Kaz stared in wonder past the boat’s stern towards the waterfall receding in the distance. It looked like the world just...ended. But she could still make out the delicate webbing of rainbows that rose like a prayer from its base. 

The trip up the rapids had lasted for less than an hour. But she wished she could hold that time in a bubble and relive it again and again. After the initial fear, she had let herself ride the thrilling waves of adrenaline, mixed with awe at the scenery. The water changed color and texture with every ripple and obstacle. The rocks and boulders strewn across the rapids were an unlikely mix of white, pink, and purple, dramatic against the dark cliffs of the canyon. Hints of green peeped out from cracks and crevasses in the black stone, and slender waterfalls cascaded in graceful threads down the canyon walls. 

Kaz had begun to understand the movements of the crew more as the back-and-forth between Owen and Ember filled in gaps of vocabulary and knowledge. She started anticipating the movement of the boat in relation to the obstacles and conditions of the river. 

She had thought things couldn’t get any more exciting when they had turned a corner and it turned out that Fin was a mage. Meander and Reef had held the boat still with their oars jammed against rocks, muscles straining, while Fin’s story filled the sails. 

Though she had enjoyed the story, which she hadn’t heard before, Kaz was more interested in watching Fin work. The wind responded to the rise and fall of his voice, to the emphasis and intonation of his words. Kaz resolved to ask him many questions as soon as the opportunity presented itself. 

“Lunch, everyone!” called Oreeya from the prow of the boat, dragging Kaz back into the present. “Take what you want and eat where you like.” 

Kaz sighed, casting one last glance at the waterfall. She would never forget the imposing majesty of that white and thundering wall of water, or the extraordinary collection of cables and wheels that had somehow lifted them to the top. Knowing that such wonders existed in the empire helped alleviate some of the doubts she had been feeling about representing it. 

Her mind still on the rapids, she made her way to the table set up at the front of the boat, where everyone else was already digging in. 

“I’ve never even heard of te Sightless Seer before,” Owen was saying to Fin. “I had no idea that Ch’usaj ever had a mage.” 

“It is one of the more obscure stories,” said Fin amiably. “Not part of the classical canon. But, like the story says, Wayra never forgot. Part of the training for any mage is learning the stories particular to their element.”

“What’s even less well-known is that Fo wasn’t the only mage Ch’usaj ever had.” Kaz was startled to see Chel offering this information freely. With her plate now piled with quinoa, steamed vegetables, and grilled fish, she drifted over to join Owen, Fin, and Chel.

“The Sightless Seer became a title given to Ch’usaj’s mage. There is only ever one at a time, and very few know of his existence. He keeps a low profile, and only reveals himself when his services are needed.” 

“How do you know that?” asked Fin. He sounded more awed than suspicious, which was  how Kaz felt about this sudden, convenient information.

“I had a colleague who worked with the Sightless Seer many years ago,” said Chel. “He told me about him and how could I possibly forget such a fascinating piece of lore?”

Kaz somehow doubted it was that simple. But she wasn’t sure how to challenge Chel without appearing to do so, so she shoved another bite of grilled fish into her mouth. 

“Of course,” said Owen, the picture of sincerity. “I couldn’t have forgotten either. So you’re telling me that Ch’usaj has a mage?” 

“Yes indeed,” ‘said Chel. 

Kaz willed Owen not to give anything away. 

“Wow,” he said. “Incredible. Thanks for telling me that Chel. You and Fin have certainly given me a lot to think about.” 

“You’re very welcome,” said Chel. “I think I’m going to go back for seconds. It’s amazing how hungry I am after those rapids, even though all we were doing was sitting in hammocks.”

Kaz muttered general agreement with the others, but she watched Chel as she walked back towards the table. She was her usual poised self. But Kaz wondered again how much she knew. She had stayed just long enough to drop the information about the Sightless Seer and then excused herself. How much did she know? Did she know how much the information would pique Owen’s interest?

“Fin, do other kinds of mages use storytelling, or only wind mages?” 

Kaz brought her attention back to the conversation; she wanted to hear this. 

“Oh, any mage can have any channel. But certain elements tend towards certain channels. Earth and water tend to be physical - dance, martial arts, gestures. Wind, Sunlight and Moonlight are usually channeled through vocal expression - speaking, singing, storytelling - that sort of thing. And fire and lightning tend to be a mix of physical and vocal, but of all the elements, their practitioners tend to channel more thorough emotion and sensation.”

“How did you find out that your channel was storytelling?” asked Kaz, hoping for some insight that might help her control her own power. 

