Chapter 18: Building the City
By dawn, the gorge was already full of people.
Hagen had brought a hundred of the Frost Claw Tribe, salt bags on their shoulders. Eve had brought a hundred of the Frost Wolf Clan, dragging wolf pelts behind them. The shaman had brought fifty of the Shadow Clan, bundles of herbs on their backs. The blacksmith had brought a hundred of the Ironwood Tribe, pushing carts of iron ingots. Gray Bone stood by the well with thirty of the Gray Rock Tribe. Astrid stood at the very back with fifty from Silver Spring.
Eight hundred and ten people. The entire North. All here.
Violet stood in the center of camp. The map lay spread before her. She had drawn all night. A full map of the North. The Frost Claw salt fields. The Frost Wolf hunting grounds. The Shadow Clan woodlands. The Ironwood mines. Silver Spring's granary. Gray Rock's wells. Six points, woven into a single net.
"Water City will be built here." Her finger landed on the center of the map. Where Gray Rock Tribe stood. "Four wells at the city's heart. Granary to the east. Trade routes enter from the north and exit south. Salt, pelts, herbs, iron—all of it moves through here."
Hagen stared at the map, his mouth unable to close. "You drew this in one night?"
"One night was enough."
Eve crouched down and traced a line on the map with her finger. "This road—it goes to Frost Wolf territory?"
"It does. From Water City, three days north to your hunting grounds."
"It used to take five."
"The old road went the long way around. I drew a new one."
Eve looked up at her. "You've even calculated my roads?"
"I've calculated everyone's roads."
The blacksmith crouched and studied the mine markings on the map. "How do I move my iron?"
"East from Water City. Build a road. Three days' travel. Your iron comes to Water City. Exchanged for water, salt, grain. You'll lack nothing."
The blacksmith stared at the map. He reached out and ran his thick fingers across it, the way he would touch an iron ingot. "Everything you've drawn—is it true?"
"All of it is true."
He stood. "I believe you."
Gray Bone walked over and drove a shovel into the ground. "Where do we dig the first foundation?"
Violet walked to the center of camp and stamped her foot on the ground. Her right foot still hurt, but she stamped hard. "Here. The center of Water City. Water begins here. Roads begin here. The city begins here."
Gray Bone looked at the shallow mark her foot had made. He picked up the shovel and dug. The first shovelful of earth rose and landed beside her feet.
Finn ran over and planted a wooden board beside the pit. Two words were carved into it. Water City.
Leon stood nearby, looking at the board. "When did you carve that?"
"Last night. After you slept."
"You didn't sleep all night?"
"I slept a little. Dreamed of carving words. Woke up."
Leon looked at her. He said nothing. He walked to the pit, took the shovel from Gray Bone, and dug the second shovelful.
Gray Bone looked at him. Leon handed the shovel back. "Your turn."
Gray Bone dug the third shovelful. Darryl walked over and dug the fourth. Finn dug the fifth. Hagen dug the sixth. Eve dug the seventh. The shaman dug the eighth. The blacksmith dug the ninth.
Nine shovelfuls of earth piled beside the pit.
Astrid stood at the back of the crowd, watching the pile of earth. She did not come forward. She stood there, her hands gripping her skirt.
Violet looked at her. "Are you coming?"
Astrid's lips pressed tight. She walked over, took the shovel from Gray Bone, and dug the tenth shovelful. The earth flew up and landed on her feet. She did not move away.
She drove the shovel back into the ground and looked at Violet. "Ten shovels enough?"
"Enough."
"Enough for what?"
"Enough for everyone to know. This city was built by all of us."
Astrid stared at her. She said nothing. She turned and walked away, standing at the back of the crowd. But her hands no longer gripped her skirt.
Gray Bone stood by the pit, looking at the pile of earth. "What's the city's name?"
"Water City."
"A good name." He picked up the shovel. "What now?"
"Move stones. Dig foundations. Raise walls. Build houses."
"Whose houses?"
"Everyone's."
Gray Bone smiled. It was the first time Violet had seen him smile. Not just the corner of his mouth moving. A real smile. He turned and walked away, leading his people to move stones.
Eve walked over. "Where's my house?"
"East side. Close to the trade route. Faster shipments."
Eve nodded and left.
The shaman walked over. "Where's my medicine house?"
"Beside the well. Easy access to water."
The shaman nodded and left.
The blacksmith walked over. "Where's my forge?"
"South side. Closer to Silver Spring. Easier to bring in materials."
The blacksmith nodded and left.
Astrid stood at the back of the crowd, not approaching. Violet walked over and stood before her.
"Where's my warehouse?" Astrid asked.
"East side. Close to the granary."
"That's my granary."
"It's Water City's granary now. You manage it."
Astrid stared at her. "You're putting me in charge of the granary?"
"You know grain best. If not you, then who?"
Astrid's lips trembled. "Aren't you afraid I'll steal?"
"If you steal, the people of Silver Spring won't forgive you."
Astrid stared at her. A long time. Then she smiled. Not a cold smile. Not a bitter smile. A real smile.
"You're interesting."
"You've said that before."
"I haven't. Today is the first time."
