For Silk to take me seriously. I almost said it. At the last moment, I bit my tongue to keep the words back. She would not take it well if a reprimand came from the Wordkeeper; she would see it as me going outside the chain of command for preferential treatment. Such behavior was weak and soft, and she’d be right to name it so.
“Any reward you think suitable will please me,” I said.
He smiled. I didn’t think I’d ever seen the Wordkeeper smile. “Very good.”
“That’s not all.”
“Oh?”
“There’s a small settlement only a day from here. They’re not Freaks, but they don’t look like us, either. I’d never seen anything like them.” Strictly speaking, Whitewall should be here as well, but I was too tired to care about protocol.
“Friendly?”
“Yes. They gave us food and shelter, or I doubt Fade and I would’ve made it. Our water wasn’t adequate for the journey, and it wasn’t safe to get supplies at Nassau.”
“Good news,” he said neutrally.
“It gets better. They had the most artifacts I’ve ever seen in a storeroom there. It could take years to go through everything.”
“Books?” he demanded.
“I think so. But there’s old technology, relics, things I didn’t even recognize. The Burrowers don’t seem to value it. They want some fish in exchange.”
“Fish?” The Wordkeeper laughed. “They can’t be very smart.”
That term was relative, I thought. You could eat a fish; you couldn’t eat the stuff the Burrowers had stacked up. Wisely, I said nothing of the kind.
“That’s all, sir. May I go?”
“Before you sleep, give Silk the location of these Burrowers. I’ll make sure she sends a team. And then rest, Huntress. You’ve earned it.”
I certainly had. My legs barely carried me to find Silk. She was watching a crop of likely brats when I stumbled up to her. I relayed the location as close as I could, per the Wordkeeper’s instructions. Silk seemed scornful, but she agreed to talk to him. I was glad I was out of that business now.
Had anyone ever gone to Nassau and back so quickly before? I didn’t think so. Generally, they stayed to visit, share news, and replenish supplies. Fade and I hadn’t had that option, and without the Burrowers, we would’ve died. Maybe Jengu knew that too—and that was why he grabbed me.
So tired. It took everything I had to make it to my living space. The rag pallet seemed the height of comfort compared with what we had been sleeping on. It felt a little strange to be alone, after so many days with Fade. Like me, he’d probably showered and gone to bed. He had to be exhausted too.
Unlike other days when I lay there, unable to rest for the buzzing of my head, I winked out as soon as I closed my eyes.
When I woke, I had the unprecedented realization I had nowhere to be. No patrol. No training. If I wanted, I could stay here in my space and stare up at the ceiling. Ambient light from torches mounted on the walls stole in, brightening it enough that I could see my stuff.
My weapons.
In my stupor, I’d forgotten to care for them. The daggers wouldn’t stay sharp and shiny if I didn’t look after them. My club was much worse for the wear too. So that had to be the first thing I did today. After running my fingers through my hair, I bound it up in my usual tie and carried my things down to the Builder workshop, where I could find the proper supplies to clean and sharpen. I also had an ulterior motive—meeting Banner. Though I told myself I just needed some of the salve, I also wanted to learn about the girl who put warmth in Fade’s smile.
As usual, the place bustled with activity. Anything we had came from this part of the enclave. Clothes, shoes, boots, weapons, soap, bags—it all began here. Work went at a furious pace. Things were mixed, poured, measured, hammered. I was sure there was some method to this madness, some organization, but my untrained eye couldn’t pick it out. They recognized me as a Huntress from the marks on my arms. I answered their greetings with a nod.
On the other side of the workshop, I saw Fade, talking to a small dark-haired girl. She was pretty in a quiet way, and by the tilt of her head, she liked him. That had to be Banner. Without realizing it, I cut a path directly to them, forcing a couple of workers to detour around me.
“Were you looking for me?” he asked. “We’re off today.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m looking for her. I think. Banner?”
Her genuine, friendly smile said she didn’t mind my intrusion. “That’s me.”
Fade nodded. “Right. I promised to introduce you.” He did so quickly.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t mind making me some of that ointment. It helped me out in the tunnels.”
“I can make another batch, no problem. Other people don’t like it because of the smell, but I’m glad somebody’s getting some use out of it.”
That taken care of, I had no reason to stay and listen to their conversation so I excused myself with a muttered “Great. I need to go work on my weapons. Nice meeting you, Banner. See you, Fade.”
I had finished with my daggers and was working on oiling the stains out of my club when I felt him behind me. “You didn’t do that yesterday?”
I sighed. “Bad Huntress, I know. My knives are my best friends.”
“That’s kind of sad. You mean nobody likes you?”
What’s his problem today? I thought we were all right with each other. Scowling, I spun on him, ready to deliver some serious verbal hurt when I saw the smile in his dark eyes. Oh. He’s messing with me.
“Funny.”
“Have you eaten yet?”
I shook my head. “Came straight here.”