“It wasn’t tainted yesterday morning,” Olyva said. “I visit the creek each morning to drink.”
“So we’ll all be sick,” Lexi said.
“The Sellado doesn’t affect everyone,” Filsa said. “There are some who survive and some who never get sick at all.”
“But we have to assume that everyone will get sick,” Rafe said.
“Everyone who had water from the stream since yesterday morning,” Olyva said. “We still have water stored in the pots, don’t we?”
“Yes,” Filsa said. “But not much. There was no need for it.”
“We can’t keep drinking the water here,” Lexi said.
“We’ll run out of clean water soon,” Te’sumee added. “There is a river, but it is a full day’s walk that way,” he said pointing.
“We can’t get everyone there if the whole camp is sick,” Rafe said.
“Then we’ll have to bring the water here,” said Lexi.
“I can make a draught that might help,” said Olyva. “If I have fresh water.”
Everyone looked at her with shock. She didn’t know how she knew what to do, but instinctively she did. The sap from the little stems could be used to ease pain, but the rough patches that looked like bark could be shaved away and used to fight sickness. Those shavings, if soaked in water, had healing properties.
“What are you talking about?” Rafe asked.
“I think that if we soak this,” she said touching a rough patch on her leg, “in water over night, it will help.”
Lexi looked down, trying to hide the look of disbelief on her face, but Olyva saw it. She felt a little exposed, as if the others were seeing a side of her that was meant to be kept private. She couldn’t explain how she knew what to do, or that it would work, but somehow she did.
One of the girls came running back.
“She’s right,” the girl said. “Many people are sick in the camp.”
“Alright,” Rafe said. “Do what you have to do, Olyva. Lexi and I will go for more water.”
“What if you get sick?” Filsa asked.
“We’ll just have to push through,” Rafe said. “If Olyva’s idea works, we may only have to make one trip.”
“Don’t let him die,” Lexi said, her voice tight with worry.
Olyva wasn’t sure who Lexi was talking to, but she understood her friend’s worry. It struck Olyva that she wasn’t really friends with Lexi. In fact, she wasn’t really friends with anyone except Rafe. She chided herself silently that she had been so self-centered that she had missed opportunities to connect with the people around her. In her old life, keeping her position among the people at court had cut her off from having close friendships. Even when her father bargained her away to Earl Aegus and she was forced to leave the only home she’d ever known, no one really seemed sad to see her go except her mother. She had always thought that if things were different, she would make friends, but now things were different and she hadn’t made friends or real connections with the people around her. She resolved in her mind to change that, but first they had to survive the sickness that was rampaging through the camp.
“May I borrow your dagger?” Olyva asked Lexi.
There was look of distrust in the smaller girl’s eyes, but she handed over the Wangorian dagger without protest. Olyva looked at the slightly curved blade. It was razor sharp and she guessed it would do the job nicely.
“I need a bowl,” Olyva said. “Something to catch the shavings with.”
One of the girls helping watch over Tiberius emptied a bowl of water onto the grass, then handed it to Olyva. She bent down on one knee and kept the other foot flat against the ground. She set the bowl down and leaned her knee slightly so that the rough patch of skin on her leg was directly over the wooden bowl.
“Are you sure about this?” Rafe asked her.
“Positive,” she said.
Then she raked the dagger’s blade across the patch of skin that looked like bark. Flecks of what looked like wood shavings fell into the bowl. She repeated the process over and over until the entire rough patch on her leg looked red and irritated.
“Okay,” Olyva said to Rafe. “Repeat that across every rough patch on my body. We’ll need as much as we can get.”
She saw the look of distress in Rafe’s eye, but she didn’t give him any options. She couldn’t say how she knew, but she was certain she was right. The wooden flakes had healing properties, they just needed to be soaked in water, which could then be fed to the sick. Olyva turned her back to Rafe and lifted her shirt. There was a large, scaly patch on her back and soon Rafe was scraping at it with the knife. The pain was minor; she had experienced much worse from beauty treatments in Hamill Keep and Avondale.
