Dindi
Dindi told herself again: Don't look at Kavio.
She stood with the others in the peace party in the plaza on the Tor of the Sun. But it was hard not to look. He looked more beautiful than ever in his Zavaedi outfit—tight leather legwraps, animal teeth, feathers, and war paint. The wind blew his short hair back in messy waves. His dark eyes sparkled with excitement, and his energy was hard to resist.
He held the Staff of Peace like a spear. His speech was about caution and care, but he looked proud, like a warrior ready to ride into battle.
"We will travel slowly," Kavio told the peace party. "We must pass lands of clans who fear us. We will go first by land, then by river. We will travel half the day and camp the rest. Along the way, we must meet with clan elders. Our warriors and Tavaedies will also hunt and train. Not all the Blue Waters clans may honor the Peace Stick."
Dindi looked at the others in the group. It was a strange group. Some of them made her nervous.
Brena was bad enough. Several Yellow Bear Tavaedies were also there, cousins of Hertio. One of them, Vultho, looked angry. He clearly didn't want to go on a peace trip instead of a blood raid. He kept throwing dark looks at Kavio's back when Kavio wasn't looking.
But Vultho wasn't the only one watching Kavio.
Gremo, the man tied to a giant boulder, was there too. He seemed to be Kavio's bodyguard or slave—it wasn't clear which. He also watched Kavio, but not with hate. If Gremo had been a woman, Dindi would have guessed he was in love with Kavio.
"Dindi," snapped Brena. "Come here."
Gwenika shifted uncomfortably.
"Gwenika, she's here to serve you, not be your friend," Brena said. "Give her your pack."
"Yes, Mother. Um, here." Gwenika blushed as she handed Dindi a huge rucksack. "Sorry it's so heavy. It has all my jars and healing stuff." She whispered, "This wasn't my idea!"
Dindi added her own tiny pack—Brena had been very strict—to the top of Gwenika's rucksack and struggled to carry it.
To be fair, Gwenika had a large pack herself. So did Brena. And so did the giant man behind them—Rthan, Brena's slave.
Gwenika and Brena were the only female Tavaedies. Kavio explained that they had been invited to represent the victims of the attack during the Initiation and also to act as healers if needed.
No one explained why Dindi was there. She guessed it was clear—she was just Gwenika's handmaid. The others were Yellow Bear warriors. Except Rthan. And the fifteenth member of the group was the guide from Blue Waters, the beautiful and strange Olani named Svego.
Just as they were about to leave, Zumo walked into the plaza. He was dressed for travel. Dindi froze. Please don't let him come with us, she prayed. She hid behind Gwenika so he wouldn't see her. But it didn't matter. He ignored everyone except Kavio.
"Good luck on your journey, Kavio," Zumo said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I think you'll need it."
"I take the wish the way it was given," Kavio said dryly. "So you're returning to the Rainbow Labyrinth?"
"Yes. Visiting other tribes is fun, but there is no place like home. Oh… forgive me. I forgot—you're not allowed to return to your homeland."
"Maybe I'm less timid than you," Kavio replied. "I've always wanted to see the Blue Vast. Be careful on your trip. Most people don't cross the mountains in winter."
Kavio turned and walked away before Zumo could answer. The rest of the peace party followed him.
Dindi sighed in relief. At least Zumo wasn't coming with them.
As they left the plaza, Dindi looked back—just once. That was a mistake.
Zumo was still standing there, and now he was staring right at her. She could tell he recognized her. He even stepped forward a little, as if he wanted to follow her. He didn't. But the angry look on his face made her cold inside.
Why is he so obsessed with me? Why does he think I stole something from him? she wondered.
She was glad he would not be coming. The sooner he left for his own tribe, the better.
Dindi thought they would go straight west toward the sea. But the Blue Waters tribe was northwest of the Tors, so for the first few days, they traveled north, against the river's current.
Early in the journey, they crossed their journey omen—a river crab.
"It means we will travel by river," said Brena. "Simple enough."
"Maybe it means we'll eat lots of seafood," Gwenika said hopefully.
Rthan said, "Our people have a story. The fae Crab Lord once asked the Salmon Lord to carry him across the whitewater. At first, the Salmon said no. He said, 'You'll pinch my head off.' But the Crab said, 'Why would I do that? I would die too.' So the Salmon agreed. But halfway across, the Crab pinched him—and they both died."
"That makes no sense," said Brena.
"Exactly," said Rthan, giving Kavio a sideways look. "Because they were fae."
"I liked my version better," Gwenika muttered.
The party tried to stay close together, but as always in long marches, the fast walkers moved ahead, and the slow ones fell behind. Everyone walked with a partner for safety.
Dindi walked with Gwenika, who looked annoyed.
"I'm not going to talk to you," Gwenika said at once. "Not because my mother told me not to. I'm a grown woman now. A Tavaedi. I don't need my mother bossing me. I wish someone would tell her that! She never bosses Gwena like she does me. She treats me like a baby." She kicked a rock. "What was I saying?"
"You aren't going to talk to me."
"Right." Gwenika lifted her chin. "Because you tricked me. My mother was right about your hexcraft. I didn't believe her—until I saw that creepy doll. It's clearly hexed! You must have known, even without magic. Especially without magic! Have you gotten rid of it yet?"
Dindi wore the doll on a leather cord around her neck, hidden under her wraps. She didn't answer. Instead, she asked, "Why haven't you told your mother about the doll?"
Gwenika blushed. "She would have done something terrible. Maybe even had you whipped. Or stoned. To death!"
"So what?" Dindi asked. "You think I'm a hexer."
"If you think I hate you, it's because you secretly hate me," said Gwenika.
"I don't hate you."
"Yes, you do! People always think others feel the same way they do. Nice people think others are nice. Nasty people think others are nasty. If you think I hate you, it means you hate me."
"But—"
"And who could blame you?" Gwenika said suddenly. "You were the only one who believed me when I said I was hexed by illness. Everyone else said I was faking. You believed me. You helped me understand I was hexing myself—but that's still not the same as lying. And how did I repay you? I didn't believe you when you said you weren't a hexer. That was awful of me. No wonder you won't talk to me."
"You're the one who said you wouldn't talk to me!"
"See? You're blaming me again! I've been talking this whole time. You haven't said anything."
Dindi laughed. "Gwenika, how could I? You talk too much!"
Gwenika looked shocked for a moment—then laughed too.
"I do talk like a river, don't I? Dindi, I wanted to talk to you. But I didn't know how. I see now—I should have believed in you. You believed in me. I will believe in you. If you say you're not a hexer, I believe you. But please… let's destroy that corncob doll."
Dindi had to stop herself from touching the doll protectively. She made a soft noise that might sound like agreement—or not. It could go either way.
The peace party kept a strong pace. But not everyone could keep up. Not everyone meant Gremo. No surprise. He had to drag a rock the size of an aurochs.
Dindi found it strange—and cruel—that Kavio would punish someone like that. Why did he even have a slave? That didn't feel like him.
But Kavio always surrounded himself with strange people. Dindi guessed she was one of them. Just another odd rock in his strange collection.
Maybe he had picked her up because he was bored. Maybe he would throw her away when he grew tired of her.
The thought made her sad.
As the pack on her back grew heavier, and the bright morning turned into cold, wet drizzle, Dindi's light steps slowed to a tired trudge.