Shadows and Light

water. Rose and rose until it was twice the height of the merchant ship’s tallest mast—and headed straight for Mihail’s ship.
    “NO!” he cried. He tried to turn, to run to his ship, but men roughly grabbed him and his two men, preventing them from going anywhere.
    Morag started to turn toward them, not sure of what she intended, when Ashk gripped her arm.
    Feeling ill from her own restrained fury, Morag watched the wave, heard the frightened cries of the two boys and the other men on the ship.
    And she saw the young woman suddenly appear on deck. She looked toward the docks, looked directly at Mihail, then lifted her hands as she turned to face the wave.
    It kept coming toward the ship, but slower now. Slower.
    The woman faced it, her hair blowing in the wind, her hands raised.
    The wave stopped, a deadly curve of water foaming white at its crest.
    Morag wondered if she was the only one who heard Mihail whisper, “Jenny.” She couldn’t tell how long the woman and the wave faced each other before the wave slowly, quietly sank back into the sea, leaving nothing more than ripples to gently rock the boats.
    The woman lowered her arms. Sank to the deck as the crew and the two boys rushed to her side.
    Ashk snarled, “A witch is part of your cargo? You neglected to mention that.”
    Now Morag gripped Ashk’s arm, unsure what the other woman intended. She knew Ashk had no objections to witches, so something else must have sparked that temper.
    “She isn’t cargo,” Mihail snapped with more heat than prudence.
    “But she is a powerful witch,” another voice said.
    Everyone turned to the dark-cloaked woman as she pushed the hood off so that her white hair gleamed in the sun.
    “Cordell,” Ashk murmured, shaking off Morag’s restraining hand.
    “What difference does it make that she’s a witch?” Mihail said, his voice full of anger and desperation. “
    She does no harm with her gifts, no matter what the Black Coats say.”
    Cordell started to reply, but her attention was caught by something happening on the ship.
    Morag watched the woman, Jenny, shake off the hands helping her, then march to the other side of the ship, where she disappeared over the side. A few moments later, she strode along the pier and shoved her way through the crowd until she was standing a step ahead of Mihail, facing Cordell, who had a little smile playing on her lips.
    “How dare you break the creed we live by?” Jenny shouted.
    “Jennyfer,” Mihail said softly, wamingly.
    “And what creed is that?” Cordell asked politely.
    “Do no harm,” Jenny snapped.
    “We cannot always live by that creed,” Cordell said. “Not if we would protect what we love.”

    “That may be so, but we did nothing to deserve that.” Jenny flung out one arm, her hand pointing to the harbor. A fountain of water burst out of the harbor, then spilled back down, creating more ripples to rock the boats. She didn’t notice what she’d done any more than she noticed the villagers’ sudden wariness as they watched her. “We came here to deliver goods to an inland baron. While my brother made the delivery, the rest of us stayed on the ship so that we wouldn’t soil your precious village. Well, the delivery is made, and you have no right to hold us here.”
    “Brother?” Ashk said quietly, studying him carefully.
    Mihail jerked free of the men holding him. He took a step forward so that he stood side by side with Jenny. His hand brushed hers. Held on.
    “Yes, I’m her brother. And proud to be so.”
    Cordell looked toward the ship. “And the boys? Are they yours?” She shook her head. “No, you’re too young for them to be yours.”
    “They’re my—our—older brother’s sons,” Mihail said reluctantly.
    Cordell pursed her lips as she watched Jennyfer. “You connect with the sea.”
    “I love the sea,” Jenny said.
    Cordell nodded. “I felt the song of your power in the tides, but when you didn’t leave the ship and make yourself known to the villagers ... I apologize for any fright I gave you and the others on the ship. If you hadn’t stopped the wave before it reached the ship, I would have. It was meant to draw you out, to find out how you would react.”
    “Now you know,” Jenny said, anger still simmering in her voice.
    “Now I know.” Cordell gestured toward the cart. “The cart isn’t elegant, but it will do. Come with me.
    Let the boys come, too. No harm will come to them.” Her lips curved in an amused