Demesne 312 - Waiting For The Boat (Patreon)

Slowly, the alcoves around them began to fill up with people. They were tired, sleepy and hungry, and many went straight to the alcoves their family had claimed to go to sleep and let someone else take care of the rest. Others were still bringing things down, carrying more beds into alcoves or other things down to the third level where they had the dungeon farm. Shana and Karina made sure the children in their alcove didn't get too rowdy and disturb anyone. A few of the children had gone back to their own alcoves to sleep too, but they'd left their game boards so the others could keep playing. They knew Shana would make sure it got back to them properly.

Everyone was finally starting to behave, with only a little tending on her and Shana's parts. Karina was able to let herself doze a little, her back to a pillar so she could keep see everyone if needed. She wasn't sleeping, she was just resting her eyes! Her ears could hear everything, and she'd open her eyes if she heard something that she needed to do something about!

After all, her eyes opened right away when she heard Shana stand up and put on her reed tsinelas. People had started making those again when summer had started and everyone felt too hot to wear boots. They were a bit scratchy but a lot cooler, and it was all right to get your feet wet while wearing them. Only Wiz Lori didn't wear them, but she was Wiz Lori.

She supposed Wiz Lori really liked wearing socks.

"W-where are you going…?" Karina asked. That wasn't a yawn. She wasn't yawning, she was taking a deep breath.

"I need to speak to Lord Rian," Shana said. "I believe the boat is returning with more children."

"Oh," Karina said as she straightened and started getting to her feet, wincing as the feeling of the parts of her that had fallen asleep starting to move again. Wait, when had Ateh Koyan and Ateh Kayas gotten here? "Do you want me to go with you?" Everyone had settled down now, and where either playing board games, watching people playing, or playing with the little carved beasts that Shana had gotten from somewhere. She needed to find out if they were going to have food soon, before anyone got really hungry and started complaining. They'd gotten fruits, but she didn't think anyone else did…

"I shouldn't need any help."

"All right, I'll come with you so you're not lonely, then." Karina scrunched up her face to get it ready, then gave Shana a big smile.

"I… would appreciate that, then." She gave Karina a nod of thanks.

Another failure. But Karina would keep at it. Shana had to smile eventually…

Shana nodded at Ateh Koyan and Ateh Kayas, who nodded back. Karina gave them a smile, and the two Ateh smiled back too. See, that's what you were supposed to do!

The two off them headed upstairs, feeling the breeze on their faces from the air coming down the stairs. There were more people in the alcoves since she had rested her eyes, aunties and uncles she recognized as those who used to be militia. Why were they asleep? There seemed to still be work being done.

When they reached the dining hall, Karina looked towards the kitchen. She was glad to see that Auntie Johzi, Auntie Connie, Uncle Puti and other uncles and aunties cutting up food and getting the big stew pots ready to cook. There was already a pot on the stove, but no food smells yet. But there would be. There'd be stew and tubers and flat vigas bread and fruits and everyone would stop being hungry.

Lord Rian was at one of the tables near the doors of the dungeon, holding the flat tablet made of bone that Wiz Lori had made for him. He had a stick that was charred at one end and was using that to draw on the tablet. No, not draw. Write. He was writing. Lord Rian said he was going to teach all the children how to do that soon so they could learn to be merchants and scribes, but Karina wasn't sure she could learn.

Ateh Mikon and Ateh Umu were sitting on the same table, spinning ropeweed fibers into thread. The two of them were always near lord Rian when they could. Karina really didn't understand why some people made fun of them. Ateh Umu always looked lonely, even when she was with Ateh Mikon and Ateh Riz. Ateh Mikon was always trying to make her smile, which was always so nice of her. Karina had heard the aunties saying Lord Rian should make them honest women by marrying them, but she didn't think they were the type to tell lies.

Shana walked right up to Lord Rian, Karina trailing behind her. "Lord Rian," her friend said, and he looked up from what he was dra—writing and gave Shana and her a smile, which Karina returned.

"Shana. What can I do for you?"

"I believe the Lori's Ice Boat is on its way back from River's Fork," Shana said.

Lord Rian blinked, tilted her head, and nodded. "Ah. You can feel their… it's called life, right?"

Shana nodded. "Yes. Several concentrations of life are moving along the path of the river."

"Well, that's good to know. How much longer before the dragon gets here?"

Shana took a deep, slow breath, and Karina saw her hands started to shake. Karina reached down and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She kept squeezing until the shaking stop. Lord Rian glanced down at her hands, but didn't say anything, waiting for shana to start talking again.

Eventually, Shana said, "I believe we still have half a day, perhaps a little less, though that is purely from the intensity of how the life in my body is reacting to its approach."

Lord Rian nodded, and let out as small sigh. "Thank you. I know she did it to keep us safe in the long run, but since we can't actually see it because Lori blacked out the sky, it's hard to say how much longer we have before it gets here. Still, it's good to know we still have some time. In your opinion, do you think Lori's Ice Boat will be able to arrive here before… it does?"