“Well, most mages discover their channel the same way they discover their power. I was telling just some silly story to my little brother and the wind came up. I went to the temple of Wayra in Ticlanac the next day, took the initiation test, and went from there.”

“What happens when a mage doesn’t discover their channel that way?” she asked. “I mean, hypothetically, say someone was doing a few things that could be considered a channel when they discover their power?”

Fin chewed thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing. “There are strange cases, of course. Some mages come into their power in life-threatening situations. And sometimes the channels are more subtle. The first part of mage training is to refine and clarify what a mage’s channel is. Mine was pretty straightforward. They tested me for speaking and singing just in case. Nothing happened, except everyone wincing when I tried to sing - I can’t carry a tune to save my life. So it was pretty clear I was a storyteller. But there was this one guy who came in shortly after me. It took them ages to figure out that his channel was breath. Had a sneezing fit that blew all the candles out before they finally realized.” 

Owen laughed, but Kaz stared at Fin, amazed and wistful. Would she ever have such straightforward help in her training? Could Fin teach her? Could she even tell him that she was a mage?

“Are you alright Alaya?” asked Fin. “You’re looking at me funny.” 

“Oh, yes,” she said hurriedly, looking down. “I just - I’ve never seen anyone do what you did today.” 

“Really Alaya,” he said, patting her kindly on the shoulder. “It’s pretty standard for a wind mage. That’s why we are so often employed on ships. But I’m glad you enjoyed it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off for seconds as well. Magic is hungry work.” 

And Fin set off to the table. Kaz waited until he was out of earshot, then turned to Owen. 

“Do you think he could train - ?” she started. 

At the same time Owen said, “I wonder where the -”

They both stopped talking. 

“Go ahead.” 

“No, you first.” 

“Oh, alright,” said Kaz. “Do you think Fin could train us?” 

Owen frowned. “I don’t know. Maybe. But do you think it’s a good idea to reveal that you’re a mage and I’m - whatever I am?”

Kaz deflated. It was exactly what she had been wondering. “I don’t know. It’s not the same as revealing our identities.”

“But if they’re looking for a lightning and void mage, then it’s probably good to keep that to ourselves,” Owen pointed out.

“True,” said Kaz. “But we have to learn how to use our powers properly sometime. I just wish I knew if this was that time.” 

“I know what you mean,” said Owen. “Maybe for now we can see what we can learn by just asking innocent questions. Like we did just now. We can learn a lot that way, at least to start.” 

“Yeah, I guess,” said Kaz, without much enthusiasm. “What were you going to say?” she asked Owen

“I was saying that I wonder where the Sightless Seer lives. He may be the only person who can really teach me.” 

“Does that mean you’re willing to use your power now?” asked Kaz. 

Owen’s face fell, and Kaz regretted her question. 

“I’m still not sure about that,” he admitted. “I definitely don’t want to hurt anyone like - like I did before. But I’m no use to you or anyone else if I don’t start figuring out what I can do. Kaz - the world’s only void mage...imagine what he could teach me! 

“For starters, I bet he could explain why one of the trackers survived. I keep going back to that. Maybe - I don’t know - maybe he survived because I resisted Ch’usaj.” 

“So you think if you’d resisted harder they all would have survived?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe? It’s the only explanation I can think of. But the Sightless Seer would know, wouldn’t he?”

“Probably,” said Kaz. She didn’t have the heart to point out that unless they found him on the way to the sacred mountain, they probably wouldn’t have time to go looking. Owen just looked too hopeful. 

Thinking of the sacred mountain reminded Kaz of the morning’s insight from Chukulla. Grateful to be able to change the subject, she brought Owen up to speed.

“So Vidar sent a water mage after you? And I’m supposed to help protect you.”

“That’s the sense I got too. But what do you make of the last image? The one with Ember and Chel?” 

“I’m not sure,” said Owen. “I agree that it’s suspicious, especially after Chel appeared in your dream last night. But whether they’re in league with Vidar I’m not sure. I mean, Chel won’t say why she’s heading North, so it’s clear she’s hiding something. But they’ve given us no reason to think they’re hostile to us. I guess as long as we’re all stuck on a boat together we stay friendly and stick to the cover story.” 

Kaz sighed. “I guess you’re right.These partial clues are so frustrating!! You haven’t had a chance to check in with Ch’usaj yet today, have you?” 

“No,” admitted Owen. “Not yet. I got a bit sidetracked by the tour and the rapids. And I’m pretty tired after all that food. Let me feed Devlin and take a nap, and then I’ll check in, ok?” 

Kaz agreed. Now that the adrenaline of the morning was wearing off, she also realized how weary she still was. A nap sounded fantastic. She followed Owen back to the hammocks and fell asleep almost the moment she lay down. 

