The faucet behind Mother suddenly cut on. We both turned to look at it. Mother shut it off, but it immediately turned on again. A glob of water began to rise and take shape. We stared at it in anticipation as it seemed to adjust itself.

 

“Madame Aniceta, Young Miss Jylan, please forgive the intrusion”, it bowed with a slushy sound, “I am Mizuko, a humble water servant. I have an urgent request for transport.”

Ah, transport requests. They're exactly as they sound. It's a request for a caretaker to transport an occult from point A to point B safely without any problems.

 

The issue is, there are always problems! So, before that, I have to brush up on my archery and weaponry.

 

“Who might we be transporting?”, Mother asked wearily.

 

“A water maiden from the Lowlands, Madame”

 

Mother breathed in sharply through her nose. Water maidens come in many forms, some are naturally born water spirits, others are poor souls chosen as offerings to appease a water deity. Not all water deities are like this, but usually when the nearby human settlement abuses the water, they can become vengeful and demand payment in the most precious currency available, human life. Usually the most adored and/or only child is marked for the taking. A way to hit their parents where it really hurts.

 

Depending on which type of water maiden, transport could be fast or unbearably slow. Water spirits need to be taken along routes with water access, whereas human water maidens can be transported over land routes.

 

Either can be ripe with danger.

 

“Might I ask, is this water maiden human or spirit? Which deity requests this transport?”, Mother inquired, already mentally calculating what needs to be done.

 

“Uh-uh, human, Madame. The river deity, Lord Kano”, Mizuko stated nervously.

 

Mother sighed, placing a finger on her temple, “There has been a bit of development along the river, hasn’t it?”

 

“But Kano has never been the type to request compensation of this magnitude. What could have happened?”, I added.

 

“Well, I am not permitted to disclose any further information than the locational details, Madams, please forgive me!”, Mizuko said, nervously shuffling in the sink.

 

“It’s fine. We’ll take on the request”, Mother answered dryly.

 

“Excellent! Thank you for your service!”, he exclaimed while pulling out a small sealed glass bottle with a scroll in it. He handed it to Mother and, with a bow, retreated back up the faucet.

 

I looked at Mother with a furrowed brow as she unraveled the scroll.

 

“I knew it…”, Mother sighed as she tossed me the paper.

 

I hastily read over it, but only could understand the surface details.

 

“Who are these people?”, I asked, as there were no titles, only birthnames.

 

“We warned them… The people of the Lowlands have been building up their towns and ports without respect for the river. They’ve restricted it in some parts and narrowed or redirected it in others. I wouldn’t fault Lord Kano for being angry”, Mother explained.

 

“How come I never heard of this?”

 

“It’s tricky political business. Things like that are best left to your grandmother”, she huffed, “The boy, he’s the Grand Duke’s son. First born and heir to his title. Poor boy has to pay for his father’s crimes”

 

Mother shook her head in disappointment at the events and she returned to chopping up some vegetables. I watched her in silence until she realized I was still there.

 

“What are you doing?”, she asked angrily, “Go get ready!”

 

I scampered out of the kitchen to my room and hastily gathered my travel satchel and weapons. Checking the medical supplies one last time, I gathered the strongest horses and carriage for the journey. Just as I finished, Mother placed a messenger hawk, freshly made baguettes, cheese, and some fruits for the journey.

 

“Mother… is there really no other way to appease the deity?”

 

“No. He was already marked the moment Lord Kano made his decision. So, don’t get any funny ideas”, she said, pressing my forehead with her thumb.

 

Rubbing my new bruise, I finished up to set off.

 

“Jylan, where’s your brother?”

 

I shrugged. That child chewed off his leash years ago and my mother never put a new one on, so he just does what he wants.

 

“Find him and take him with you”

 

“No! Mother, please!”, I begged, “He will be the cause of all my troubles!”

 

“It’s high time you two started working together as a team”

 

Scrunching up my face in pain at the thought, I began to protest.

 

“Don’t!”, Mother warned, “If your uncle and I had been half as combative as you two, my mother would have glued us together!”

 

“You got lucky on the sibling pick, uncle is much more tolerable, in a quiet, brooding sort of way”

 

Mother bared her teeth at me, “This is a long-distance mission, so he has to go anyway, you know how much of a headache it can be to be a woman on the roads”

 

“Rather take my chances”, I grumbled.

 

A slap came to the back of my head. I whined as the pain set in.

 

“Fine! Sheesh!”

 

Hopping up to the carriage seat, I rubbed my head as the horses inched forward.  

 

“Be sure to send word on your progress”, Mother shouted as I passed under the gate.

 

“Yes mother…”, I mumbled.

