The next two days on the trade road were oppressively humid. Yuila wanted to run Sova, even if for only the short breeze it would render, but Edvard denied her request. The road had departed the brook’s course, and he did not want to overexert the animals unnecessarily. Yuila pouted for two hours, and a few times Mina thought she was going to break the mare out into a run without his consent, but did not. The second night the brook, which was more of a small river now, reengaged the road, and Yuila got her short gallop before nightfall.

The Big Sand River was only a day’s travel, according to the map, but with the little rainfall lately could actually be located anywhere from a day to two days up the road. Either way, from the river it was a two or three day journey to Sel Deuo.

Edvard wasn’t anticipating the venture into the city. It was the largest establishment they had yet encountered, and was known far for its clash of peoples. Most towns on the trade road were Saecula, but Sel Deuo was a menagerie of all nationalities. Sammis had once speculated the metropolis was so far from any other large city that foreigners caught there for more than a few weeks were absorbed into its population against their own volition.

He knew his father was exaggerating, but now that they were about to enter the city themselves, new light shone on the statement. At best, they would only be in the town for a day -- overnight -- and then back on their way. A decent night’s sleep in a bed and a long soak in the bath house would do them all good.

He looked over at Yuila as she batted at a large fly buzzing around her head. The girl looked guiltily away, and he wondered what she was up to. All day she had asked to run Sova, and he had turned down every request. The road was curvy, the trees too narrow around it. She had alternated between whining and glowering at him for the last few hours.

Until they took the next tree-hugging turn in the road and the field broke open to the south of them. The expanse of long grass proved too much for Yuila, and she shot Edvard a defiant look, then turned Sova into the field. With a shout and a kick, the pinto mare was at full gallop across the field.

“Damnation,” Edvard muttered, tightening the reins as Neito pulled at them instinctively.

Mina heard him say something else under his breath, but she couldn’t hear it clearly. Across the field Yuila took the mare in a large circle and headed back to the road. She slowed to a trot as she neared them. Sova was still jogging when Edvard called out something Mina didn’t understand. The mare halted in her tracks and Yuila nearly pitched head first into the tall grass over the horse’s neck.

She kicked the mare, but the mare stood her ground. Yuila gave Edvard a stubborn look as he pulled the gelding up to her and yanked the reins out of her hands.

“She’ll stop at a dead run, too!” He wound the reins around his hand, leaning closer to the girl. She shrank back in her saddle. “Don’t you ever do that again, you stupid Crone!”

“It was just a little run, Edvard.”

“You don’t know what’s out there.” He gestured to the field. “Holes, ditches, animals or -- “

“Then let me run her more.”

Mina couldn’t see the look on Edvard’s face, but she did see Yuila recoil as he pulled the mare closer to them.

“Maybe I’ll just let you walk.” He tugged Sova into motion, ignoring Yuila’s venomous glare as they got back on the trade road.

“It was just a run. She liked it.” She reached for the reins, but he held them out of her reach. “She wants to run more, too.”

“If you can’t listen when I say no, then you can be led like a pony.”

Yuila crossed her arms in frustration, then kicked Sova as hard as she could with both feet. The mare flinched, then stopped as Edvard jumped off Neito’s back so swiftly Mina nearly went with him. Yuila shied away when he grabbed her arm and made her lean down.

“Don’t ever kick her like that again, Yuila!”

“I want to go home!”

He stepped back in surprise as she burst into tears. “You’re going home.”

“I want to be there already!” Her small face creased as the tears took over and she seemed suddenly less than her nine years.

Edvard’s hold on her arm slackened, and he tentatively patted her head. “I know. We’re taking you home, Yuila,” he said in a softer tone. He looked to Mina. “Maybe you should talk to her.”

Mina nodded and he helped her off the horse. He watched as the older girl waited for the Crone to dismount and they went off a few yards from him. To him, their conversation was an animation of nods and sobs, short hugs and muted tones. He saw Mina pull the younger girl close and stroke her braided hair, and then make her look up and spoke to her for a moment. Yuila nodded, sending him a remorseful look, and Mina wiped the Crone’s face with her scarf.

He stood beside Sova as the girls spoke, apologizing to the mare for Yuila’s treatment of her. When Yuila and Mina returned, Yuila looked up at Edvard with damp eyes and sniffed.

“I’m sorry, Edvard. I wouldn’t hurt her.”

He nodded. “You’ll be home soon, Yuila. Now get up.” She did so and he handed her the reins, then put a hand on her knee. “No more, Yuila.”

She nodded and he climbed into Neito’s saddle, then waited as Mina swung up behind him.