~

Kaz sat on the prow of the boat, the breeze scooping her hair back off her face. The reddish sails bellied in the strong wind. She sat with one hand on the graceful uplifted neck of the vessel, staring at the mountains rising on either side of them. Less than a week ago, she had been running along those mountains in the other direction, fleeing what she now moved toward.
They had reached a wide part in the river, so only one man was needed to keep the boat on course. The air was soft on her skin, and she felt like she could breathe properly for the first time in a week.

Ember and Chel continued to intrigue her. They said they were friends, and their dynamic was consistent with this. Though she still did not know how they knew each other, not really. She had to admire their ability to avoid questions. Ember flirted and joked with everyone so much that they did not notice how few questions she actually answered. And Chel was so quiet and deliberately vague that even Cascade had already learned not to press her.
“Mind if I sit with you a moment?” Kaz jumped. Lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed Ember approaching. 

“Not at all,” she said. She was still struck by the tall woman’s beauty. Up close, she saw that Ember’s eyes were a deep, intense brown that glowed a dark gold in the sunlight. Full lips pulled up at one corner as the woman looked Kaz up and down. 

“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re quite a beauty?” 

Thrown by the question, Kaz felt herself blushing. “Um, what? I mean, I guess not in so many words.” 

“Well, you are. You and your cousin both. You’re family’s clearly doing something right. But that’s not why I came to talk to you.” 

“Oh?” said Kaz, nervous. She looked back up at the cliffs, unable to meet Ember’s intense eyes for long. 

“No, I was wondering if you might help me with something.” 

Kaz looked back at her, startled. “Help you? With what? What do you think I can do? I assure you, I don’t have any sort of special talents or-”

“Oh, it’s not special talents that I need - though I’m sure there’s much about you that isn’t apparent. No, it’s a question of a woman’s intuition, if you will. Chel thinks one thing, and I another. As the only other female passenger, we thought we’d ask your opinion.” 

Kaz was staring at the woman, utterly mystified. Woman’s intuition? They certainly hadn’t taught her anything like that in her lessons. 

“Uh, ok I guess. I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but I’m happy to try.” 

Ember grinned, opening a dimple in one cheek. Her sparkling eyes made Kaz feel even more off-balance than the unexpected questions. 

“This whole thing with the escaped princess,” Ember began. Kaz felt herself tense and tried not to show it outwardly. “Do you think she’d reveal herself to potential allies? Chel thinks she’d want to play it safe, make sure as few people as possible knew her identity. But I think that she’d be grateful to know when someone supported her. We were talking about what we’d do if we met her, and we were in disagreement about how we’d even know it was her. What do you think?” 

Kaz had to focus hard on her breathing for a moment before she felt capable of producing coherent words. That had been the last thing she expected, and she couldn’t help feeling a little ambushed. She decided honesty was the best strategy, even if Ember didn’t know that. “I think,” she said slowly, “that you’re both right. The princess would probably want to play it safe, even if she knew that others supported her. But maybe, over time, she would be grateful enough for the kindness and support she received to trust someone enough to tell them her true identity. That’s just speculation, of course,” she added hurriedly. “Did that help?” 

“Tremendously,” said Ember. There was something in her expression that both warmed and terrified Kaz. Did Ember know her identity? Was she trying to tell Kaz that she could reveal herself? Or did this mean that she was a spy sent by Vidar, and was flirting with her to get her to open up? For Kaz had finally realized that the other woman was flirting with her, though she had no idea what to do with the realization.

Kaz had started to like the other woman. Her raucous laughter and free flirtation were qualities so different from those she had been instructed to embody that Kaz couldn’t help but find Ember fascinating. Her very existence was, in a way, exhilarating, a rebellion by mere association. But if she knew Kaz’s identity...Kaz resolved to find as many excuses as possible to avoid talking to her and Chel. 

“Thank you, love,” Ember was saying. “I’ll go tell Chel what you said. I’m sure it will help us discuss the best way to help the princess. In the unlikely event that we actually met her.” 

“You’re welcome,” said Kaz, her etiquette training taking over, “I’m sure she would greatly appreciate that.” 

Ember smiled at her one more time and departed, leaving Kaz feeling flustered and confused. 

A moment later, a sweet, smoky melody floated over the deck of the ship. Kaz looked around to see Owen, sitting on his hammock, playing a set of panpipes. His eyes were closed, his face intent. The sound seemed to reach out to her very soul and sooth it. She smiled and moved to sit on her own hammock, watching as every person on the ship turned to listen.

Next Chapter: 38: Owen - Pan Pipes