Blood Red Road

you had a wash?
    I realize I cain’t remember. I dunno, I says. A while back, I guess.
    A long while back, I’d say, she says. She pushes past me, heads down the path further into the woods. I got a surprise fer you, she says. This way.

    We step outta the darkness of the forest into the shock of bright sunlight. We’re standin on a narrow shelf of bare rock that juts out into thin air. Straight across from us, water roars outta the side of a mountain. It rushes an tumbles down the rocks till it plunges into a deep pool below, where the sunlight dances an sparkles.
    Maev disappears over the side of the rock.
    I stare at the waterfall. It’s beautiful. Clean. Pure.
    Are you comin or not? Maev hollers. Her voice echoes offa the canyon walls.
    I follow behind as she picks her way over the rocks to the bottom. I ain’t bin swimmin fer such a long time. Me an Lugh used to swim in Silverlake all the time when we was little. Back before the lake dried up an everythin went wrong.
    I’ll take one dive into that cool water. Jest one. It’ll help clear my head. Then I’ll be able to think.
    Maev jumps down onto a big flat rock at the side of the pool. She shimmies outta her clothes quick an then she’s naked as the day she was born. Golden freckled skin, long strong legs, a tangled mane of copper hair. She takes a runnin leap, her legs an arms flyin, an disappears unner the water. She breaks the surface, a big grin on her face.
    It’s fantastic! she yells.
    I realize I ain’t never seen Maev smile before. She looks young. Like a kid.
    Maev kitted me out this mornin, everythin from shirt to skivvies. At first, I didn’t wanna take their stuff, but she said the Free Hawks is by way of bein highway robbers an that’s where it all comes from. When she told me that, I should of said no thanks. I know that stealin things is bad. But my clothes was nuthin but dirty rags an my ideas about what’s right an wrong ain’t so fine as they used to be.
    I take off my stolen clothes an fold ’em in a neat pile on the warm rock. Then I dive in.
    The icy cold water shocks my eyes wide open, slams into my heart. I shoot to the surface, gaspin. Maev’s laughin her head off.
    You rat! I yell. It’s freezin cold!
    It’ll do you good!
    I duck myself, over an over, in the sparklin cleanness till the filth of Hopetown’s washed from my body. I pull a handful of needles from a low hangin pine tree an rub ’em over my skin. Then Maev starts to chase me around an we splash an dunk each other.
    After a bit, I realize I ain’t thought about Lugh fer the past few minutes. Not even once.
    Right away, I turn an swim back to the rock. Maev follows. I pull myself out an gather my clothes.
    What’s the matter? Maev climbs out.
    I ain’t got time fer this, I says. I cain’t stop till I find Lugh. I promised him.
    Oh, not this agin! She grabs the clothes from me. What, you promised him you wouldn’t wash? Or eat? Or sleep? Don’t be stupid.
    Gimme them clothes, I says.
    She holds ’em away. No, she says. It was a wash an a swim. It ain’t like you was dancin an singin. Now siddown an jest be quiet fer three minutes while we dry off.
    No. Gimme my clothes, Maev.
    Gawdammit you stubborn mule … siddown! She roars it at me. She grabs my arm an pushes me down. I’m so surprised, I don’t even try to git up. She drops the clothes an sets herself down beside me, holdin tight to my wrist. Now, she says, we’ll jest sit here fer a bit an be quiet.
    Maev—
    Shhh!
    I jest—
    She holds a finger to her mouth. She lays back, closes her eyes an raises her face to the sun. I lie beside her, starin at the sky. After a bit, I’m feelin warm, a little drowsy. My eyelids is heavy. They start to close.
    I don’t unnerstand it, I says.
    Unnerstand what? she says.
    I cain’t believe you never heard of Freedom Fields. This is yer territory. You must of bin all over the Black Mountains.
    Not all over, she says. Hawk Territory ends a day’s ride north of here. You don’t keep what you cain’t defend an there’s only forty of us.
    But you meet people, I says. You must talk to ’em when yer … you know … robbin ’em.
    We don’t ezzackly stop to chat, she says.
    Even so, I says, I cain’t believe you never heard anythin about it, ever, not even the slightest hint.
    Well believe it, she says. Cuz I’m tellin you, I ain’t never heard of Freedom Fields.
    A man’s voice comes from behind us. Deep. Husky. That’s because they don’t want