No more was said about the incident during the journey that day, but he could see Yuila was still weepy as they curled up in their bedrolls that night. She had skipped her usual meditation and buried herself in the blankets, and, when Mina lay down beside her, became nearly attached to the older girl. This didn’t last long, as the night was thick with humidity, but the younger still stayed close.

After another day of travel, and moodiness on Yuila’s part, the Big Sand River came into view. The trade road had gradually risen with the landscape to level off in elevation, peppered with poplars and chestnut trees. When Edvard and the girls reached the highest spot, the trees fell away and before them lay the meandering, shallow waterway.

Edvard sighed, looking at the river down the slope in the distance. Behind him Mina moved to see around him better.

“It’s huge,” Yuila said.

Mina silently agreed. It was huge. At least a quarter mile wide, she estimated. The water moved lazily down from the north, unhurried and so shallow in spots that banks of grass tufted above the surface.

“At least it looks pretty low,” Edvard decided. “We should be able to walk across with no problem.”

“Is it even a river at all?” Mina asked as they started down the slope. She glanced to the split in the mountains north of them. “Or just run-off from the mountains?”

“It’s a legitimate river, so it will be a little deeper in the middle. We can still walk it,” he said.

“Do we have to?” Yuila asked.

“Yes. The animals can use a rest.” He looked to the clumps of willow trees across the river. “We’ll camp early tonight and move on tomorrow.”

Yuila pulled at her damp clothes that clung close in the muggy afternoon. “Can we swim?”

“We’ll see.”

His answer surprised Mina, and she decided he wasn’t quite as upset with the Crone anymore. It was indeed a hot and stifling day for travel, especially riding double as they were. She knew Neito would enjoy their absence for a while. The sun overhead was only a little less intense than the twin suns had been at noon, and not a cloud was to be seen in the skies.

When they reached the water’s indistinct edge they dismounted. The grassy border of the water was unlike any Mina had seen before, and looked more like a flood plain than a river. Edvard loosened the girths on the horses’ saddles and the mule’s pack cinch a few inches.

“Is there fish?” Yuila asked as she sat down to take off her sandals. “Can we eat them?”

“There might be fish,” Edvard said. He watched Mina slip off her moccasins.

“How deep do you think the water will get?” She looked up to see his stare.

He looked away quickly. “I’m not sure, really.”

“Will Yuila be okay?”

“I think so. We can always put her on one of the horses if it gets too deep.” He took off his boots and rolled up his pant legs. He stored their footwear in Makka’s pack and gave Sova’s reins to Mina. “Don’t let her lay down.”

She looked at the pinto. “Will she?”

“She’ll try. She likes water, as long as it’s not too deep.”

Yuila was already skirting the edges a few feet into the river, looking for fish. Edvard took the reins to Neito and the mule and they waded into the water. Mina looked to Sova as the mare pricked her ears and walked hastily downriver as far as the reins would let her.

“No, you have to stay with us, Sova.” She tugged on the reins, and the horse tugged back. Mina gathered the skirts of her green dress and yellow half slip as the hems touched the water. Sova walked along with her at the end of the reins, sniffing the water and snorting into it.

The slow river was cool and a relief to the scorching afternoon heat. Mina thoroughly enjoyed the break from the warm day, the grass soft on her feet beneath the eighteen inches of water. She could see the grass bending beneath the slight current as they walked. Suddenly Sova stopped and her legs started to buckle beneath her.

“No, Sova!” Edvard grabbed the reins out of Mina’s hand and jerked them until the mare shook her head. “Come on.” The horse stretched out her neck, pulling the reins taut, unmoving. “Let’s go.”

“Is she ...” Mina stopped as the mare lowered herself into the water, pulling Edvard a few steps closer as she did.

“No! Come on, girl.” He walked to the pinto and took hold of her bridle.

Yuila giggled as a tug-of-war ensued between horse and owner for a few moments. After a short battle, and once Sova had deemed herself wet enough, she heaved herself to her feet and shook, splattering everyone.

Edvard handed the reins back to Mina. “She’s done now.”

She looked to the wet horse that now cooperated willingly. “Are you sure?”

“Yup.” He took the gelding’s reins from Yuila and found the mule’s dangling lead rope. “Let’s go.”

They were halfway across when Makka decided he wasn’t going any further and stopped. Edvard waved the girls on ahead as he turned to the mule and engaged in another clash of wills.

Mina picked her skirts up higher as the water reached to her knees. “See what an example you set for everyone?” she said to the pinto mare. “Look what you started.”

Yuila splashed on ahead of them, chasing a large carp that moved by. “Can we eat this kind?”

The older girl shrugged. “With enough ketchup, yes.”

Yuila lunged for the fish and missed. “What’s ketchup?”

Mina winced at her poor choice of condiments. “It’s like tomato sauce, but sweet and tangy.”

