The Ferryman - Book 1

Chapter 41:

Hiren’s Offering




“My name is Mere Hevwed,” whispered Moth, her hands trembling. “I am-I was offered in the water as your bride.”

“Who offered you?”

“Hiren.” She lifted her head to meet his gaze. His elongated, distorted body towered over her. “The region of Hiren offered me.”

The ferryman looked away from her. His breathing was labored, and Moth could smell a strange, sweet scent coming from the festering threads on his face.

“I am sorry this was done to you,” he said, at last. “You are not the first. I will find some jewelry for you and then you can start a new life away from your region, away from those who offered you.”

The ferryman turned and began walking – in a motion like a long, skinny dog – towards the mansion.

“I’m not leaving.”

He stopped.

“I made my region offer me – I pleaded with the Tiding Range farmers to give me in the water, I would’ve offered myself if I could – I chose this, I chose to go in the water, I came to find you,” Moth said, and a painful heat rose up in her throat, shaking her whole body.

The ferryman turned to look at her.

Tears boiled in her eyes.

“Where were you?” she gasped – angry, hot tears pouring down her cheeks. “Have you forgotten us? Hiren is dying and you weren’t there. You’re our ferryman, but we’ve been rotting in fog and fire for decades, and you don’t answer us! They’ve killed us with restrictions, they’ve stolen the land from under us, the water has dried up in the springs, and you weren’t there to defend us.” Her voice quaked but grew louder, “You have to help – I will not leave! I will not go until you help Hiren!”

Her voice rang in the breathless night. She could hear her own words echo over the trees and down the mountain, filling the silent places.

It seemed forever before the ferryman, stepping towards her, spoke. “I am sorry – in my affliction I have neglected Hiren, yet they have not neglected me, like so many other regions; they honor me still.” His voice grew hoarse with pain. “But I have not forgotten you, I know the unbearable laws the county has put on you, the corrupted ones who rule you, how they violate co dalmede and scorch your fields, I know the famine that is on your heels, the generations of farmers displaced from their homes, honorable families – I have not forgotten you! I know you all by name, I know you all by your land, each rock on your boundary lines – do not say I have forgotten!”

Moth could not choke down her sobs, and she covered her face.

Lowering his voice, he continued gently, “I have broken the drought – you have water in your creeks, if your farmers are quick, you will have wheat in spring. I know you have been stockpiling food; it is going to be a lean winter, but I know the pillars have listened to the dreams I sent them and have been storing up.” He extended his hand to her. It was gray and scaled, with only four fingers like a bird. Moth carefully took it, the massive curling nails glinting. “You are a granddaughter of one of my pillars. Clement has listened to me.”

Moth nodded, wiping away her tears.

“He has told other farmers to store in secret places.”

Struggling for breath, Moth said, “It’s not just Hiren that needs help.”

“Clement is not alone,” he said, and he helped her towards the mansion. “Hiren is not alone. There are still those who know me and will listen to my dreams and my magpies, there are pillars in all Korraban – they are ready for disaster, because they have not buried me.”

“I want to help,” said Moth. “Don’t force me back to Hiren – I need to do something, I will do anything to help you, no matter how small.”

They were at the mansion now. The ferryman opened the front door and entered with her – the impressive entry doors large enough to allow him in – and he stood in the foyer under the stained-glass skylight. The moon silvered the blue, yellow, and peach colors, which glinted and disappeared into the inky-black feathers. He thought over Moth’s offer and said, “We should discuss it after you’ve slept.”

“I will not be able to sleep until you tell me.” She felt woozy, and sat down, the bright red blood of the welkworm dripping from her forehead onto the floor. “You must answer – can I stay here and help?”

The ferryman chose his words – slowly, precisely. “I will accept your help, for as long as you are willing to give it – I will accept you, Hiren’s offering. You may be my bride in title alone and use the authority that lends you. If I take you at your word, that you are determined to aid whatever the circumstance, then I will use you to help Hiren.”

Moth let out a long breath of relief. She was light-headed and thought she might faint.

A door opened. A magpie fluttered in, leading in three guiles.

One cursed and ran forward – Dueluck. “Mere? God, what happened?”

“While the guiles slept, my wife has saved you from a welkworm that entered the property,” said the ferryman. He nodded to the two other guiles – Agate, staring

dumbfounded from the door, and a woman Moth had not seen before. “Take Lady Correb to a guest room and help her clean up, she is exhausted.”

The two women took each of Moth’s arms and helped her to her feet, supporting her up the stairs.

Moth threw a last look at the ferryman.

He was looking down at his talon, cradling the soul he had taken from the welkworm, and speaking softly to it.


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