The Elementals by Morgan Llywelyn

just one man—and him ill? Aren’t you afraid?”
    Velabro shook her head. “I was afraid when the sea rose. When the others came and killed our men and tried to steal our boat, I was afraid. I was terribly afraid when we were alone on the ocean. But I wore out my capacity for fear, finally. Now I just want to stop walking and stay somewhere and get on with whatever happens next. I suspect the other women feel the same.”
    Ramé quietly canvassed Ladra’s other women. She found that they all were willing, even eager, to stop and stay. The weather was mild, the sun was shining, there was fresh water and abundant grass. The women who were in charge of the livestock were the most ready to stop traveling. Getting the animals through the forest had been arduous enough, but on lush pasturage they almost had to be dragged to keep them moving forward, exhausting their herders. “Let’s stay right here,” Ramé was told. “Look at the animals, they know best.”
    The next time they stopped to rest and let Kerish nurse her baby, Ramé spoke to Ladra. “Your women want to stay here and go no farther,” she told him. “Leel says we could farm this region successfully, our seed would grow here. And you could regain your strength and—”
    â€œI … am … not … stopping … yet,” Ladra said, forcing each word as if it cost him great effort. But even as he spoke he swayed and almost fell.
    Ramé caught him in her arms. “This is as far as we go!” she called to Kesair. “Ladra’s ill, he’s fainting!”
    â€œWe’ll stay with you,” Fintan said.
    Kesair cried sharply, “We won’t! Ladra’s women can take care of him.”
    Fintan rounded on her. “Do you mean to leave him when he’s sick?”

    â€œI’m not … sick,” Ladra insisted, fighting to stand upright again, pushing away Ramé’s arms.
    â€œThere, you hear him, he’s not sick. They just want to stay here, Fintan. So we’ll leave them and go on.”
    â€œI’m going … too …” Ladra tried to insist, but waves of weakness were breaking over him. He met Kesair’s eyes. His ears began to ring, as if with the roar of the sea.
    â€œYou’re not going anywhere,” Ramé said gently, taking hold of him again. Velabro hurried to help her.
    Leel remarked, “I don’t think we could find any better place than this no matter where we go, so we might as well stay here.”
    â€œI think that’s a good idea,” agreed Kesair. “The rest of you, prepare yourselves and we’ll move on now.”
    â€œWe can’t just go off and leave them like this!” Fintan protested.
    But Kesair would not listen. She seemed almost indecently eager to put distance between herself and Ladra’s group. Byth was anxious to move on as well, he kept talking about the valley he wanted to find.
    Fintan gave in, realizing that Ladra had not endeared himself to the others and no one would be heartbroken about leaving him. Besides, that had been the plan.
    Still … he sensed something of a mystery about Kesair’s attitude. When they were under way again, and Ladra and his women were dots in the distance, setting up their camp and staking out their animals, Fintan fell into step beside Kesair.
    â€œWas something wrong between you and Ladra?” he wanted to know.
    â€œNot.”
    â€œThen why were you so anxious to get rid of him?”
    She spun around and glared at him. “You wouldn’t know, would you?”
    â€œThat’s why I’m asking you. If there is some sort of problem, you should share it with me.”
    â€œI tried. You weren’t interested.” Her voice shimmered with icicles. “Now I’m not interested in sharing anything with you. Just service your women and leave me alone.”
    Fintan was mystified. The incident with