She turned and walked away. After a few steps, she stopped. "The granary key. I'll give it to you tomorrow."
"No need. You keep it."
Astrid did not look back. She walked into the crowd.
---
Night. By the fire.
Leon sat across from Violet, watching her draw maps. The full map of the North. She had drawn it three times. The first draft was wrong. The second she had corrected in places. The third she was still revising.
"Still revising?"
"The trade route changed. The blacksmith said his road is rough. I'm giving him a different one."
"You're listening to him?"
"He's walked that road for thirty years. If I don't listen to him, then who?"
Leon looked at her. "You've changed."
"I haven't changed. I'm just listening to more people."
In the distance came the sound of stone striking stone. Gray Bone was leading his people in raising a wall. Under the moonlight, stones were being laid one by one, rising up from the earth.
Violet stood and walked to the wall. Gray Bone was setting a large stone in place. It was crooked. She reached out and steadied it. "A little to the left."
Gray Bone glanced at her. He shifted the stone half an inch left. It aligned.
"How did you know it was crooked?"
"I've drawn too many pictures. My eyes are accurate."
Gray Bone said nothing. He set the stone in place, stepped back, and looked at the wall. The first wall. Half a man's height. Crooked and uneven. But it stood there.
"Does it look like it?" he asked.
"Like what?"
"Like a city."
Violet looked at the wall. Gray stone. Yellow mud. Grass stuffed into the cracks. Not beautiful. But it stood there.
"It does." She said.
Gray Bone nodded. He picked up the next stone.
Leon walked over and stood beside her. "The Trade Market opens tomorrow."
"I know."
"Are you going?"
"Yes."
"How many people will you bring?"
"One."
"You're insane."
"I'm not. Astrid won't let me die. If I die, who does she sell her grain to? Who rents her trade routes? Where do her people go for work?"
Leon stared at her. "You've calculated this."
"I've calculated this."
"Then bring one person."
"Who?"
"Me."
---
The next day, before dawn, Violet rode out. Leon followed behind. Two people. Two horses. Heading south through the gorge.
By the time the sun rose, they could see the walls of Silver Spring. Gray stone. Not tall. People stood at the gate. Not guards. Trade caravans. Frost Claw. Frost Wolf Clan. Shadow Clan. Ironwood Tribe. Everyone had come.
Astrid stood at the gate. Her golden hair was tied back. She wore a gray hide coat. No white dress. No silver brooch. She looked at Violet, then at the figure behind her.
"Alone?"
"Two people."
Astrid glanced at Leon. "He counts?"
Leon said nothing. Violet said, "He counts."
The corner of Astrid's mouth moved. She turned and walked through the gate.
The Trade Market had opened. Every tribe in the North was here. Every chieftain was here. Every merchant was here.
Violet walked in. Everyone was looking at her.
Hagen stood behind his salt stall. He saw her and nodded. Eve stood behind her pelt stall. She saw her and smiled. The shaman stood behind his herb stall. He saw her and pressed his palms together. The blacksmith stood behind his iron stall. He saw her and raised his hammer.
Astrid stood behind the grain stall. Grain bags piled before her. Her grain. Water City's grain.
Violet walked over.
"What price?" Astrid asked.
"The price you set."
"Half the market price?"
"Half the market price."
Astrid looked at her. "You really won't make a profit?"
"I will. I'll make their lives."
Astrid stared at her. She picked up a bag of grain and set it on the stall.
"Water City's grain. Half the market price. Water City's salt. Half the market price. Water City's pelts. Half the market price. Water City's herbs. Half the market price. Water City's iron. Half the market price."
Her voice was loud. Everyone heard.
The Market fell silent.
Hagen walked over and picked up the bag of grain. He placed a block of salt on the stall. "Frost Claw Tribe buys."
Eve walked over and placed a wolf pelt on the stall. "Frost Wolf Clan buys."
The shaman walked over and placed a bag of herbs on the stall. "Shadow Clan buys."
The blacksmith walked over and placed an iron ingot on the stall. "Ironwood Tribe buys."
Four people stood before the grain stall. Four northern tribes. Eight hundred and ten people.
Astrid looked at the goods before her. Salt. Wolf pelt. Herbs. Iron ingot. She did not take them.
"You owe me nothing."
"We owe her." Hagen looked at Violet. "She told us not to repay. But if we don't, we can't sleep."
Astrid said nothing. She handed the grain bag to Hagen. Hagen took it and turned away.
The Market continued. From today on, the business of the North would flow through Water City.
Violet stood beside the grain stall, watching the people come and go. Leon stood behind her.
"You did it." He said.
"Not yet. The city isn't finished."
"It will be."
In the distance, Gray Bone was raising the wall. Stone by stone, rising from the earth. Half a man's height. A man's height. Two men's height. Crooked and uneven. But it stood there.
Violet looked toward the North. Water City. Her city.
She pulled her coat tighter. Leon's coat. Warm.
---
End of Chapter Eighteen
The city has truly begun. Eight hundred and ten people. Six tribes. A city growing up from beside a well. But ruling a city is harder than building one. Grain. Water. Roads. Coin. Loyalty. She has only just learned one lesson when the next is already waiting.