Once Rafe finished scraping, Olyva showed him another place on her chest, just below her collarbone. She could see the mixed emotions in Rafe’s eyes. He still cared for her a great deal, but he wasn’t sure Olyva was still the woman he had fallen in love with. She wasn’t sure either. Being banished from Avondale had seemed like a fate worse than death, yet she was happier now than she had ever been before.
“I’m still here,” she said, looking him in the eye. “I know I’m different, but I’m still Olyva.”
“I know,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “I’m just not sure how to love you.”
“Am I so hard to love?” she asked. “Is it because I’m not as pretty as before.”
“You’re more beautiful than ever,” he said. “It’s not that. I feel so… lost.”
“Just come back to me,” Olyva said. “We can work everything out when you get back.”
“Alright,” Rafe said. “I promise.”
The scraping took a few more moments. Olyva had another bark-like patch on her hip, but once Rafe was finished, Olyva took the bowl to one of the large clay water pots. The tribe only had a dozen left and most of those were empty. Olyva sprinkled the shavings into one of the last full pots.
“We’ll need to stir this pot every hour,” Olyva said. “In the morning, we can administer the water to anyone who’s sick.”
“If they live that long,” Lexi said. There was a note of bitterness in her voice, but Olyva didn’t think it was directed at her. “Will it heal them?”
“It will help them heal,” Olyva said. “I think it can keep them from succumbing to the fever, but it won’t be like Tiberius’ magic. They’ll still be ill and weak. We’ll need more water.”
“How far to the next watering hole?” Rafe asked.
“It is a river,” Te’sumee said. “One day’s walk in that direction.”
“We better get moving then,” Rafe said to Lexi.
“Be safe,” Olyva said as she knelt down beside Tiberius. “And Rafe.”
“Yes,” he said.
“Hurry back,” she urged him. “You don’t have much time.”
Chapter 31
Lexi
Quntah helped Lexi hitch the horses to the big wagon, but it was obvious the tribal horseman was sick. He looked pale and had very little energy. Lexi had never been around Quntah when he didn’t talk almost constantly, especially to the animals. This time, however, he was quiet. It gave Lexi a bad feeling. She couldn’t help but imagine returning to the camp to find everyone dead.
Rafe saw that the empty clay pots were loaded onto the wagon. By the time everything was ready, Rafe was sweating. It was warm on the plains and everyone was tense. The Hoskali had begun bringing their sick out of their shelters. Most couldn’t walk and had to be carried. Lexi felt a sense of dread and wanted nothing more than to flee the camp. Her initial reaction to the sickness was to get as far away from it as possible, but she couldn’t abandon Tiberius. As much as she wanted to protect herself, she knew he needed her and she would never be able to turn her back on him again.
“Are you ready?” she asked Rafe.
“I’m just waiting on someone,” he said, leaning against the side of the wagon.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine, just tired, that’s all.”
“You look pale.”
“I’m a little unnerved,” Rafe said. “I hate fighting something I can’t defeat with a sword.”
Lexi understood that feeling. Stealth and surprise had always been her allies, but she couldn’t hide from a disease.
“I don’t understand what we’re waiting for,” she said. “We need to get moving and get back.”
“We will, I’m just checking on something.”
“What?”
“There’s a reason we’re all getting ill,” Rafe said quietly as he climbed up into the wagon and sat down on the wooden bench beside Lexi. “It seems underhanded to me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“When we first got here, everyone was happy to have found a new water source,” Rafe said. “We’ve all been drinking it for days, right?”
“Yes,” Lexi said.
“Even Olyva and she’s sensitive to this kind of thing.”
“What kind of thing?” Lexi asked.
“Something has made the water here bad,” Rafe said. “Or someone.”
“You think someone poisoned the water?”