“Oh.” Yuila spied another fish. “What about that one?”

Mina frowned as her hems dragged the water. “If you catch a fish, Yuila, I’ll cook it.”

The girl smiled wide and waded a few yards ahead. Mina looked back to see that Edvard had won the battle with the mule and was now towing it and the gelding slowly toward them. At least Makka hadn’t taken a dip, she thought.

“Hey, it’s sand!” Yuila yelled to them.

“We’re in the original river now,” Edvard said as he met up with Mina.

She stumbled on a smooth rock. “I see.” Actually, she didn’t see. The river bed wasn’t as clear as the grassy margin and the rocks and sand distorted view of it. “Is there any fish in here she can eat?”

He nodded, watching the girl ahead of them using both hands to chase down something in the water. Her skirt was soaked, and she didn’t appear to care as she tried to move in the hip-deep water. “We’ll make camp and let Sova dry out, and Yuila can try to fish for a while.”

In the distance Mina could see the changing bank of the river and the willows fringing the trade road. She picked her skirts up higher again as the water level rose, then looked over at Edvard, who had also noticed the change. He grinned as she blushed.

“You said it wouldn’t be deep.”

“I think that’s as deep as it’ll get.”

She decided against holding her skirts any higher as the water welled over her knees. All of a sudden her foot slipped on a rock and she found herself on her knees, drenched to the collarbone with the water lapping at her chin. She stood up, catching her breath at the colder water.

Edvard took the mare’s reins, laughing as she regained her balance. “I see Sova has been a bad influence on you.”

She splashed him. “Not funny,”

He returned the gesture. “Hey, I didn’t push you in.”

She wobbled and went down again. He took her elbow and lifted her to her feet as she fought the heavy wet skirts, steadying herself as he chuckled. “If you want to swim, Mina, go ahead.”

She mumbled something he couldn’t hear, fidgeting with the skirts. She made a futile attempt to straighten the wet material as he watched. She gave up and used both hands to splash him again. “Why should you be the only one still dry?”

He raised an arm to the water as it soaked his shirt and face. She laughed and stooped to scoop up more water, then dodged as he reached for her. She turned and squealed as he grabbed her wrist.

“You want to go in again?”

“No,” she giggled, trying to free herself. She squirmed and almost broke away, but his fingers closed on her other wrist and squelched her attempts. She tried to push against him, her wrists slipping in his grasp. She made a renewed attempt to shove him in and nearly succeeded as they backed to where Neito stood, but his height added too much leverage. “That’s not fair, Edvard.”

“You’re slick when you’re wet.”

“So are you.”

“You’ve got quite a struggle there.” He laughed as her elbow cuffed his chin as she almost worked a hand loose. “Ow. What’s not fair?”

She gave up, leaning against the gelding behind her, and blew a strand of wet hair from her eyes. “You’re taller.”

He started to say something, but only nodded, releasing her wrists and brushing the hair from her face. He looked over her wet dress and back to her face. “You go on ahead.”

She glanced down at her soaked, clinging dress and then up to him, her mouth dropping. She crossed her arms hurriedly and waded as quickly as she could to where Yuila stood near the edge of the bank.

“Don’t trip,” he called after her.

Mina’s arms tightened over her chest, and this time the blush that started finished its course. Yuila looked to her and made a sour face.

“You look like you’re naked, Sapo, but green.”

She groaned, quickening her pace. “Come on, Crone.”

“And you smell like a wet horse.”

She shot a look at the younger girl. “So do you.”

“And you look -- “

“You want to go under, Yuila?”

The girl giggled and trudged on ahead of her.

The late afternoon was spent drying out clothes, and Sova’s saddle, and assorted other items that had inadvertently become victim to the water. Yuila paused only long enough to change into her blue smock before heading back to the river edge. Mina took her time peeling off the layers of wet, green clothing. She had to. They wouldn’t move. She pulled on the sable layered skirt and then the jade blouse and tied its drawstring collar. Dry at last, she thought. And lighter.

Camp was among the willows, adding an element of space they usually did not have for their overnight stays. Mina preferred a more secluded feeling than the willows allowed, but Edvard had chosen one of the larger trees with lower hanging branches that lent an umbrella-like environment. He made the fire well away from the trunk and where the fringing branches drooped nearly to the ground.

Mina had already discovered the campsite had more than its share of exposed roots, mostly because she had fallen over two already. Their clothes and much of the supplies from the mule were drying on two of the large, flat rocks that bordered the tree branches. She poked at the fire with one of the wispy willow branches, watching the flames take on a gray smoke. She lifted her hair to her nose, inhaling.

“What are you doing?”

She flinched at Edvard’s voice as he set a bucket of water beside her. She dropped the hair. “Yuila said I smelled like a wet horse.”