 

Sighing, I thought of where my horrid brother could be in town. First stop was the dessert shop, where he usually overzealously sates his sweet tooth and tries to pick up women. With no luck, I stopped by the Earl’s estate, but he wasn’t playing with his friend there either.

 

“Where is that boy?”, I growled.

 

Shutting my eyes for a moment, a place came to mind, but if he was there, my problems had already started. Pinching my lips closed, I directed the horses… to the gamble house.

 

“Please don’t be there, please don’t be there”, I begged.

 

The universe was not on my side; there he was, clear as day in the window of the gamble house, loudly shouting, surrounded by a crowd of unsavory people, and gambling away our family’s wares.

 

I took a deep breath and watched him for an extended moment. Adjusting my daggers and smoothing over my dress, I hopped down from the carriage seat just as the shouting became more heated.

 

“Ay, I know ya cheating, ya thieving roach!”, a drunken gambler yelled.

 

“Don’t blame me for your lack of skills”, Saovin snobbishly said.

 

His arrogance only railed up the man and his buddies more. The man threw the dice and grabbed him by the shirt.

 

“Yer gonna give me me money back or pay wit’ blood!”, he said, pulling out a dagger.

 

“Now don’t be a sore loser mate, I won fair and square”, Saovin insisted nervously.

 

Rolling my eyes as I entered the door, I drew my daggers to intercept the man’s swipe at Sao and pushed him back.

 

“Always on time as usual, sister”, Saovin smiled.

 

I sucked my teeth at him as I scanned the room. Fifteen or more very pissed off men surrounded us.

 

Scrunching up my face, “why me?”, I complained internally.

 

“Lady Jylan, welcome”, the man slurred, “ya know I don’t any trouble, so have that boy return me money, and we all be happy”

 

I turned to glare at Sao and nudged my head.

 

“No! I won! It’s mine!”

 

“Goddamn it, Sao!”, I cried.

 

Hearing his answer, the rest of the group pulled out weapons-I growled in frustration and tapped my foot three times. On cue, Sao flipped the table and made for the door. A full-out brawl started, breaking everything in sight. Several brawny men ran at us. Disposing of them quickly, I swung a screaming Sao closer to the door.

 

“Send the bill to the estate, Lily!”, I shouted as I kicked Sao’s useless body out of harm’s way and through the exit. Pushing a drunk, who was sweet talking one of my horses to the side, I launched the carriage at full speed just as Sao jumped on back.

 

“So long suckers!”, Sao shouted, hanging off the carriage.

 

“God! You’re a terrible brother!”, I yelled as he made his way to the front.

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, not the first time I’ve heard that”, he brushed it off, “So, where we off to?”

 

“We got a transport request. Human Water Maiden. From the Lowlands to the river’s origin in the High North mountains”, I hissed.

 

“This sounds like a terrible journey, let me off”

 

“No! Mother said you have to come!”

 

“Ay!”, he growled, “Means I can’t go back home till this is over. You know I have a life, right? This spirit business is really interrupting it”

 

Fire shot from my eyes, “You dare to complain!? You rarely get called upon to do anything!”, I hissed.

 

“Okay, okay, okay…”, he rubbed his ears, “You’re definitely Mother’s daughter”

 

“And you’re definitely your father’s son”, I spat.

 

“Oy! Now that was just low!”

 

“Shut it and get the map to show me the fastest route”

 

“And why does it have to be us? Why not cousins, Leona and Maria, or Jubilee and Jun?”

 

“Why do you think so? Make a good guess, while you’re reading that bloody map!”

 

Aniceta caretakers traditionally work in pairs. Given Mother’s age difference with her siblings, who were already paired off, she stayed under Grandmother as a pair, only occasionally working with her siblings. When I came around, and Grandmother began doing long distance work, I was paired with my mother. Saovin has been off scot-free, enjoying his youth and failing every lesson imaginable, yet I’m the one who gets Mother’s iron fist. 

 

Additionally, living at the main house means receiving requests that couldn’t reach the other nearby caretakers. Some occults despise the messenger birds, so it can be easy to miss a request. Too much pecking or trying to eat the small creatures, I guess.

 

“Alright, Alright, bloody harpy, the fastest is along the old passage of King’s Road, with a swift right through the forest after passing through Turnsbury”, he grumbled.

I nodded and pushed the horses to go faster, hoping to at least make it to a town at least a fifth of the way before nightfall. The thought of camping with Sao was a nightmare I didn’t want to deal with just yet. Sao relaxed in the carriage, while I exhausted the horses until we made it to a King’s road outpost halfway to Turnsbury. I violently woke Sao.

“Get up! Go find us somewhere to rest for the night, and stay out of trouble!”, I pointed, warning him.

