Deep in the Black Mountains, I says. That’s what she said.
I wonder what goes on there, says Maev.
Helen got kil ed before she could tel me everythin. But from what she said, it’s al to do with chaal.
Everythin’s to do with chaal, she says. An the Tonton’s right in the middle of it.
We’re silent fer a minute, then I says, You know, Maev, when Vicar Pinch saw my birthmoon tat oo, he looked like he’d seen a ghost.
Whaddya mean?
What I mean is, I don’t think it was the first time he seen it.
Where’d you git it anyways? says Maev. I ain’t never seen one before.
It was my pa, I says. He tat ooed me an Lugh. Midwinter twins.
You think that’s where he seen it? On Lugh?
I’m certain of it. What else could it be?
Wel , Pinch is dead now, so it don’t mat er. They won’t be goin ahead with, you know … the sacrifice.
We cain’t be sure of that. An when they nd out what happened to their King, they might be so mad they do somethin to him anyways. He won’t be safe til he’s out a there. I got a git goin.
I stand up.
Oh no. She stands too, puts a hand on my arm. You ain’t in a t state. Look at you. You need to rest an eat. We need to see to them bruises. Epona worked you over good in the Cage.
It don’t mat er, I says.
Yes it does. You don’t know what you got ahead of you. You got a be strong.
Leave me alone, I says. But I know she’s right. I’m dog-tired an I ache al over my body.
C’mon, Saba, she says. I ain’t yer enemy, I’m yer friend.
My friend, I says.
That’s right. Yer like me. Yer a survivor.
I’m jest stubborn, I says.
I’m jest stubborn, I says.
I’m sorry to hafta say this, she says, but bein friends an al , it gives me the right to say … when was the last time you had a wash?
I realize I cain’t remember. I dunno, I says. A while back, I guess.
A long while back, I’d say, she says. She pushes past me, heads down the path further into the woods. I got a surprise fer you, she says.
This way.
We step out a the darkness of the forest into the shock of bright sunlight. We’re standin on a narrow shelf of bare rock that juts out into thin air. Straight across from us, water roars out a the side of a mountain. It rushes an tumbles down the rocks til it plunges into a deep pool below, where the sunlight dances an sparkles.
Maev disappears over the side of the rock.
I stare at the waterfal . It’s beautiful. Clean. Pure.
Are you comin or not? Maev hol ers. Her voice echoes of a the canyon wal s.
I fol ow behind as she picks her way over the rocks to the bot om. I ain’t bin swimmin fer such a long time. Me an Lugh used to swim in Silverlake al the time when we was lit le. Back before the lake dried up an everythin went wrong.
I’l take one dive into that cool water. Jest one. It’l help clear my head. Then I’l be able to think.
Maev jumps down onto a big at rock at the side of the pool. She shimmies out a her clothes quick an then she’s naked as the day she was born. Golden freckled skin, long strong legs, a tangled mane of copper hair. She takes a runnin leap, her legs an arms yin, an disappears unner the water. She breaks the surface, a big grin on her face.
It’s fantastic! she yel s.
I realize I ain’t never seen Maev smile before. She looks young. Like a kid.
Maev kit ed me out this mornin, everythin from shirt to skivvies. At rst, I didn’t wanna take their stu , but she said the Free Hawks is by way of bein highway robbers an that’s where it al comes from. When she told me that, I should of said no thanks. I know that stealin things is bad. But my clothes was nuthin but dirty rags an my ideas about what’s right an wrong ain’t so fine as they used to be.
I take of my stolen clothes an fold ’em in a neat pile on the warm rock. Then I dive in.
The icy cold water shocks my eyes wide open, slams into my heart. I shoot to the surface, gaspin. Maev’s laughin her head of .
You rat! I yel . It’s freezin cold!
It’l do you good!
I duck myself, over an over, in the sparklin cleanness til the lth of Hopetown’s washed from my body. I pul a handful of needles from a low hangin pine tree an rub ’em over my skin. Then Maev starts to chase me around an we splash an dunk each other.
After a bit, I realize I ain’t thought about Lugh fer the past few minutes. Not even once.
Right away, I turn an swim back to the rock. Maev fol ows. I pul myself out an gather my clothes.
What’s the mat er? Maev climbs out.
I ain’t got time fer this, I says. I cain’t stop til I find Lugh. I promised him.
Oh, not this agin! She grabs the clothes from me. What, you promised him you wouldn’t wash? Or eat? Or sleep? Don’t be stupid.
Gimme them clothes, I says.
She holds ’em away. No, she says. It was a wash an a swim. It ain’t like you was dancin an singin. Now siddown an jest be quiet fer three minutes while we dry of .
No. Gimme my clothes, Maev.
Gawdammit you stubborn mule … siddown! She roars it at me. She grabs my arm an pushes me down. I’m so surprised, I don’t even try to git up. She drops the clothes an sets herself down beside me, holdin tight to my wrist. Now, she says, we’l jest sit here fer a bit an be quiet.
Maev—
Shhh!
I jest—
She holds a nger to her mouth. She lays back, closes her eyes an raises her face to the sun. I lie beside her, starin at the sky. After a bit, I’m feelin warm, a lit le drowsy. My eyelids is heavy. They start to close.
I don’t unnerstand it, I says.
Unnerstand what? she says.
I cain’t believe you never heard of Freedom Fields. This is yer territory. You must of bin al over the Black Mountains.
Not al over, she says. Hawk Territory ends a day’s ride north of here. You don’t keep what you cain’t defend an there’s only forty of us.
But you meet people, I says. You must talk to ’em when yer … you know … robbin ’em.
We don’t ezzackly stop to chat, she says.
Even so, I says, I cain’t believe you never heard anythin about it, ever, not even the slightest hint.
Wel believe it, she says. Cuz I’m tel in you, I ain’t never heard of Freedom Fields.
A man’s voice comes from behind us. Deep. Husky. That’s because they don’t want you to know about it, he says.
Neether of us stop to think. We rol of a the rock an into the water. Maev races away, but somethin stops me fol owin her.
A familiar heat’s crawlin over my skin. Shudderin up my spine. It’s the heartstone. It’s hot an no mat er that the water’s freezin. I bob to the surface.
Jack, I says.
He stands there, his arms crossed over his chest, his hat down low over his eyes. He smiles his lopsided smile. My stupid stummick does a flip.
Fancy meetin you here, he says.
Maev’s head pops up over by the waterfal . What’re you doin? she yel s at me. Are you crazy?
It’s okay, Maev, I says. This is Jack.
Jack? she cal s. Who’s … oh … Jack!
I flush even redder. Maev knows I went into the burnin cel block to git him out. Ash told her about it.
I flush even redder. Maev knows I went into the burnin cel block to git him out. Ash told her about it.