Listen to the Water | FULL SERIES | Wattys 2022 Shortlist | ✔

(14) Ande: Farrow's Heart

Ruka swims to the doorway and presses one eye to the stone first, likely to some kind of peephole. Then she hauls back the door. Casin enters like we'll bite her at any moment. She gives Ruka a wavering smile while her eyes dart with uncertainty, from Ruka to Sar to me. She retreats to a shadowed side of the room and makes herself inconspicuous.

Ruka shuts the door again, then turns to her. "Where's Vibi?"

Of course Casin knows Shalda-sign. It was the reason I first approached her back in Rapal, when I needed to deliver Ruka and Keshko's warning.

"She's getting Finika. And Taiki, if he'll come. And possibly Yaz."

"Anyone else?"

Casin gives a weak smile. "She said 'and others.'"

Ruka groans. "Probably El, then, if she can convince him to leave"—unfamiliar name—"alone to rest. I'll be shocked if Yaz doesn't come. Also shocked if Innis doesn't. Andalua's teeth, we might get the whole party, who knows."

It's a flippant expression, up by her face with a flick off to the side like she means to cast Andalua's teeth from her sight and mind and memory. The irony of it tugs a smile to my lips. Ruka sees it, and her brow furrows in a question. I could explain. But everything takes so much explaining right now, and I'd rather just sit here with a sick friend against my shoulder and the stillness of the room all around. It's a cozy place. The light comes from a fish—an actual, live fish—that seems to have suckered itself to the wall, and glows faintly red, a colour I've never seen a living creature make before. It reminds me a little of firelight. Not because it's actually like firelight, but because it's been so long since I saw any light that wasn't sunlight or green or blue. The warmth of the tone draws a yawn out of me involuntarily. I'm not tired. It's muscle memory.

Sar stirs against my shoulder. They're awake again, I think, and Ruka's glance my way confirms it. Sar settles down again. Their rumpled curls brush my neck. They haven't groomed those since we arrived. I want to. But that's just me wanting to keep my hands busy and do something that my village would do for each other if someone wasn't feeling well, and I doubt it'd be appreciated here. Even now, I don't think Sar's looking for comfort against me. They've been hiding the fact that they're shivering beneath the blanket, and only now that I'm here is that mask lapsing. They're not cuddling. They're cold.

I'm not, so I slip an arm around them. They huddle closer.

Ruka's head jerks up. I didn't feel the whistle this time, but she opens the door again. Taiki shoots into the room and looks around. I know from the moment he sees me that the position I'm in is as unexpected and concerning to him as it is to me. I give him a weak smile. He doesn't join us and I don't invite him to, but I appreciate that he's started to let himself care.

Ruka guessed right about "the whole party" coming to join us. Vibi is followed by Finika, who rolls his eyes as he enters because Yaz has caught a ride holding onto his tail, grinning ear to ear. She's got to be within hand-lengths of at least two venomous spines. I understand now why Vibi sighs about these two. They move out of the way of the doorway to let other Kels in, and Innis joins us in the cave. The whole place seems to chill. I tighten my arm around Sar's back. Ruka and Innis make eye contact, and just like that, there's something unspoken in the room. I recognize a power struggle when I see one. Nothing is spoken, nothing is even acted out. But the threat is there. I'd thought this kind of posturing wasn't something Shalda did.

On the other hand, the mid-water Shalda drew their boundaries to exclude the Glauclin clans.

Sun-water culture ranks influence by strength and strength by size, which is why the Ashianti get picked on. On a scale of size here, Ruka is bigger. She's the kind of big that comes from solid bones, pure muscle, and not an ounce of spare flesh. So is Innis, but Ruka looks stronger, and that's probably all that counts.