A soft puff of breath blew Riley’s hair against her face. She snorted the salt out of her nose, and felt Sugarsnap’s curious lips against her hair. Riley opened her eyes and saw a white sheet above her, supported by white poles. Sugarsnap had poked her head underneath, and was nosing at her. Riley had never been so happy to see Sugarsnap on her feet.
There was a small child holding a bowl made of horn. The outside was ridged and sooty black, but inside there was lumpy porridge. The child was tall and blonde, with hair almost as white as the sheet above her and the sand below. His skin was burnt nut-brown, and he was wearing a white tunic with a white hood thrown back. The same attire as their rescuers.
“Thank you!” Riley said, taking the bowl.
The child said nothing, and Riley searched for a way to communicate. She smiled, and put her fist to her heart. The child stared at her openly, and then turned and ran away. The night before she had thought water from an old skin was the best thing she had ever tasted.
This porridge is a strong contender though.
The flavor was complex and spiced, with a tangy milk.
She finished it and started out from under the canopy. Though it was full daylight, everywhere she looked the Nomads were asleep under similar open tents. Every once in a while, a child would run by, but they seemed to be the only ones awake. Cora was the first she found.
“Have you had breakfast yet? It was wonderful wasn’t it?” Cora asked and Riley nodded.
“Cora, after what we’ve been through the last two days, I’d take raw squirrel.” Riley laughed at her own joke. “But yes, it was very good. Have you seen the others?”
“Alexander is asleep. He woke up, and ate. When he saw everyone else sleeping, he said he didn’t want to break tradition.” Cora pointed at the only tent in the moving camp with walls. “Lissie is with their leader, in there.”
“Come with me?” Riley asked.
“Oh—” Cora began to say more but was wracked with another terrible coughing fit.
“Maybe not—get some rest.” Riley made her way to the walled tent, but when she reached the flap that served as entrance, she paused. She wanted to knock. She raised her voice. “Hello?”
“Riley, come in.” It was Lissie’s voice.
Inside was a shriveled, bald man. He was naked save for a wrap around his waist. His skin was spotted and so wrinkled Riley couldn’t imagine what he looked like fifty years ago. She bowed her head.
The man said something to Lissie and smiled with his few remaining teeth. Lissie relayed, “He says he knew your father.”
Riley felt blood rushing to her ears. “Good things? I hope.”
The old man laughed, and spoke to Lissie again, “He says your father fought with honor and cherished his horses. That’s very important to them.”
Riley thought of Sugarsnap, and of the Nomad horses. They rode horses like none she had ever seen before. Short, with round bellies and dusty grey. “It’s very important to me how somebody treats their horse.”
Lissie conveyed this in faltering, pausing syllables, and after the man spoke again she said, “Riley, I already told him why we came. He says that they cannot send children to a Dust Woman.”
“I’m not a child! We saw a girl younger than us getting married. Almost.” Riley kept her tone level, and kept smiling as she spoke.
“It’s not about age. They consider anyone who hasn’t completed the Triad to be a child.” Lissie was clenching and flexing her hands.
“The trials from the poem?” Riley asked.
“Yes, the duel, the ride, and the hunt.” Lissie’s voice had a tight edge to it.
“Well, how long do they take?” Riley smiled again, and her hand went to the hickory sword.
Lissie stumbled through the question. After she spoke the man raised his chin and looked at Riley with a frown. Finally he spoke, and Lissie said, “It only takes a child a night, if they survive.”
“Tonight then.”
Stop smiling, this is serious to them, Riley thought, but she was excited.
Lissie spoke again, for a long time, and there was a back and forth. The elder was gesturing, pointing at parts of Lissie’s body as he spoke. When they stopped, he looked resigned.
“Well,” Riley asked, “Is he not going to let me try?”
“He said you can try right away,” Lissie said, and Riley felt her shoulders relax until she heard. “I had to convince him to let me try too.”