Broken blade. Wolfrunner murmured to Wade, following his gaze. He lost two brothers to soldiers years back. Does not trust anything that walks on two legs and speaks English. Watch him.
Wade didn't need the warning twice. He'd already felt those eyes on him the whole walk into the cavern, weighing him, finding him, wanting before he'd said a single word. A spring does not undo what is kind of done. Broken Blade said now loud enough to carry his English rough but clear water is not does not wash it away the cavern went quiet at that even gay Talon's face tightened ome before he could think better of it before the silence could stretch any longer and let that accusation stand unanswered it doesn't I'm not claiming it does I can't undo what's been done to your family and I won't insult you by pretending I could with a gift of water. All I can do is not add to the pile.
Broken Blade studied him a long moment. Said nothing more, but he didn't strike his spears against the ground with the others either. When the moment came, and Wade understood that some debts in this camp were going to take a good deal longer than a hidden lake to settle, Grey Talon crossed the space between them, and set both broad hands on Wade's shoulders a gesture. Wade didn't understand the full weight of yet, but felt anyway. Straight down to his boots.
You have handed over your most valuable treasure, the chief said. In this desert, the man who controls water controls life itself. You could have kept this secret forever. Could have sold it to settlers for more gold than either of us has ever seen. Instead, you give it to the people who have every reason in this world to distrust you.
Water shouldn't be sold. Wade said, "It's not mine to sell. Never was." 30 warriors struck the ground with the butts of their spears in unison, the sound rolling through the cavern like distant thunder. And Wade understood without needing a single word of translation exactly what that sound meant.
He'd just been led in. Autumn Sky, leaning heavy against a warrior's shoulder for support, caught Wade's eye across the cavern. Didn't say anything. didn't need to. Something passed between them in that look that Wade wasn't ready to put a name to yet. Something that felt standing in a hidden underground lake he'd guarded alone for two long years, considerably less lone than it had felt only three days before.
She made her way over to him slowly, favoring the splinted leg, waving off Wolfrunner's offered arm with a look that said plainly she'd manage on her own. Thank you kindly. You never told me it was like this, she said, looking around at the torch lit water. The stone ceiling lost somewhere up in shadow. Just said spring cavern.