Within minutes, the sandy beaches gave way to murk and muck. The sea behind her became a sea of grasses, pressing in close on every side and rising until she couldn’t see over the stalks. Her eyes drank in the sight. This was her country, the side of it she’d never before seen. On and on she went, her bow sinking lower in the water as she let her speed bleed off. The river was no place for daredevil stunts, after all.

Here and there, she could pick out a road following the river, a distant rooftop poking out from behind the foliage. She craned her neck, rising to her tiptoes on the sledge, but couldn’t get more than a peek.

And it was quiet. There were no seers pestering her for help, no distant market with vendors screaming about their wares, no cityfolk filling the air with the sound of their voices. There was just the soft chirping of the bugs around her, the song of birds overhead. It all blended with the gentle rush of water as it glided off the wood of her boat, merging into a peaceful, easy lullaby.

Natalin pushed it away as long as she could. She was too excited, too worked up over the morning’s boredom and the events that were promised to follow. Her veins pulsed with energy as she pushed herself through one curve after another.

She wasn’t entirely alone, she found. There were others, as she pressed deeper and deeper into the riverlands. Fisherman, who glared at her with irritation as she shot past. Without fail, their eyes widened moments after. She wasn’t wearing a scarf, after all. The half-robes the temple dressed her in were practical enough, with an ocean blue jacket pinned closed over her form-fitting black undershirt and a matching length of fabric draped down one thigh, but the silvered whorl stitched onto the hems marked her as Efren’s. It would be clear to anyone paying half a moment’s attention who she was.

None of them had time to bother her, at least. Natalin fixed her eyes on the horizon, on the faint shadow that lingered there. There would be mountains, she knew, tall enough to reach up and brush the sky. She’d studied geography just like all the other subjects Gerd had decided were important. Naraan was a long trip from Ondria. The towering peaks of the range in which their capital of Ranctur sat completely hidden from her sight.

But she was already thirteen. In two more years, she’d make the journey there herself, plunging deep into the heart of their territory and presenting herself to the fire goddess. The goddess who was notoriously unstable, who ruled over her children and shaped them in her own image.

Don’t be rude. My sister is rough around the edges. That’s all. Efren’s voice was uncharacteristically sharp as his voice echoed through her head. She cringed, flinching at the sudden sound of his voice. His hand settled around her elbow, steadying her.

I’m- I didn’t mean to...I’m sorry, my lord, she thought back, her eyes dropping to the water in front of her. The god had been in her mind as long as she could remember, listening in and whispering his guidance. Spoken words had never been necessary between the two of them.

You’ve done nothing to apologize for. Just...be rational about this, yes?

Despite his words, she couldn’t quite fight off the heaviness that settled across her shoulders. Tonight. They were coming tonight. And suddenly, Gerd’s suggestion didn’t seem so crazy.

The gently curving bow of her sledge sank into the mud of the riverbank as she slid in to shore, jumping free on legs that wobbled. The grass brushed her legs, her arms, building a barrier between the rest of the world and her. Leaning down, she grabbed the watercraft, dragging it the rest of the way out of the water.

The sun beat down on her face, warming it gently. The breeze was soft and slow, like fingertips across her skin. Together with the gently flowing water and the sound of the birds overhead, it was all she could do to keep from yawning.

Laying herself down in the drier grasses up the bank, she stretched out, lidded eyes staring up at the clouds. This was it - everything she’d been missing, everything they’d been keeping her from. This was Ondria. A smile tugged at her lips.

It wasn’t so scary, after all.

Her mind raced - tasks she had to do, lessons she hadn’t quite memorized yet and apologies she’d have to make to the merchants for skipping out on their classes. It never ended.

“Why worry about that now, waterlily?” a deep voice said. She didn’t have to look over to know it was Efren. He settled into the grass next to her with a sigh. The reek of liquor drifted on the breeze, filling the air around her with its stink. “Plenty of time for that later. You’re doing fine.”

“Am I ready?” she said, her voice small. “Presentation is only a few years away.”

“And they’ll be big years,” Efren said. She could feel his eyes on her, boring into her skull. “But I’m not concerned, girl. You shouldn’t be either.”

“Maybe.”

“Pull yourself together and stop your whining. Here.”

She flinched. A ceramic bottle was thrust over her face, inches from her nose.

“I don’t think I should-”

“Drink it. You want to be an adult, eh?” Efren waggled the bottle, as though he was trying to entice her in.

Natalin stared at it a moment longer, her blue-green eyes narrowed, but sat up with a sigh. The cork was already off, which wasn’t surprising considering the way Efren’s cheeks glowed with a warm light. One sip. One sip would shut him up, and that would be worth all the pain. Lifting the neck of the bottle to her lips, she squeezed her eyes shut.

It burned. Her throat was on fire as she jerked a moment later, coughing and spitting. She was sure that as much came back out of her mouth as had gone down her throat.

Efren’s laughter split the air, his booming voice cackling. “Ah, see? I suppose you’re not there yet after all. Well, well.”

She didn’t say a word. She just wiped her mouth, still coughing, and glared at him. He laughed all the harder. He at least grabbed the bottle as she pushed it at him, flopping back down in the soft grasses. “You can keep it,” she muttered.

“All things in time, girl. Now...where were we?”

“I was trying to have a nap while there’s still some daylight.”

“You were asking about Naraan, yes?”

She was proud. Her eyes didn’t even twitch, still sealed shut resolutely. But Efren could see straight inside her, picking out the lies, and there was no denying the spark of interest that came alight at his words. From the low, continuing chuckle that slipped from his throat, he knew.

“I can wait a little bit. I guess,” she muttered at last, throwing an arm over her eyes.

“Far be it for me to deny my Tideborn her curiosity, eh? Well, let’s see.” The water god’s voice was light, the tone bouncing gently as he meandered through the conversation. “As I’m sure you’ve seen, most of it lies high over our shared neighbor, Drenwell, lurking in the foothills and on to the mountains.”

Her chin inclined in the barest hint of a nod. She heard him groan, felt the grasses shift as a massive form slipped down to the ground alongside her. “Your predecessor didn’t like it so much. Thought it was too rocky. Too much snow, too. You know, some winters up in the ridges, I’ve seen the snow fall deep enough that entire houses vanished under the drifts.”

A smile tugged at her lips, the scene playing out in her mind as his words carried on. He didn’t stop there. After the snow, he talked about the waterfalls, dropping from the peaks down to the lowlands. And the rivers, clear and bright and fast enough to kill a man. His voice was low and soft, every bit as soothing as the sound of the river they lay next to. She couldn’t keep her eyes open. Dimly, some corner of her mind noted that Efren was probably well aware of what he was doing.

Any irritation she might have felt drifted away along with her mind as her breathing slowed, the warmth of the sun on her face and the wind in her hair finally carrying her off.

A bird screeched overhead, loud and strident. Her eyes snapped open.

The sky over head wasn’t dark, exactly. It was still blue, still glowing faintly with light and life, but there was a dark set to the clouds that hadn’t been there before, an orange beginning to grow around the horizon. She blinked, staring at it for a long, unsure moment as her thoughts cleared.

And then a single thought pierced her mind like a brand.

Oh, Gerd was going to kill her.