I had the storm bird get as close to Bramble Watch as it could without damaging the outpost or running into any trees, but it was still a chancy descent down the rope ladder. I wasn't fully recovered from my time in the water, but also didn't have much of choice if I wanted to get off the storm bird at Bramble Watch since there wasn't any place for the bird to land. The other option was leap off but there weren't usable shadows to attempt Mishtaw's stunt to land safely and I knew that needing to be dredged up out of the water around the village would take needless time. Nor would risking further injury by trying to jump onto Bramble Watch help anyone.

So I climbed down and nearly fell anyway when my sore muscles threatened to give out under my body weight. I hated being so weak even as, in the back of my mind, I knew I still suffering because I hadn't given myself enough time to rest. Too much stress and activity after already pushing myself to my limit, but I wasn't about to stop. Not when Juniper needed me.

I made my way to where Juniper's body was being protected by the tribesfolk. Rather than be in the dark like I had been during her rituals leading up to awakening the Water Frond Snake, I had made sure I knew where her body was being watched over while she fought as the tribe's guardian.

It was a small building, like nearly every building in Bramble Watch other than the Command Post, and near the middle of the woven village. A tribeswoman stood guard outside of the healer's home, but that wasn't why I hesitated to enter. I had been in multiple different healing tents since leaving the Gabbler Shore tribe, but each time felt like a punch in the gut and the memories were still riding close to the surface of my mind after I had lost control of myself earlier.

Except I didn't have time for that. Whatever pain wanted to overwhelm me, whatever memories threatened to swell, I would have to deal with later. I could break after I made sure everyone else wasn't hurt. After Juniper was safe from my decisions.

The tribeswoman held out an arm to bar my way. "The Pearl Bearer isn't to be disturbed."

I looked from her arm to her face and whatever she saw in my eyes caused her to pull away from me. "I spoke with the Beloved today. Block me again and risk Her wrath."

She hurriedly stepped out of my way, eyes downcast. Perhaps threatening the goddess's anger was overkill, but if I could take one positive thing from that meeting I would, and I had no patience for being questioned.

I pushed my way past the door flap, ready to continue my march of terror, and stopped dead in my tracks. The healer didn't even lift her head at my entrance.

The air was heavy with the smell of crushed herbs and antiseptic paste, drying plants and old blood that couldn't be scrubbed out no matter how much you tried. Familiar, suffocating. The walls themselves pressed in on me, made me want to freeze or flee, but I choked that old fear down deep into my chest. I had handled it before. I could handle it again.

Juniper lay on a bedroll in the middle of the floor. Her blonde-brown hair was spread out behind her head rather than in her usual bun but the decorative twigs to mimic the snake's fronds were gone. She was still in her ceremonial dress, the bless mark on her leg that she always displayed covered up.

She could have been sleeping. Ready to wake up at a moment's notice and put this madness behind us. Except for the way her eyes dashed madly behind her eyelids. Except for the way the healer sat broken behind her, head in her hands, staring at Juniper's forehead. Except for the way the pearl on her forehead glowed silver and then rippled with prismatic light, like a rainbow had been trapped in its depths. The way it seemed to be melding with her skin, melting into it.

"I always know first." The healer's voice was a hoarse whisper. "I always know and then I have to tell their partner, their children, their mother."

I sank to my knees, unable to keep myself on my feet. "Know what?"

The healer continued as if I hadn't spoken. "The glow fades and then they're gone. Gone to the blood lust and the serpent with no way back. I try everything, every time, but it never works." She finally lifted her gaze to peer at me from under her fingers. "The glow was fading. She was nearly gone, but then the rainbow flickered through. Now it's stronger than I've ever seen it."

Nausea twisted through my stomach. I had almost lost Juniper without realizing it. I had thought that as long as she was fighting and responding to our whispers on the wind then she was fine. I told myself that it was her choice and that I should focus on fighting back against the fish since there'd be no reason for her to continue fighting if we got the horde in check. I convinced myself that, one way or another, Juniper would definitely return to her body.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

That could still be true but it was becoming clear that I understood less than I thought. Apparently, the pearl, or its glow, acted as a tether between Juniper and her body. If I thought about it like making a shadow path, then the pearl and the Water Frond Snake were the two shadows anchoring the path while the pearl's glow indicated the path's stability. Lose the stability or one anchor and you could end up lost in the shadows, especially if you didn't have the presence of mind to build the path again. And that could be difficult with an instinct yelling at you to turn your whole focus to killing fish. Nor had Juniper ever been particularly skilled at shadow walking in the first place.

