Chapter 16: The Price
Seraphina's people arrived on the third day. Five people. Two wagons. Loaded with shovels, pickaxes, hammers, and several long iron rods.
Gray Bone stood by the well, staring at those tools. "Gray Rock Tribe doesn't have a single piece of this."
"That's why I'm here." Seraphina jumped down from the wagon and walked up to Violet. "Three wells. Dig down five more meters. Double the water output."
"What do you want?"
"Thirty percent of the water."
"Deal."
---
The diggers worked until dark. Gray Bone climbed out of the pit, covered in mud, but his eyes were bright. "There's more water down there. A lot more."
Seraphina sat by the fire, warming her hands. "Your wells will be finished tomorrow. Within two months, you need to deliver water to every tribe. Frost Claw. Frost Wolf Clan. Shadow Clan. Ironwood Tribe."
"I know."
"You can't deliver it all. You don't have enough people."
"Then I need you to help me."
"Help you deliver water? Fine. First deal with each tribe. I take half."
Violet stared at her. "Half?"
"Half." Seraphina's voice went cold. "Astrid is already contacting these tribes. She wants to lock in every deal before your water arrives. What do you have to compete with her?"
Violet said nothing.
"Me." Seraphina said. "You have me. I know everyone. You deliver the water. I do the talking. They trust me. They don't trust you."
The fire jumped between them.
"Half. Deal." Violet held out her hand.
Seraphina took it. Her hand was cold. But her grip was firm.
---
The next day, the wells were deepened. The water output doubled.
Night fell. Seraphina left. She sat on her horse and looked back at Violet. "Aren't you afraid I'll take your water and go straight to Astrid?"
"I am."
"Then why let me go?"
"Because I have no one else."
Seraphina stared at her. Then she smiled. "You're interesting."
She rode off.
Hoofbeats sounded in the distance. Many of them.
Leon's ears twitched. "Fifty riders. Silver Spring markings."
Fifty horses burst from the gorge. Astrid led them. Golden hair. White dress. She reined in at the camp's edge and looked at the four wells.
"Cecilia. How much water have you given away?"
Violet said nothing.
"The more you give, the more they owe you. What they owe you, they owe me. At the Trade Market, they'll need salt, pelts, herbs to trade for my grain. You give them water for free. They'll have nothing left to buy my grain."
She jumped off her horse and walked up to Violet.
"Who am I supposed to sell my grain to?"
Violet looked at her. "You could lower your price."
Astrid's face changed. "You're giving away water just to force me to lower my prices?"
"I'm not forcing you. I'm letting you know. Your grain isn't worth that price."
Astrid's hand lifted. Her fingers trembled.
"Kill me, and your grain sells even less. Because everyone will know. Astrid killed a woman who gave away water."
Astrid's hand froze in the air.
"You think you've won? You think they'll repay what they owe? They won't repay. They'll only ask for more. Your wells will run dry. Your water will run out. And when it does, they won't help you."
Violet took a step forward. "I don't need them to repay me. I just need them to remember. Remember Gray Rock Tribe gave them water. Remember Silver Spring sold them grain. Remember who was expensive. Remember who was cheap."
She looked into Astrid's eyes.
"In business, there is no loyalty. Only price. Your price is too high. I'm helping you lower it."
Astrid's hand dropped. Her shoulders sagged.
"Go."
The fifty riders didn't move.
"Go!"
Hoofbeats sounded. Fifty riders turned and followed her into the dark.
Leon walked up beside Violet. "You gambled again."
"I didn't gamble. I knew she would back down."
"How did you know?"
"Because she's afraid. Afraid people back down."
She turned and walked back to the fire. Sat down. Spread the map across her knees.
"What are you doing?"
"Changing the plan. At the Trade Market, I'm not just giving away water. I'm also selling grain."
"Where will you get grain?"
"From Astrid. She'll lower her prices. Lower until she makes nothing. Lower until she can't hold on. Then I buy her grain. At the price she couldn't sell."
"She won't sell to you."
"She will. Because if she doesn't sell her grain to me, it rots in her granary."
Leon stared at her. A long time.
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
"I want Astrid's granary. Her trade routes. Her people. The entire North."
She rolled up the map and held it to her chest.
"She thinks she's fighting a war. I'm doing business."
Far off in the gorge came the sound of carts. The Frost Claw people were long gone. But their wheel tracks remained in the earth. Two deep grooves. Running from the well all the way north.
Violet looked down at those two tracks.
Astrid. You're too late.
---
End of Chapter Sixteen
She gives water away, forcing Astrid to lower prices. Seraphina takes half the profit, showing her exactly how ruthless business can be. But the real move hasn't been played yet. She plans to buy Astrid's grain at the price Astrid can't sell. The Trade Market hasn't even begun. The price war is already over.