Chapter 24
Chapter
Twenty-Four
VALI
I ’m such an idiot.
Bribe .
Not bride .
Ranan is always tongue-tied when he feels too much too fast, and of course a dangerous situation like the robbing of ships would mean he’d lose control of his mouth. I know he misspeaks and it shouldn’t hurt as much as it does.
But oh, gods, does it hurt. He’s never wanted me. I gathered that from the very beginning, but then he’d protest and make me feel special, and I’d forget what my instincts were telling me. I feel shattered and numb inside.
I don’t even have anywhere to retreat to, because I’m surrounded by strangers in the middle of the sea. Even if I jumped off the side of the nearest turtle, Lord Vor probably wouldn’t give me a swift death, because I still owe him a sacrifice.
It is a miserable spot to be in.
I straighten my shoulders and swallow my tears, ignoring the curious looks of the people around me. Seeing so many of the seakind together reminds me of just how different they are. Sometimes I forget that Ranan has four arms, or that he has spiny fins along the backs of his elbows and calves. I’ve grown used to the spiny sail atop his smooth head. That’s just how Ranan looks. But when I glance around me at the village, I feel even more alone. They stare at me, most with one set—or both—arms crossed.
I’m not welcome.
But I’ve survived situations like this before. I march to the nearest person and give them a polite smile. “I’m looking for the human man. Can you point me to him?”
They stare at me, and then someone points at a tent, nestled in among a few others. It looks nondescript and made of the same strange material as the wrap I’m wearing. There is a flap over the entrance. I approach it and hesitate outside, unsure how to knock and get someone’s attention. “Hello?”
The curtain draws back and a man steps out. He’s wearing nothing but a loincloth, and is unmistakably human. The first thing I notice about him is that he’s hairy. He’s got dark hair and deeply tanned skin, and the most hair on a chest I think I’ve ever seen on a man. A full beard frames his face, with a small gold ring pinching the thickest part of his beard into a tail. His eyes are bright blue and he beams at me with pure kindness. “You must be the human bride everyone’s talking about!”
“You must be the only other human here,” I joke, feeling a little less alone by the cheery expression on his face.
He laughs, the sound booming and deep. “That’s me! I’m Balo. It’s nice to meet you. My husband is off fishing, or I’d introduce you.” Balo beams at me as he walks forward. “Have you met everyone in the flotilla?”
Gods, that’s the last thing I want to do right now. “Not yet!”
There must be something on my face that clues him in to how I feel about that. He laughs, putting a friendly, hairy arm around my shoulders. “Oh, my friend. I know how unwelcoming they can be to outsiders. I promise you will survive this. I wouldn’t take it personally.”
“I’m not sure if there’s another way to take it.” I let him steer me out and away from the tent, walking together. Just his easy, cheerful mood calms me and makes me feel less despairing.
“My husband told me when I first arrived that seakind do not think the same as other people. Not quite. You are either flotilla, or you are other. Once you are in the flotilla, you are family. People would lay their lives down for you. Anything you need, the flotilla will provide. You will always have a place once you have been accepted. But until then, you are an outsider.” He chuckles, the sound raspy. “Wait until you see the flotilla gatherings. They make it sound like it’s cozy when they all get together, but the reality is that it’s more like peace talks among warring nations.”
That…fits. “So why do it, then? Why get together? Why not just float off and do your own thing?”
Balo keeps his arm on my shoulders as we walk, and I notice the others no longer stare at me with such suspicion. It’s like his approval is slowly greasing the wheels, which is silly. It should be Ranan at my side, making everyone feel good that I’m his wife, and it makes me ache that I’m here with a stranger instead.
“Flotillas meeting up is beneficial for all. People trade and learn crafts from one another. Marriages are made. Information is shared about fishing, or what the humans are up to, or what areas are no longer safe to raid.”
“So everyone raids? Not just Ranan?”
“Oh, everyone,” Balo says with a chuckle. “It is a rite of passage for most of the younger men. When their turtles are in their wilder years, they strike out alone and raid the coastlines and bring the spoils back to their families. With it, they can afford the things that the flotilla doesn’t provide, like steel knives or specific delicacies.” He leans in as if confessing a secret. “My husband has a terrible sweet tooth and loves to trade for syrup.”
I smile at that.
“Do you want me to introduce you to everyone?” he asks, walking through the village and ignoring the eyes upon us. “Or do you want to just find someplace to hide for a while? I know it can feel overwhelming when you first arrive.”
“Can we just keep walking?”
His thick mustache twitches. “Of course we can.”
He continues to steer me along, and I’m surprised to see there are woven mats that act as bridges between one turtle and the next. We cross over one to another turtle, and this one has so much thick mossy growth upon it that there are even trees. An entire orchard of trees. I’m fascinated, because Akara’s back is mostly bare, but this turtle must be a great deal older. I eye one of the trees and see the same large tree nuts that I’d seen on the sand spit. “Do all the turtles grow trees on them?”
“The ancient ones do, aye. As they grow older, they submerge less and less, and are content to drift with the flotilla for what we provide.” He leads me to the side of the bridge and points down at the crevasse between the two turtles. Water laps and splashes in the gap between them and tiny minnows jump into the air. “There are a great many small fish attracted to the flotilla and they keep the undersides of the turtles clean. The turtles pull their food from the water and the particles in it. Don’t ask me how. I’m just here to look pretty.”
“It’s fascinating,” I admit. “But it’s so different from the world I come from.”
“I’m Yshremi,” he agrees, laughing. “A landlocked people. So I know very well what you mean.”
I’m surprised. Yshrem is halfway across the world. “However did you end up here?”
“It’s a long story.” He grins, his tanned face crinkling at the corners of his eyes. “Want to hear it while you watch me scrape some fish leather?”
I hesitate, because my every instinct tells me to go and check on Ranan, to see how his leg is doing. To see if he’s comfortable…or if he misses me. But then I remember his words.
You don’t please me.
Bribe. Not bride.
How do I know Ranan’s not hiding behind his words when he misspeaks so often? I push my hurt—and my thoughts of my husband—aside. “You know what? I would love to learn how you make the fish leather. Is that what this is?” I touch my wrap. When he nods, I continue. “I also need to learn how to swim. I don’t suppose you could teach a fellow human how to keep up with the seakind?”
“I’m sure I can,” Balo says, voice friendly. He squeezes my shoulder. “Learning to swim is half the trick of fitting in here.”
And I desperately need to fit in. “Good, because I need all the tricks I can get.”