Dindi
The starry night melted, shimmered, and became clear again.
The moon had moved far across the sky, yet Svego was still just a few steps away from her, walking toward the healing hut with steady purpose.
Dindi listened.
No sound of drum. No sound of flute.
Svego pushed open the leather door. "Gremo?" he called inside.
Dindi held her breath.
He turned back to her, confused. "It's empty. Where are they?"
"Svego!"
Gremo appeared from the woods, not far from the hut. "There you are. We heard the battle was over, and thought you had come to fetch us. But maybe we missed you somehow."
"Yes…" Svego squinted up at the moon. "It's later than I thought. I don't know how that happened…"
"We're all tired," said Gremo. He put an arm around Svego's shoulders.
"Don't mess up my hair," Svego said in a fussy voice.
They walked away together, toward the boats where the others were camped.
"Dindi!"
Gwenika came out from the woods too, the same direction as Gremo. She waited until the two Olani men were out of earshot, then asked quickly, "What happened? One moment, Svego was heading toward us and we knew he'd see the Shunned—and then suddenly he was stuck inside some glowing bubble with you. We had enough time to hide everyone. You used the corncob doll again, didn't you?"
"Yes," Dindi admitted. "But I didn't mean to. I was just trying to stop him. Then the doll was in my hand, and the Vision came… You were right. I need to destroy it. Will you help me?"
"Yes, of course!" said Gwenika. Then she bit her lip. "Except…"
Dindi's smile faded. "You don't have to help, if you don't want to. I understand. If you want to stay away from hexcraft—even to destroy it—I won't blame you."
"No, it's not that." Gwenika chewed her lip harder. "It's worse."
"Please don't tell me you've told your mother about me."
Gwenika snorted. "Nothing that bad! Dindi, it's just that I… oh mercy… I don't think we should destroy the corncob doll just yet."
"What?"
"I know! I'm a Tavaedi! I should be setting a good example!" Gwenika said, flustered. "But right now, something more important is happening. People need our help. No Blue Waters Tavaedi will heal the Shunned. But Gremo and I can. We already did once. And we're going to do it again.
"Every clanhold we pass through. Every chance we get. Anyone who asks. We'll help them. But it has to stay secret."
She looked at Dindi, eyes full of guilt. "And Dindi… you don't have magic. So you can't help—unless you use the doll."
The sky at the edge of the world had turned soft gray.
"I already told Kavio about the doll," Dindi whispered. "I told him I had used it before. He asked me to destroy it. If I don't… it means I'm lying to him."
Lying again, she thought. After I swore no more taboos.
"Besides," she added softly, "the doll is hexed. Isn't there always a price with hexcraft? It's not part of the natural Pattern. Kavio called it a tangle. He made all hexes sound evil… and dangerous."
"The doll saved us," Gwenika said. "It saved us during the Initiation. It saved us again just now. Can something that saves lives really be evil? Do all hexed things have to be bad?"
"I don't know," Dindi said. "I'm not a Tavaedi. I just don't want to lie to Kavio."
"I can't tell you what to do," Gwenika said. "But listen—if Kavio, or my mother, or Rthan, or Svego found out what Gremo and I are doing, we'd be executed. But even with that risk, I won't stop. I can't turn away from people who suffer. I wouldn't be a true healer if I did."
Dindi reached for Gwenika's hand and held it.
"I give you my word, Gwenika. I won't betray you. I'll help you any way I can."
Even if it meant lying to Kavio.