Chapter 24: Testing
At the end of Chapter Twenty-Three, Violet had said, "He's afraid of me." That night, she slept poorly. The dream didn't come, but she couldn't sleep either. She lay on the blanket, listening to the wind outside, listening to Leon's breathing. He was keeping watch by the fire. She knew. She didn't go out.
When the sky lightened, she went to the granary as usual to check the ledger. Astrid had already prepared the accounts. "Grain hasn't decreased. Salt hasn't decreased. The wooden splints on the eastern wall aren't broken."
Violet flipped through the ledger. The numbers matched. "The thief has stopped."
"Why has he stopped?"
"Because he knows we're watching. He doesn't want to be caught."
"Then what?"
"Wait. He'll come again. Not for grain. For something else."
Astrid looked at her. "You're always waiting."
"Waiting costs nothing. Investigating costs effort."
Astrid said nothing. She closed the ledger and left.
Violet stood at the granary door, watching Astrid's back. She noticed Astrid wore a new hide coat today. Gray. A silver brooch pinned at the collar. The mark of Silver Spring. She hadn't removed it.
Late morning, Violet inspected the construction site. Gray Bone was raising the city wall. Stone by stone, mortar poured into the cracks. She crouched down to look at the color of the stones. "This batch of stones is a different color."
"Brought from the south. The stone there is harder. Good for walls."
"Different color. Doesn't look good."
Gray Bone glanced at her. "The wall needs to look good?"
"If the wall doesn't look good, people think the city is poor."
Gray Bone said nothing. He moved the oddly colored stone to the back side.
Violet stood and continued walking. She passed the salt store and saw Cassian moving stones. He had changed locations today. From the east side of the city to the west side. She stopped and watched him. His movements were slow but steady. Sweat dripped from his forehead and struck the ground, making small craters in the dust. He saw her. Didn't stop. Kept moving stones.
"Did you sleep well last night?" She asked.
"Fine."
"I didn't. I dreamed again."
Cassian's hand paused. He didn't look at her. "What did you dream?"
"I dreamed of a woman. Locked in a small house. Her hair was completely white. Her face full of wrinkles. She was holding someone. Crying. That person's hands were covered in blood."
Cassian's hand was trembling. He set down the stone and straightened up. Looked at her. His eyes were gray-blue. Exactly like in her dream.
"Who did you dream of?" He asked.
"I don't know. But the woman called him her son."
Cassian said nothing. He lowered his head and continued moving stones. His hand no longer trembled. But her words were driven into his mind like a nail. She had seen it. She had really seen it.
Violet stood where she was, watching his back. "Did your mother leave you anything?"
Cassian stopped. He turned around and looked at her. "Why do you ask that?"
"I dreamed she pointed at a place and said, 'Left for you.' I don't know what place. But I want to help you find it."
Cassian stared at her. A long time. "Why do you want to help me?"
"Because you owe me nine sacks of salt. Until it's repaid, you move stones. After it's repaid, you're Cecilia's brother. Cecilia is dead. Her brother is my brother."
Cassian's lips trembled. "You're not Cecilia."
"I am. And I'm not. I have her memories. But I'm someone else."
"What do you want?"
"I want you to know. I'm not here to harm you."
Cassian was silent for a long moment. Then he turned away and continued moving stones.
"My mother left a box." He said. "In the North. I hid it."
"What's in the box?"
"I don't know. I never opened it."
Violet watched his back. "I'll go get it."
"No. You don't know where it is."
"Tell me."
Cassian stopped. He didn't turn around. "North. East side of the Ice Wolf Clan's territory. Beneath a dead pine tree. Buried under the roots."
Violet memorized the location. "I'll go get it. When I have it, we'll open it together."
Cassian said nothing. He picked up a stone and walked away.
Afternoon. Violet went to find Seraphina. Not about the box. About something else.
Seraphina was at the city gate, talking to a strange man. The man wore a southern merchant's robe. Fang Tribe markings on his chest. He was younger than Cassian. Light brown hair. White teeth when he smiled. Seraphina's hand rested on his arm. She laughed loudly. Violet stood at a distance, watching this scene. She thought to herself: Changed targets. That was fast.
She didn't approach. She turned and walked away. She didn't need Seraphina to translate whatever was in the box. She needed Seraphina to stay away from Cassian. Now, she had done that herself.
