CHAPTER 18
VALMIR
For days, I have been envisioning utter wreckage on the beach.
Of the entire village crushed underneath massive curled shells and writhing tentacled creatures as far as the eye can see.
Of chaos and destruction. I brace myself as we approach the cliffs that will give us the first glimpse below, into the sheltered cove of Icehome, and I try to think of words to reassure April that I will take care of her, that it will not be that bad, that she has nothing to fear with me around.
We get to the ledge and gaze down below and...it's strangely disappointing.
"Oh," says April, surprised and utterly unimpressed.
I know how she feels. "I thought there would be more destruction based on my conversation with Devi."
"Me, too."
We stare down at the beach. There are a few more of the house-sized spiral shells emerging from the water, and a few more on land.
So far, however, there are not more than a dozen on the shore, and the damage they have done is minimal.
One hut looks to be crushed, and another has one wall damaged, but most seem to be intact.
As disasters go...it's not one. It's a minor inconvenience at best.
"Well," April says, glancing over at me. "It looks like it's not done. There are still more shells coming in and I see people on the shore. Let's go see if we can help out?"
Because her favorite thing is to be part of the community. I nod. "Of course."
A short time later, we've traversed the paths that lead down the cliffs and to the cove.
I set down our pack by a few other stacks of goods at the far end of the encampment and follow April's lead as she heads down to the shore.
I can see Devi standing next to one of the shells, fascination on her face.
She runs her hands over it, lost in thought.
Nearby, there are several males standing on the shore and talking, pointing at one of the shells slowly emerging from the waters.
It moves at a glacial pace, but that doesn't matter.
It'll eventually hit the shore and that's when it becomes a problem.
April gives my arm a squeeze and leans in to kiss my cheek. "I'm going to go say hi to Devi." She doesn't wait to see my response, heading towards the other woman. "Hi Devi," she calls out. "What can I do to help?"
Devi turns, brightening at the sight of April. "I need your hands! I'm comparing the size of this one to the first one that beached itself."
"My hands are yours," my mate says cheerfully, moving to her side.
Their conversation grows soft and I can't make it out over the roaring of the waves.
I cross my arms, watching my mate, and glance over at the males down the beach again.
I see Corvak standing next to Devi's mate, N'dek.
I see Bek and one of the red clones, either Vordis or Thrand.
And I see Jason, gesturing at the waters.
Ugh. Jason.
Still, I did promise my mate I would try to be more social. I think about what she said to Devi and how warmly she was received and decide to give it a try. I move toward the group clustered near the waters and do my best to seem charming. "Greetings, friends. What can I do to help?"
They all look at me with suspicion.
"What?" I ask, defensive. "I can't volunteer to help?"
"We're still figuring out what to do," Jason says, gesturing at the nautilus creeping its way out of the waters. "That one is heading straight for a hut. We need to figure out how to divert it, and we're open to ideas."
"I still say we kill it," Thrand comments (at least, I think it's Thrand). "Kill it, push the shell out of the way, and eat snail for a few days."
"More like a few weeks," Bek comments. "It's huge."
"Do we have to kill these things?" I say, thinking of how upset April would be. Killing it simply because it's inconvenient to our comfort doesn't sit well with me, either. "This is their beach, yes? It's not doing anything wrong. It's not harming us. We're just in the way."
"Well, we can't exactly ask it to move, can we?" comments Jason.
I tell myself I will not throttle him. "Can we turn it in some way?"
"We've tried, but it is too heavy," N'dek says. "There are not enough people to be able to turn even a single one."
I rub my whiskers, thinking. The creatures slowly shove themselves up the beach in a straight line from where they emerge. "It's possible they are following a path of least resistance. What if we gave them a new path?"
N'dek studies me. "Go on."
I gesture at the sandy beach. "They are forcing their way up the sands, which requires effort.
What if we create a trench for them, an easier path for them to take to push their way up the sand, and we direct them away from where they would cause damage?
I don't think they're picking deliberate spots.
They're just beaching themselves. But if we make it easier for them to beach, maybe we can guide them away from the huts. "
"That's not a bad idea," Jason says. "It's worth a shot."
"What tools do we need for the digging?" I ask. "I can go retrieve them and bring them back."
They all look at me in vague surprise.
I scowl. "What?"
"Why are you so...helpful suddenly? You haven't called me a single name," Jason says.
"Are your wounds fevered?" Corvak asks. "Do you need assistance getting to the healer?"
"Very funny, all of you. Would you rather I call you names or insult you before I offer to help out?"
"It'd probably be more expected," Jason says.
Figures that I try to be pleasant and no one understands me. I gesture at them. "Come on, idiots. Let's not stand around all day."
"That sounds more like you," Corvak says. "But yes, let us get started." He claps me on the back with his hand, and then we get to work.