’t listen to my own thoughts another minute.”
“What do you want to talk about?” I ask.
“Anything, as long as I can hear your voice.”
“Can I ask you questions? About your life?” I don’t wait for him to say no. “What do you do when the Scourge isn’t here? Like, I work in the caves. What’s your duty?”
When he speaks again, he sounds closer to normal than he has all day. “I’m a lookout. I walk the perimeter and watch for signs of the flesh-eaters. I also do a little trapping and hunting while I’m out, and I look for parts of the walkways that need repair. I fix them myself if I can, but sometimes a woodworker’s needed, so my cousin Petrel comes with me.”
“You have a cousin?” Peree’s never mentioned family other than his parents before.
“Cousin, and best friend."
“He’s your age?”
“Two years older. He partnered last year. Moonlight finally realized he wasn’t joking every time he told her he worshipped her. She’s expecting now.”
“ Moonlight? ” I try—too late—not to snicker.
“Yes, Fennel. ”
“I’m sorry, but it sounds strange to me.”
“Your names sound strange to us too.”
I shrug. “They’re having a baby? When?”
“Late fall. Petrel’s thrilled.”
“I wouldn’t be,” I
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