Night. By the fire.
Violet told Leon what had happened during the day. "Cassian said there's a box in the North. His mother left it for him."
"You're going to get it?"
"I am. But not now. The mine matter isn't finished. The granary ledger isn't balanced. The pelt prices aren't settled."
"You can't go to the North alone. Too far."
"That's why I wasn't planning to go alone. You'll come with me."
Leon looked at her. "When?"
"After the box matter is clear. After the mine matter is settled."
Leon nodded. Footsteps came from the east side of the city. Not stones moving. Walking. A figure emerged from the dark. Cassian. He walked to the fire and looked at Violet.
"The box. Don't tell anyone else." He said.
"I haven't told anyone else."
"Him?" Cassian looked at Leon.
"He's not anyone else."
Cassian stared at Leon. Leon didn't move. The two men looked at each other for several seconds. Cassian looked away first. Looked at Violet.
"What's in the box. If it's what my mother left for me. It's mine."
"It's yours."
"You won't take it?"
"I won't take it. But I want to see it. After I see it, if there's business to be done with what's inside, I want ten percent."
Cassian stared at her. "You always want ten percent."
"In business, if you don't share, it's robbery. Share, it's partnership."
Cassian was silent for a long time. "Fine. Ten percent."
He turned and walked away.
Leon watched his back. "You trust him?"
"No. But there's something in the box. If the thing is real, the business is real. If the business is real, he won't run."
In the distance, Cassian's figure vanished into the dark. The sound of stones being moved resumed from the east side of the city. He was moving them. Violet listened to the sound. She pulled her coat tighter. Leon's coat. Warm.
"When are you going to the North?" Leon asked.
"After the mine matter is clear. After Seraphina changes targets. After everyone forgets about Cassian."
"You want to wait until he's safe before you go?"
"Not safe. Unwatched. If someone's watching him, he can't go North. If he goes, others follow. The box won't stay safe."
Leon looked at her. "You're protecting him."
"I'm protecting the business. What's in the box is worth something."
Leon said nothing. He reached out and stirred the wood in the fire. The flames burned brighter. Orange light lit both their faces.
In the distance came Seraphina's laughter from the west side of the city. She was talking to that southern merchant. Laughing happily. Violet didn't look back. She watched the fire, thinking about the box. In the North. East side of the Ice Wolf Clan's territory. Dead pine tree. Beneath the roots. She would go get it. But not alone. Leon would go with her. Cassian would wait for them to return. Whatever was in the box. If it was ore. If it was metal from another world. If it was business larger than Water City. She would take ten percent. Cassian would take ninety. Fair.
She rolled up the map and held it to her chest. Stood. Walked into her tent. Lay on the blanket. Closed her eyes.
The dream came.
Not Cassian. A woman. Hair completely white. Face full of wrinkles. She sat in a small house, holding a little girl in her arms. The little girl was asleep. A cloth wrapped around her finger. The one pricked by the thorn. The woman was singing. Not a song from this world. From another world. Violet had heard it before. In the small woods. Seraphina had sung it.
The woman finished singing and looked down at the little girl. She reached out and brushed the hair from the little girl's forehead. The girl's lashes fluttered. Didn't wake. The woman smiled. Tears ran down her face and dripped onto the girl's clothes. She wiped the tears and stood. Walked to the wall. There was a loose stone in the wall. She removed the stone and took out a box. Wood. Very small. Palm-sized. She held the box to her chest and cried again. Then she put it back. Blocked it with the stone.
Violet woke.
Her face was wet. She touched it. Tears. She looked at the water on her fingertips and remembered the box from the dream. Wood. Very small. Palm-sized. A hidden compartment in the wall. A loose stone. She didn't know where it was. But she remembered. Silver Spring territory. Mother's small house.
She sat up and lifted the tent flap. Leon was outside, watching the fire.
"I know where the box is." She said.
"Where?"
"Silver Spring. Mother's small house. In a hidden compartment in the wall."
Leon's slit pupils tightened. "You dreamed it?"
"I dreamed it."
"We go tomorrow?"
"We go tomorrow."
In the distance, the sound of stones moving stopped. Cassian was asleep. He didn't know. Violet knew. She was one step ahead of him.
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End of Chapter Twenty-Four