The smoke tent was well-named. It was the only building Riley had seen so far made with black cloth instead of white. Cora opened the flap and blue smoke billowed out. She coughed once and yelled inside, “Riley’s awake! I have her here!” A whooping, punctuated by coughs, issued from the darkness inside.
Lissie exploded out of the flap and wrapped her arms tightly around Riley. “I’m so sorry! I tried to learn the Language of the Wind from my grandmother, but my mother wouldn’t even let us speak it in the house.” Lissie’s words washed over her and Riley groaned. “Sorry…” She pulled her hand away from Riley’s bandage.
“You don’t have anything to be sorry about. You have been strong, and absolutely indispensable.” Riley flexed her side and focused on her breath.
“If I would have had more time, I’m sure I would have—” Lissie’s voice hitched. “Most of the kids that do it just cut their hand on the horn and run away. I could have done that.”
“We both did the best we could. No harm done.” Riley tried to smile casually, but her wound had opened again. “Where is Alexander?” She looked back towards the flap, peering into the blue darkness.
The figure that emerged was statuesque. The man had close-cropped white hair and a dancer’s bearing. He was the only Nomad she’d seen wearing trousers. They were cut from that same white cloth, with bright beads.
“Welcome to womanhood, Nomad.” He spoke to her with a thick accent, it sounded lovely. She realized after a moment that he was speaking her tongue.
The man’s left hand was trailing behind him into the tent. After a moment Alexander followed, attached to it. He had shed his colorful Ellium garb for a plain white robe and hood. He smirked and said, “I am exquisitely relieved to see you vertical. You are now a true heroine. I assure you it will be so, once I return to the Ellium Company.”
Alexander tried to free his hand from Tlaso’s, and Riley noticed Cora grinning. Tlaso hugged the hand to his chest. He brought it to his lips before releasing it with a show of regret, and Riley thought of Lady Maribelle. Alexander patted Riley’s shoulder.
“You’re going to help us find the Dust Women?” Riley directed the question at Tlaso, who stood at attention.
“They are of the Wind, they are of the Earth. They are only found when they seek you.” Tlaso gestured expansively, indicating the sky and the ground, then shifted tone. “But yes, I know where one is.”
Cora said, “They aren’t going to let us leave before the feast. Right, Lissie?”
“I’ll go tell the elders right now, but it might take until tomorrow night.” Lissie glanced at Riley. She then continued, “Or maybe the next day. Riley, you need to rest. I’ll find you at your tent once I have spoken with them.”
Riley let Cora lead her away and noted the look of dismay on Alexander’s face as Tlaso pulled him back into the smoky darkness.