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Jayla
The second day of being trapped on the plateau was less busy but even more irritating than the first, and Jayla spent hours drifting through camp, looking for occupation. Hardly any patients had sought out the makeshift infirmary, so she wasn’t needed there; the crowds lined up to receive fresh supplies from the city were docile and well-behaved, so she wasn’t required to keep order. She spent about an hour observing the activity along the southern border of the camp, where workers were building a temporary bridge across the fissure. But the long, slow construction process was maddening to watch, and she couldn’t bear to stay for long.
More than once she checked in on Aussen, whose haphazard guardians had come searching for her as soon as the sun made an appearance. Jayla had found herself curiously reluctant to turn the little girl over to their clearly inadequate care, so she detoured past their campsite several times just to reassure herself that Aussen was still alive. The women appeared to be traveling with a group of about fifteen people, more children than adults.Too many to keep track of,Jayla thought.I wonder how many others they’ve lost along the way.
Uncharitable. And none of her business.
On another circuit through the camp, she came across Cody sitting by himself on the table that had served as their distribution point the day before. He was in his usual relaxed slouch, idly watching workers gathered at the foot of the broken bridge that led into the city.
“All done for the day?” she asked. “The people of Corcannon have decided we don’t need any more supplies?”
He gave her his easy smile. “The cable snapped about half an hour ago, sending a cask all the way down the canyon,” he said. “So now everyone is trying to decide if the pulley is worth repairing or if we might get out of here soon enough that we don’t need to fix it. How’s the temporary bridge coming?”
“Looks like they’re making progress.” She surveyed him a moment. “If the cable snapped, you really are trapped here with the rest of us.”
“I’d rather be trapped here than walking the wire when it broke in two.”
She was surprised into a laugh. “I hadn’t thought about that.”
“Anyway, we’ll only be here a few more days. One way or the other, I’ll eventually get back home.”
“You must not have anybody on the other side who’ll be concerned about you.”
Now his grin was wider. “Is that your way of asking me if there’s a girl waiting for me in the city?”
She shoved him none too gently in the shoulder. “No.You could have a mother or a sister who worries about you. An employer, even. Someone you answer to.”
“Well, there isn’t.”
She waited a beat. “Isn’t what? A mother? A boss?”
“A girl.”
“I don’t care.”
Still smiling. “Oh. Well. If you did.”
She shook her head and changed the subject. “Where’s Pietro?”
“He hopped up and left the minute the cable broke.”
“What do you make of him?”
“I like him. He’s smart. He’s thoughtful. And he knows a lot more than he lets on.”
She glanced over at him in surprise. “About what?”
“About everything, I imagine.” He gave her an appraising look. “Why? Don’t you like him?”
“I don’t like anybody until I know them really well. I don’t trust anybody until I know them really well.”
His eyes widened in exaggerated hurt. “What? Not even me?”
“Ha. I don’t know anything about you. Why would I trust you?”
He held his arms straight out in front of him so his bracelets caught the watery sunlight. The gems in the red one practically threw off sparks. “You know everything about me!”
“That you have a job—a dangerous one—and that you like women,” she said dryly. “I think there’s a whole lot more to know.”