Juniper could have still had enough presence of mind to reply to our messages or work with our plans, especially when they went along with the Water Frond Snake's instinct to protect the delta and fight the fish, but she could have lost her connection to her body without us knowing. Perhaps without her knowing until it was too late.

But it also wasn't comforting to realize that her 'path' had only been strengthened when the Lady Blue's blood started doing whatever it was doing. Nothing good came from the Lady Blue.

"I tried walking her up. I've never seen this before so I tried it all again. The rousing salts, the energizing mixtures. Healing salves. Prayer. Nothing works. Nothing ever does."

I didn't know what to say, so I stayed silent. Outside this room, everyone praised Juniper's actions, celebrated that she was helping protect their home and making fools of the fish by leading them on a merry chase. Inside, there was only despair. The healer was looking at Juniper like the funeral pyre had already been lit and the smoke was bearing her soul to the Silver Forest.

I wanted to rage. Demand that the healer do everything again and walk me through every step so I could be sure she actually had done everything within her power, but I had drank the healing draft the healer made. That had been enough to tell me how skilled she was. She likely got more practice than most too, constantly caring for a warrior tribe.

I was tired. Body and spirit, but I also couldn't give up. Healing had failed. That was fine. I couldn't use that any more, anyway. My whispers and shouting had failed when I tried to reach Juniper earlier, but I didn't have a path to follow then. Perhaps whispers on the wind were best thought of in terms of making a shadow path: each person an anchor and the ribbon of wind carrying the words the path. I hadn't been able to anchor my words to Juniper then, but now I had the start of the path right in front of me. I could follow it to the other anchor.

This wouldn't be the first time I found Juniper under difficult odds. When I pushed past my limits to do so, and she reminded me too much of myself for me to just let her go.

"No matter what happens don't touch me." I glared at the healer.

She gave a hopeless little shrug. "What would I even do?"

I pulled out my prayer needle. Hesitated. Not sure if praying to the goddess would help or hinder after everything that had happened. Then I put it away again. My strength of will would have to be enough.

I sat next to Juniper's head and bent until my forehead was a hair's breadth from the pearl. There was a chance this would do absolutely nothing. That I'd touch the pearl and be proven a fool. I wouldn't be able to use it like I thought or my skill with wind whispering would fall short, but my boon was supposed to help in places of little wind, and in this hut there was little besides our breath to stir the air. I fell back into the mindset that had taken me through the wind spirits' home. I could sense every faint stirring of wind and centered myself in the lack of it.

Then I pressed my forehead to the pearl and focused on delving into it like I would a shadow. Sending a message to Juniper with all the air in my lungs.

COME BACK.

Trying to force myself into the connection the pearl had with Juniper's mind felt all wrong. It was light when there should have been dark, it only had enough room for my mind rather than enveloping my body. I went nowhere. Reached nothing. It wasn't a power meant for me.

Too long fingers wrapped around my throat as a voice of grinding rocks and rustling leaves spoke right next to my ear. "Reaching for a wish?"

I ignored the wish maker. I didn't need outside help and, even if I did, I would never accept hers. If I couldn't enter the pearl's glow perhaps I could still follow the path. Make my own of wind and words right next to it.

I focused on my boon and its ability to bolster the air around me, give strength to my message so that it could reach Juniper. Then I spun that wind around the unnatural thing I could feel in the air, the connection that shut me out between pearl and snake, and sent out my message again.

COME BACK.

The silent shout left me as it was carried on the wind. I felt it race away but there was no clear feeling of it being received, just like always. No reply either. I could only hope Juniper heard and returned to her body before things turned worse.

The too long fingers tightened around my throat. "One wish and I could have her back, safe and sound. Better yet I could take care of all the fish the delta and capture that traitor for you."

No.

I jerked up right, eyes wide open, and the fingers slipped away from my throat until they were nothing more than an unpleasant itch from a half forgotten dream. The healer hadn't moved and Juniper gave no signs of waking up either.

"Gimley?"

Ana stood in the doorway with the door flap pushed back with one arm. I saw her take in the healer's despair, my own desperation, and the odd colors flickering through Juniper's glowing pearl. Despite that, she stepped fully into the room.

"I felt the air stir. What's going on?"

Part of me didn't want to tell her. To figure out how to help Juniper on my own and ignore whatever I was supposed to be learning about leading a small team and delegation. So far I felt like I had done nothing in the delta and I was loathe to give up something I knew was my responsibility.

But if Juniper was lost because of my foolishness, I'd carry that shame and regret with me into all the endless years ahead. I needed her alive and well more than I needed my pride to win another hollow victory.

"Juniper needs our help."

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