“It’s possible isn’t?” Rafe said. “We were just attacked two nights ago.”
“You think the raiders did something to the water supply?”
Rafe nodded.
“I sent one of the Rogu to check it out. I don’t want to leave until he comes back.”
They moved the wagon out of the camp and stopped near the growing area of sick Hoskali. The tribe members were all working together, but Lexi could tell just by looking that most of the Hoskali that were still up and moving around were already sick. It wouldn’t be long until the entire tribe was completely vulnerable.
“Do you notice anything strange?” Rafe asked her quietly.
“Should I?” Lexi said.
“I don’t see any of the captive raiders laid out with our people,” Rafe said.
“They’re still being held in the camp,” Lexi said.
“I checked there too,” Rafe said. “They aren’t sick.”
“None of them?”
Rafe shook his head.
“But Tiberius healed their leader, Bu’yorgi.”
“Yes,” Rafe said, “but think about it. He lost the Tuscogee, which means he lost all of the captives they had taken and all the loot they had stolen. He would be disgraced by going back to his tribe a failure.”
“You think he ordered our water supply to be tainted?” Lexi asked.
“That’s my guess.”
One of the Rogu jogged toward the camp from the head of the spring. Rafe waved to the man, who made his way past the area of sick Hoskali and finally reached the wagon. Lexi could tell the man was suffering. He was out of breath and Lexi had never seen the Rogu panting even after their long runs. The Rogu had great stamina, but even they couldn’t fight off whatever was causing the sickness.
“There was a Cadsoo in the spring,” the man said.
“What’s a Cadsoo?” Rafe asked.
“A small animal,” the Rogu warrior explained. “It fends off predators with a poison spray from under its tail.”
“Could it have fallen into the spring and died?” Lexi asked.
The hunter shook his head.
“It was held under the water by a rock,” he said.
“The Sky Tribe,” Rafe said.
The Rogu nodded.
“Okay, we’ll get clean water,” Rafe said.
“No,” the Rogu said. “I removed the Cadsoo. Our water should be clean.”
“But we won’t know that for sure. They may have done other things to the water. The Rogu must keep watch. I don’t think the Sky Tribe will attack directly, but they’ll free their own. If they come for the captives, don’t stop them. We’ll get fresh water, then we’ll go after the raiders.”
The man nodded and Rafe flicked the reins. The horses trotted forward, but Lexi felt a knot forming in her stomach. Their water was tainted and they would probably all get sick, including Rafe and Lexi, then the raiders could do whatever they wanted to the tribe and there would be no one to defend them.
“Why don’t you let me drive the wagon,” she said. “You could lay down in the back and rest.”
“That’s not really an option,” Rafe said.
“Why not?” Lexi asked. “You were up most of the night. At least I got a little sleep.”
“It’s not an option because at some point we’re going to be attacked.”
“What are you talking about?” Lexi said, fear making the knot in her stomach grow even larger.
“Think about it Lexi,” Rafe said. “If the raiders poisoned the spring, then they’re aware that we need to go get fresh water. They don’t want us to do that. They want to incapacitate us so they can take whatever they want.”
“That’s doesn’t mean they’ll attack us, surely,” Lexi said.
“And what happens if we find another tribe who comes to help?” Rafe asked. “What if we get back with fresh water and the tribe gets better?”
“They won’t let that happen, will they?” Lexi asked.
“I wouldn’t,” Rafe said. “Why take the risk.”
“There aren’t very many of the raiders left,” Lexi said. Maybe they won’t realize what we’re doing.”
“There’s more than two of them,” Rafe said. “Which means they’ll out number us.”
“If they attack,” Lexi said, hoping that she was right. “They might not.”
Rafe looked at her and she could tell he was wishing the same thing. They rode on in silence. Lexi had her dagger, but she wasn’t a warrior. She could hold her own when she was backed into a corner, but she preferred to avoid confrontation whenever possible. She couldn’t help but loosen the blade in her belt; making sure it was close to hand made her feel more secure.
