"No, no, she's killing him!!!" Belon's mother shrieked.

"I'm not killing him, I'm helping him," Atha said calmly, not looking at Margaret, or the guide, or anything else besides the little boy. She focused on the squeeze he would give when he needed more air.

"Don't just stand there, do something!" the woman screamed at the guide, but he didn't make a move towards Atha. Atha wondered if he had heard what she'd told Belon, and was waiting to see what would happen. A squeeze came, and she brought the boy up just enough for him to get another breath. Blisters appeared again on his face, and Atha knew he hadn't been under long enough.

"It's alright, Belon, I've got you. Take another breath. Ready?" The boy nodded again, and Atha pushed him down. A deathly quiet permeated the air. The other wagon-boats had stopped, and everyone on board was straining to see what was happening. Margaret had stopped yelling,  but Atha could hear her muffled sobs. Belon squeezed for another breath, which Atha gave him, then pushed him back under when she saw the blisters appear once more. All the while Atha pleaded with the unseen powers that it would work. The fourth time that Atha brought Belon up, there were no blisters. She almost couldn't believe it. "Belon, do you feel any pain?"

"...No..." Atha gently moved him and held him against her chest, anxiously searching for signs of the burning water. There was nothing but clear, smooth, healthy skin. 

It worked. She turned towards the people gawking from the wagon-boats, showing them Belon's un-blistered face. Then she looked Belon's mother right in the eye. "You see? He is alright now." There was a second of continued stunned silence. Then shouts and exclamations came from all who had witnessed it, calling it a miracle, or some sort of supernatural workings, or magic yet unheard of. Belon looked just as shocked as everyone else.

"Mama," Belon said shakily, reaching up to his mother for comfort. But Atha pulled his arms back down.

"No, Belon. You must wait until you are dry before you can touch your mother."

"Oh... alright." The boy leaned his head against her shoulder, rightfully exhausted from his near brush with death.

"It won't take long, I promise," Atha assured him.

"How is this possible?" Margaret asked, looking as dumbfounded as the rest. "How did you know that would work?" Memories came unbidden to her mind, but Atha stamped them down.

"I just knew," Atha said with a shrug. "I can't tell you how."

"There must be some kind of explanation," the guide standing beside her said. He looked like he was trying to do a complicated equation in his head. She didn't know if she could tell him how it worked. She'd only just thought of trying it. But it turned out that she was spared from trying to explain.

"What's going on here?" A man shouted from up ahead. It was the lead guide, wading as fast as he could towards them. Then he stopped and stared at Atha holding Belon, just standing there in the deadly water. "What the... ! What in the world are you doing!?!" Everyone that had seen what happened tried to explain to the lead guide all at once. He tried to follow, but they all talked over one another and there was no way that he could understand it all. "Alright, alright! Please, all of you, settle down! Now, just one person, explain to me what happened."

"Sir," the guide that stood beside Atha said, stepping forward. "The boy fell in, and she jumped in to save him. But, it's incredible, the water doesn't burn them."

"You're not harmed?" the lead guide asked Atha, and she shook her head. "And the boy, he is alright?"

"Yes, we're both fine."

"Well... I don't rightly know what to do. But, we can't hold up the caravan any longer. And we can't have you near anyone else while you're still wet..."

"They could sit on one of the guide wagon-boats, and then I'll take them back when they're dry," the helpful guide said.

"Yes, yes, good idea. See to it, then." The lead guide went about getting another guide to take up the now empty harness for Atha's wagon-boat. Atha looked up at Belon's mother, and tried to give her a reasurring smile.

"I'll bring him back when he's dry." Margaret nodded, wiping more tears from her eyes. 

"Thank you, Atha," she said simply.

Atha was led away, carrying the boy through the water. The other Pilgrims stared with disbelief at them as they passed. All kinds of rumors were sure to spread throughout the wagon-boats. Atha was led up to the front of the caravan, to the wagon-boats that all the guides rode in when not working. These had different features than the others, to accommodate the different needs of the guides. Two rows of metal bars were attached to the bottom at the back of the wagon-boat, to allow the guides to step on. Then there was a wooden platform encircling it about two feet above the spiked wheels. More animal skins were positioned to protect the guides' feet from the water that might spray upwards. The platforms were just wide enough to sit on, and hanging underneath them in bunches were dozens of the waterproof outfits worn by the guides, left there until their owners needed them as protection from the burning water.