Shana's hands started shaking again, and Karina grabbed both of her friend's hands. The left hand started to jerk as it tried to move, but Karina didn't let it. The right hand tried to jerk as well, but she held firm. Finally, Shana said, "I believe so. However, this is an uncertain estimate. It believe it would be safer to signal Binder Lolilyuri to seal the Dungeon as soon as the boat arrives. She should have enough perception to not seal off the Dungeon completely when you do, but she will know to start devoting her attention here." Karina glanced at her then warily let go of one hand.

Lord Rian nodded. "I think so too. I'll ask some people to be ready to bring the frame of the boat into the Dungeon when it gets here. At worse, we can remove the steam driver and the cladding, if she doesn't melt the hull…"

"With your permission, I will wait at the docks to take responsibility of the children the boat is most likely carrying," Shana said.

"All right, as long as Karina goes with you," Lord Rian said. "Karina, if she accidentally falls into the river, scream for help and then go after her so she doesn't drown, all right?"

"Yes, Lord Rian," she nodded, giving him a serious look so he knew she was serious.

He returned the serious look with a nod, then broke out into a smile. "Thank you Karina. I feel better knowing Shana has a friend like you with her."

Karina grinned widely to return the smile. See Shana, you can smile after nodding!

"We will be going then," Shana said. "While it will be some time before they arrive, I would rather not miss them, and the children are currently resting, so it is safe enough to leave them alone."

"Be safe, you two. Hopefully the food will be ready by the time you get back. If needed, I'll have fruit brought out again for everyone."

The two headed for the nearby door of the Dungeon, walking hand and hand. At the long tunnel beyond the iron-covered doors, the two pressed up against the walls to make room for people carrying in more beds, benches, tables, and other wood furniture. The walls of the tunnel glowed with colorful, glowing pictures made of light that Wiz Lori and Lord Rian had made showing edible plants. Karina had already memorized each picture so that she'd know to gather them if she ever saw any.

Outside, the sky was black, even as Karina and Shana began to sweat from how hot the air was. Above them, there was no sun, no moons, no stars, not even clouds. It was very strange, but Lord Rian said it was something Wiz Lori had done to keep them safe, so she wasn’t worried. Wiz Lori Light came from the magic lights Binder Lori had put on the corners of houses, and outside of the old shelters and the baths.

The carpenter uncles were at the bath houses, working on something with their tools, as Shana and Karina passed them. She gave them a wave and a smile, but they didn’t seem to see. That was all right. They were busy.

They climbed up the steps over the stone flood wall that Wiz Lori had made. Even though she was wearing her reed tsinelas, Karina stepped carefully, eyeing the stone steps for moisture. As someone who caught seels nearly every day, she’d learned to be careful of wet rocks underfoot. Once they reached the top of the wall, Karina hesitated. The flood wall blocked the light from behind them, and the stairs beyond were dark. They’d all been told—she especially, for some reason—to not go seeling when it was too dark to see through the water since it was dangerous.

Shana, however, reached into her belt pouch and drew out a source of light. The plain smooth rock of the sort easily found along the river banks glowed in her hand. Holding the stone in her hand, Shana held it out, shining light on the stairs in front of them and the stone dock beyond. The water on either side glimmered with light, but Karina didn’t feel like risking falling into it.

“Come on,” Shana said, leading the way this time. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall.”

“I can swim,” Karina reminded her. “Lord Rian’s taught me.”

“I am aware. Still, I do not think you would enjoy a swim right now, no matter how hot it is.”

Well… no, she wouldn’t. She and everyone else had been taking at least one swim a day since summer started, but that was when they could see through the water. Even though she knew how deep the water was—she’d swam there before—there was something about doing it when she couldn’t look down and see her feet…

There probably wouldn’t be any swimming in the dungeon while the dragon was passing. Binder Lori had made it very clear that none of the water was for that, not even the cistern in the dungeon farm, which was so dirty−they were all told—that anyone swimming in it would get sick. Well, it probably wouldn’t be needed. It was always cool enough in the dungeon, especially after Lord Rian had told Wiz Lori.

The two of them walked to the end of the dock, and Shana put down the glowing rock so it would light up the dock around them. Her friend turned to look downriver and put on a patient face, clearly intending to wait however long it took.

Karina sighed, took off her tsinelas—because it was dark, the stone dock was still cool since the sun hadn’t been shining on it—and sat down with her legs crossed, then took her tsinelas, held them against the back of her head, and carefully flopped down on her back. “Sit down,” she chided. “you’re just going to hurt your feet waiting like that.”

Shana glanced down at her, giving her that Wiz Lori look. “Your clothes are going to get dirty,” she said.

Karina shrugged. “Help me dust it off?”

“Of course.”

Shana looked at her a little more, then smoothly slipped off her tsinelas, and carefully sat down with her back against one of the posts they used to tie the boats to the dock, resting against it so she could continue watching the river.

Together, the two waited for the boat to come home, ready to greet whoever it would bring.