“You any good with that thing?” Rafe asked.
“I grew up on the streets,” Lexi said. “You don’t last long if you can’t handle yourself.”
“That doesn’t really answer my question?” Rafe said.
“Yeah, I can use it.”
“Good,” Rafe said.
“Are you going to get sick on me?” Lexi said.
“What are talking about?”
“You’re pale, sweating, and you look tired.”
“I am tired, I was up all night, remember.”
“So tell me you’re just hung over and not coming down with Sellado or whatever is making everyone else sick.”
Rafe didn’t look at her.
“Great,” Lexi said. “That’s fantastic.”
“I’ll get you past the raiders,” Rafe said. “Like you said, there aren’t a lot of them left. They’ll only get one shot at stopping us. Once we’re past that, you get us the water and get back to the tribe.”
“What if I get sick,” Lexi said.
“Don’t get sick,” Rafe replied.
They rode for an hour. Lexi and Rafe nibbled some of the traditional Hoskali bread, but neither really felt comfortable eating. The idea that someone had poisoned the spring made them suspicious of anything going into their mouths. Rafe drove the wagon and Lexi tried to relax. She knew she was in for a long, hard day, even if the raiders didn’t attack them.
Rafe was stalwart. She could see his iron-like military discipline coming through. He refused to give in to the ailment which was clearly tormenting his body. He was sweating and hunched in the seat next to her, but he never complained.
“I could drive and let you rest,” Lexi offered.
“It’s better if I stay busy,” Rafe said. “I’ve been through worse. Besides, I don’t want to let my guard down.”
“It’s not like they can ambush us without us seeing them coming,” Lexi said as she waved her hand at the wide open plain in front of them. “There’s nothing to hide behind for miles.”
She was turning around to emphasize her point when she spotted the runners behind them. The wa
gon had started out at a quick pace, but the horses soon grew tired and were now moving about the same speed as a person walking fast. They had been expecting the attack to come from in front of them, and had neglected to look behind.
“Rafe!” Lexi said as she grabbed his shoulder.
He turned and then cursed.
“Hold on,” he said.
Then he flicked the reins and shouted at the horses. They lumbered into a canter. Lexi watched the men behind them. They were obviously Rogu, jogging at the same dogged pace they could keep up all day. The horses were grunting with exertion.
“We can’t outrun them, can we?” Lexi asked.
“No,” Rafe said. “But I don’t intend to.”
“Then what are you doing?” she asked.
“We know where they’re coming from,” Rafe said. “I just need enough time to prepare so that we fight them on our terms, not theirs.”
Lexi kept watch behind them. Rafe pushed the horses for nearly ten minutes, then he slowed them back down to a walk. Lexi was nervous. She hated knowing what was coming. Her natural instinct was always to flee if that were possible. She realized it wasn’t, but slowing down with a group of men chasing her felt completely wrong.
“What now?” Lexi said.
“We’ll let the horses walk a bit to cool down,” Rafe said, wiping the sweat off his forehead. “Then we’ll make our stand.”
“That’s our best option?” Lexi asked.
“It’s the only option,” Rafe said. “The sooner we fight, the more strength I’ll have.”
Lexi nodded. She realized that Rafe wasn’t well and that fighting at all was a huge risk. Even if the raiders did nothing more than separate Rafe from Lexi and the wagon, he would probably die of the fever without help. And if she didn’t somehow get fresh water back to the tribe, many more would die. She hardened her resolve. They had to defeat the raiders and complete their task. There were no other options, she realized.
“Okay,” Rafe said, pulling the reins and bringing the wagon to a stop. “They’re going to try and get the wagon away from you. Whatever you do, don’t let that happen.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll fight them behind us,” Rafe said. “You watch my back and make sure they don’t make off with the wagon.”
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