Page 95 of Moonless

“Yes.”

“Rauk. It’s raining. I’m standing in it.”

“More water than the rain.” I put my hand flat against the trough. “In one place.”

I set the cloth on a stone out of the way, step under the trough, and reach for the loop. She’s still looking up, so I wait until she turns toward me.

“Watch.”

I pull, the stopper lifts, and water comes down through the hole onto my shoulder. It’s cold.

I move right under it so she can see how much there is. It flattens the fur down my back and runs off my sides, and I put my head in with my ears pinned shut.

When I look up, Kestria’s giggling. I’d pull it again for that.

“Come closer. You can see the stopper from here.”

She comes a few steps nearer, smiling at me.

I let go, and the stopper drops and the water stops but for a drip.

“You let it fill, then pull when you need the water. It’ll empty if you keep holding it.”

“When did you do all this?”

“Yesterday. The trough was already hollow.”

I rub water out of my eyes with the heel of my hand.

“It needed a hole and something to catch the rain. I brought the pieces out while you rested.”

She looks from the trough to my left arm. “With that?”

“Mostly with the other one.” I pull the loop again, holding it out where she can see. Water hits my chest this time, cold on the old scar where there’s no fur to stop it. I turn a little to show her the thong passing over the branch.

“There’s nothing to untie. This stays loose, so when you let go—”

She isn’t looking at the thong. Her eyes are going down my chest with the water, and both my ears turn to her.

I stop with the loop still in my hand. She’s standing close enough now that the splashing wets her feet.

“Kestria?”

“Hm?”

“Can you reach this?”

She looks up at my face. “What?”

I hold the loop toward her. “This.”

It takes her a breath to find my hand. Then she steps in and reaches up with her good arm, and she gets her fingers around the loop flat-footed.

“Yes.” She lets go and so do I, and the water stops.

“Good. I wasn’t certain I’d left it low enough.”

Kestria’s already loosening her belt. “My turn.”