Listen to the Water | FULL SERIES | Wattys 2022 Shortlist | ✔

(25) Ande: A New Alliance

I'm not scared of returning to Roshaska's tunnels anymore.

Neem signs something to the clearing around us, then pauses on his way towards the nearest city entrance. He sizes up my companions one by one. "What about them?"

I turn to Yaz. "Stay or come?"

"Are you comfortable going alone?"

I turn back to Neem. "Are you comfortable having anyone other than me?"

His hesitation speaks for him. "You're the only one I can vouch for," he signs at last, and I notice immediately that Taiki has been left out of that assessment. His initial support of the war, then, didn't go unnoticed among the Sandsingers. I'm also struck by the reverse revelation: Neem trusts me. Which means I wasn't particularly subtle about my sentiments, either, or at least my association with Ruka and Keshko. I'm not sad about it.

"Then I'll come alone," I sign.

My heart pounds like dancing-drums even as I form the words. This could be my stupidest decision in several moons, and I'm not sure my trust in my own judgment is merited. Maybe I'm not suspicious enough of semi-strangers because I didn't grow up with strangers at all. Maybe I'm good enough at reading people that I know Neem isn't a threat. Or maybe, after all I've been through, I've developed a different kind of arrogance: a renewed belief that I am special and therefore people should and will respect me. The options are endless. But the fact remains that I'm comfortable enough to follow Neem and his people into this city again right now, to negotiate something that might move us one step closer to saving my people. My people, and his.

I sign to Yaz, "Are you comfortable staying here to protect the others?"

The others is really just Sar; everyone else can look out for themselves. So can Sar, to be fair, but I suspect they need a lot less looking-out-for-themself right now.

"If you are," signs Yaz.

She's so steady about it, it puts an unexpected lump in my throat. This is not the kind of thing I'd normally cry over, but the trust she's extending me is almost overwhelming. "Thank you," I sign. Then, "I'll be back."

It's a promise that I pray into the water even as I sign it. Up into the water, specifically. Maybe Rashi can't see me as easily down here as he can above the waves, but the sky was still the faintest shade of blue when we arrived here, even if it's gone full-dark now. Rashi is the sun, and there's still a bit of sun even this far down the ocean.

I take a deep breath and follow Neem.

He leads the way back into city by the closest tunnel, a different one than we took. Which is no surprise, really: the city core alone is freckled with hundreds of such openings, and if the mussel cultivation on the walls is to judge, these people have been here long enough to know their way around. I wonder who led them before Neem did—and how a newcomer like him came to be in charge in the first place.

That question at least is answered shortly. Neem flags down the nearest Kel and signs, "Go tell"—he speaks a name out loud, making me startle—"that there's someone here we need to talk to."

The Kel nods and shoots off down the tunnel. I raise an eyebrow at Neem.

"I'm not the leader here," he signs.

"You're making a lot of decisions."

That draws a rueful smile from him. "I'm one of the most battle-trained members. I was put in charge of defense almost as soon as I arrived."

That makes more sense—Neem is a former Sandsinger, and they're all tough as rock and sharp as fire-mountain glass when it comes to fighting. That also explains his reluctance to invite anyone he can't vouch for. If we're meeting someone with more authority, I'm probably going to want his backing.