The guide who had helped her before stepped onto one of the metal bars, then turned so he was facing outwards. Then he did these strange sort of wiggling movements, and his leather covering came right off, which he hung on a hook just under the wooden seat. The guide then hoisted himself up onto the seat, and offered a hand to Atha to help her up as well. But she shook her head. Her hands were still wet and she didn't want him to be harmed by the water. Atha surveyed the wagon-boat, deciding the best method for getting onto the seat.

"Belon," she said, rousing the boy from his little nap. "I need you to hold on tight while I climb up, alright?" His only answer was to tighten his grip around her neck, and squeeze his knees tight around her waist. 

With her arms free, Atha reached up and grasped the top metal bar. She pulled herself up until her feet could reach the lower bar. These things were not made for a short girl, but for big, tall, strong men. It took all she had to pull herself up onto the wooden seat.

"You can just wait here, until you're both dry," the guide said, squatting on the wooden seat a safe distance away from them and their soaked clothing. Atha nodded, and laid out the little boy next to her so that his head was in her lap. He quickly dozed off again. She ran her fingers through his wet hair, amazed that it had really worked. 

He was immune to the water now, just like her. 

"Will you be alright out here?" the guide asked after a few moments, surprising her. She'd thought he had gone already. But he was watching her intently. "I saw that you had a blanket, do you want me to get it for you?" Her cheeks warmed. Why had he paid so much attention to her?

"No, thank you. It's only midday, we'll be fine out here."

"Alright. Well, I'll be in here if you need anything," he said, rapping his knuckles against the side of the wagon-boat. "Oh, and by the way, my name is Eltier. Just in case you were wondering." He flashed that strange smile, then disappeared over the side. Atha heard the lead guide shout for the caravan to continue on, and she gazed out over the endless water as the wagon-boats started to move again.

Well, that wasn't so bad. 

Having her secret revealed hadn't been as life-changing as she thought it would be. But she didn't know what would happen later, when more people knew. And what would happen to Belon? Saving him had put him in the exact same position as herself. But maybe, because he was so young, and had a mother to care for him, he would not become an outcast like she had. Atha hoped that this would be true. The boy in question just lay there quietly, taking long, even breaths, his eyes closed. 

At least it was all peaceful at the moment for him.

When darkness came the lead guide gave the command to halt, and guides came in groups to get into their wagon-boats to rest from the day's labor. They all looked strangely at Atha and Belon, who were still just sitting there on the wooden seat, but none spoke to either of them. After all of them got in, the guides that had already been inside came out to distribute that night's meal to the Pilgrims and put up the rain skins. 

One of the last to disembark was Eltier, the guide that had helped her before. He wriggled into his leather overalls, then carefully lowered himself into the burning water so as not to splash anyone. Then he turned his attention to Atha.

"Is he dry?" he asked, gesturing to the still sleeping child. Atha nodded. "Then I think it's time I take him back now." Atha nodded again, then woke the little boy.

"Belon, wake up. It's time for you to go back to your mother." Belon nodded his understanding, but before he left he put his arms around Atha's neck once more, and gave her a big hug.

"Thank you, Atha," he said, and she returned the embrace. Then Eltier took the boy away, letting him sit on his shoulders high above the water. Atha watched them go, then turned her gaze again to the wide expanse. Not ten minutes later she heard someone again coming through the water. Eltier came to a stop in front of her.

"I can take you back now," he said, reaching up his thick arms to her. She remembered when he'd held her before, after 'saving' her from the burning water, and she felt her cheeks flush again. She shook her head.

"I... would like to stay here, if that's alright." He looked puzzled again.

"It can't be very comfortable up there..."

"It is to me." Thinking of the last three months of sleeping on the ground under her blanket at the Pilgrim's camp, and there were all those other places she had slept over the years after being orphaned, she surmised that this wasn't too bad. She also didn't want to be the center of attention again. "Besides, it's open, at least. Not crowded like in the wagon-boat."

"You're sure?" Atha nodded. "Alright. I have to go put up the rain skins, but I'll be back."

With that he turned and waded away back the way he had come.