He rolled his eyes, “Okay, okay”, he grimaced.

I left him to the task as I went to negotiate with the stable master to care for my horses for the night. 

“My lady, what can I do for ya?”

“These horses need fresh hay, water, and shelter for the night. Have them ready with the carriage in the morning”, I stated.

“That’s a tall order on such short notice”

I looked at him suspiciously, “How about 3 copper pieces for the horses and 2 more for your troubles?”

He licked his teeth with a grin, “My lady… “, he began walking towards me, “That won’t even cover the fresh dinner for one of these fine horses, some bedding hay and puddle water maybe. Your horses and carriage are of such fine quality, I’m sure you wouldn’t want that…”

“Are you trying to swindle me?”

“On my honor, my lady, I would never!”, he acted.

“5 copper”, I said undeterred. 

“1 silver!”, he demanded

“Preposterous! The normal fee is 2 copper. I am being generous. Take it or leave it”

He snickered, “Now… my lady, you must understand, we’re not blessed with the abundance of the capital. Goods here are harder to get and I run the only stable here, so you’re not going to get any offer better than this”, he insisted, “And, by the looks of you-”, he looked me up and down, “A middle class gal like yourself can afford it. So a silver... or take your horses to starve”

 

Irritation began to set in as I wracked my brain for a peaceful compromise, but 1 silver was too much; it was 25 times more than the average stable fee for one night. He kept insisting, unwilling to budge. 

“Alright then, get the hell out of my stable”, he growled.

I turned and looked around, realizing we were alone, I pulled out my dagger, grabbed his shirt and pushed him against a pillar. I threatened him with my dagger to his neck.

“5. Copper.”, I growled, “You may get away with ripping off other travelers, but your luck has run out today. I want my horses fed, watered, and ready to go by morning ”, I smiled darkly. 

“Ye-yes! Fi-five copper!”, he stuttered in fear.

I let him go and turned to leave.

“Bloody wench”, he cursed at me checking his neck.

“Oh, I better not find one hair missing on my precious horses or-”, I swiftly turned and threw the dagger, which landed right above his head, “Enjoy being horse feed. Understand?”

He shook his head rapidly, then scampered away. I retrieved my dagger, took out the food from the carriage, and went to check on Sao. Much to my chagrin, it didn’t look like he had made any progress as he was too busy flirting with some girl. His obtuseness failed to see the very jealous looking man lurking nearby.

“Sao!”, I shouted, “What the hell are you doing?!”

Nervously laughing, he turned around rubbing his head.

“Where’s our accommodation?”

“Uh…”

“Saovin!”

“I’m on it, I’m on it”, he brushed me off and turned to the girl, “Sorry dearest, duty and my witch of a sister calls”, he said kissing her hand goodbye, “see you later”, he winked.

“Ugh”, I huffed as I waited for news of a free room we could rest in for the night.

He came back after about a half hour with a look of defeat.

“Uh, sis…”, he rubbed his head, “None of the inns are willing to let us stay… they even toss me out...”

Frustrated, I pushed the food basket into his hands and went to inspect the situation myself. I went to the largest inn to ask for a room.

“No. Get out”, the inn owner growled, “This ain’t the capital. Foreigners ain’t welcome here”

I scoffed at him, “I’ll have you know, sir, my family has lived in this kingdom since it was nothing more than an outcrop on the edge of the forest.”

“Makes no difference to me. Leave before I call the guards”

I left feeling jilted. When I found Sao, he was happily chatting away with an old woman.

“Sis! Sis!”, he called to me, “This old lady said she has a spare room!”, he said excitedly.

“Lady Aniceta”, her voice shook with old age as she smiled at me.

“How-oh”, I stopped speaking.

She smiled knowingly and gestured us to follow her to an old, but cozy cabin. We put our things down in the room and got settled in.

“Thank you so much”

“Don’t even. Your family has helped me many times over the generations, it’s the least I can do”

“Baba, how do you know us?”, Sao asked, clueless as usual.

I sucked my teeth and smacked him in the head, then mouth the word “witch” to him. He instantly got scared.

“Ah, oh, uh, sorry…”

She cackled, “Forgive the villagers. Like still water, their narrow-minds began to reek of rot without much exposure to the outside world. Your cousins usually take their chances with camping in the forest, rather than put up with them”

I nodded in understanding.

“Well if we’re done here, I'll be on my way”, Sao said, running out the door.

“Sao! Saovin!”, I yelled after him, but he was gone, “That boy, seriously”

Giving up on reining my brother in, I got ready for bed, sent an update message via bird to Mother, then turned in for the night. Sao came back around dawn, reeking of mead and perfume.