“She should talk.” He leaned closer and sniffed. “You don’t.”

“Gee, thanks.”

He looked up as Yuila walked quickly toward them from the water.

“Look at this!” she cried. She held a twisting catfish in the basket net as high as she could with two hands. “Can we eat it, Sapo?”

Mina stood up as Edvard whistled and helped the girl hoist the fish. “Did you really catch that monster?”

Yuila nodded vigorously. “Can we eat it?”

“Yes, but not raw.”

The younger girl was only a little disappointed. “Okay.”

The catfish was joined by the last of the spiced mouflon and bagels for supper. There were no berries or wild vegetables to add, and Yuila didn’t even look for any, which surprised Mina. The chunks of huge catfish curled up in the olive oil as they fried, the soft whitish-gray flesh sweet when compared with the peppered mouflon.

It was dark by the time Yuila had sufficiently gorged herself and wandered a few yards to the flat rocks to meditate. The fire had reduced to mere company, and Mina watched as Edvard went out of eyeshot into the thicker, younger willows. The larger trees sure didn’t afford much privacy, she thought.

When he was gone, she glanced to Yuila’s scarf covered form, and then moved closer to the equipment Edvard had left near the willow trunk. She hadn’t got as close a look at the bow as she had wanted over the past few weeks, despite the fact that it was always strapped to Makka or in their supplies at camp.

She let a finger trace down the alternating light and darker grained wood of the longbow limbs to the center riser. The arrow rest was carved right into the zebrawood, accentuating the patterns. She bent closer, examining the tightly braided string connected at both limb ends. He usually kept it strung when they camped, and most of their travel time, too, she had noticed.

Definitely prize workmanship, she thought, tempted to test the string. She didn’t. She doubted she could even pull it back, and if she tried, how would she explain to Edvard what she was doing?

She sighed, settling beside the longbow. Her own bow had become more of a memory lately. It had never been completely lost, but she recalled more of her contests now. She also knew her competition bow was just that, for contests of accuracy, and the pound-weight that determined pull-difficulty was considerably less than a bow used for hunting, like this one.

Hers was also a recurve model, not a longbow, and made of cane bamboo with a twisted Flemish string. She sighed, sitting back from the bow, then turned as she heard steps behind her.

“Does your father hunt?” Edvard asked, settling near the willow trunk.

She nodded. Actually, it was true, but her father hadn’t hunted in a very long time. She was about to comment on the bow when Yuila dashed up to them, sobbing. She dropped beside Mina.

“It broke! Makka tried to eat it!”

In the girl’s hands was the strand of jojoba beads.

“Stay away from the horses, Yuila,” Edvard warned. “You were supposed to be meditating.”

“I just wanted to say goodnight to Sova.”

Mina took the half strand of beads and sighed. Two of the beads were crunched from the mule’s teeth, and many were missing.

“It’s too short now,” the girl said, slumping into a sulk. “Now Xapita will forget about me.”

Mina glanced to Edvard. He shrugged. “I don’t know how jojoba beads work,” he said, “but I’m sure Xapita won’t forget her.”

She nodded and held up the broken strand. “Go get a set of the chopsticks from the pack, Yuila. We’ll salvage this as something else.”

The girl looked to Edvard, who nodded, and she retrieved the bamboo pieces. Mina divided the beads into two strands and removed the broken ones, wondering if there was anything the mule would not try to eat. Yuila sat beside her and watched her knot the ends, then tie one each at the thicker ends of the chopsticks.

“But we won’t eat with them,” Mina said. “We’ll put them in your hair. Turn around.”

Yuila planted herself before the older girl and sat still. Mina took the sandalwood comb from her pocket and brushed out the girl’s tangled tresses, which took a while. When she was finished, she made a ponytail at the back out of her head and wound it into a bun. She braided a small strand at one side to wrap around it, then stuck the pair of chopsticks at an angle into the bun. The beaded ends dangled a few inches over Yuila’s shoulder.

She felt the braided hair and beads. “I can’t see it, Sapo.”

“It’s very pretty,” Edvard said, nodding.

She smiled, then went to the copper pot that was upside down near their packs. She held it up to see her reflection, smiling. “I like it.”

“Good.” Mina pulled the loose hairs out of her comb. “Stay away from Makka.”

“Thank you, Sapo. Can I do yours?”

She saw Edvard already shaking his head, but she was also aware of Yuila’s expectant eyes on her. “Well, maybe tomorrow.” The girl looked crestfallen. Mina read too easily the argument coming. “I don’t want to sleep on it all night. Maybe before we leave in the morning.”

Yuila’s face brightened, even as Edvard groaned. “I’ll be real careful, Sapo.”