“Look, there it is!” A voice shouted from the front of the caravan.

“I see the docks!” Another shouted. The tolling of a bell rang out across the water, one, two… five… ten times, then stopped. At long last, they had reached the end of the final crossing.

Atha looked out across the water in front of her to see hazy, twinkling lights in the distance. The fog made it difficult to make anything else out. Atha looked over at Margaret and Eltier, who were trudging along beside her. Belon was still asleep inside the wagon-boat beside them.

They’d made good time, it seemed. They’d all been so eager to reach the end of the crossing, the pilgrims had managed to convince the lead guide to not stop so early at night and to get started earlier in the morning, and many of them were exhausted from the effort of traveling more hours in a day. Of course, the majority of the immersed volunteering to walk made pulling the wagon-boats much easier, and there were more men to take turns now as well. Another unforeseen yet welcome consequence of her secret coming to light. 

Atha squinted and strained to make out any forms of the settlement, but it was not use. The fog was too thick.

“Is Yolek a big town?” Atha asked Eltier.

“Yes, one the biggest I’d say. It’s no surprise, this is where most people settle since it’s the end of the crossing. But there are other settlements further inland.” Eltier grinned at Atha. “I’m really excited to show you the town.” Atha did not return his smile, instead feeling a frown creep onto her face.

“Do you think we’ll be welcomed just as the others before us?”

“There will be some confusion for sure, but I don’t see why not. You’re all able-bodied, there’s no reason for them not to process everyone and start them out in their new lives.”

“I suppose you're right. Although it will be quite a shock for whoever sees us walking in the water.”

“We had this discussion last night, Atha,” Margaret reminded her. “We all agreed it would be best not to hide ourselves.”

“I know but…”

“Don’t worry, Atha. We are in this together now.” Margaret took her hand and squeezed it. Atha wondered at this woman, who had so willingly followed her into the water and now offered so much support. 

Back at the Pilgrim’s camp, she barely had a kind word for me, just asked me to watch Belon while she did laundry for other Pilgrims. Now she is almost acting as if she were my mother…

As they came closer and closer to the wooden docks of the settlement, Atha’s heart beat faster and faster. Nothing bad will happen, surely. It wasn’t such a terrible thing that nearly half of the Pilgrims and guides of this crossing could now touch the water and come out unharmed. But the words of the lead guide still echoed in her head. 

Do you have any idea what you’ve done?

The mysterious Clan could swoop in and make their new lives very hard it seemed. Atha had no idea how, but seeing the fear and worry in Joel’s eyes convinced her that the Clan was not to be dealt with lightly.

“Ho, Pilgrims!” came a shout across the water. Atha looked up and saw a man waving a lantern on the dock.

“Ho, crossing master!” Atha heard Joel respond from the front of the caravan.

“Please come up onto the dock as quickly as possible. The Clan leader would like to meet with you before beginning processing.”

“Is there something wrong?” Joel shouted back.

“Well… half of your people are in the burning water. He obviously has some questions.”

“I see. Atha!” Atha hurried forward as fast as the thigh deep water would allow her, and came to stand beside Joel. Through the fog Atha could make out multitudes of people standing on the wharf, openly staring at the people in the water. Word of their unique arrival had spread quickly it seemed. “Don’t expect to stay back in the shadows, lass,” Joel warned her. “This is your doing, and I won’t be held responsible for it.” Atha nodded, accepting her role in all of this. But still she could not bring herself to regret her actions, at least not yet. 

It still took them a good ten minutes to reach the dock. When they did, Joel shouted out orders to the men pulling the wagon-boats, directing them to bring them right up to the wooden platforms. Eltier and a few other guides that had been immersed climbed up onto the docks and began pulling up others from the water. They made sure to stand apart from those dis-embarking the wagon-boats.

Belon came off after a while, rubbing his tired eyes before bounding over to his mother. In no time all of the pilgrims and guides were gathered there on the docks, two groups divided by their decision to follow Atha into the water, with their quiet audience of townspeople watching their every move. Atha made sure to stand in front of the immersed so that she could easily be a part of whatever happened next.

“Welcome!” A voice shouted from the crowd. The people moved to create a walkway for the owner of the booming voice, which belonged to a surprisingly skinny, bespectacled man. “Welcome, weary Pilgrims! And welcome back, our brave and fearless guides. We thank you for your service.”

“We thank you for the opportunity to serve,” Joel responded, the phrase sounding like a memorized rite. 

So, this must be one of the leaders of Yolek Town, Atha thought. Perhaps even a leader of the Clan.

“We were not expecting you so soon, and certainly not with such a… distinctive entrance.”

“There was an incident this past crossing that-” Joel began, looking sharply as Atha, but he was quickly stopped by a raised hand from the other man.

“We will have time for explanations later. The processing must begin, and then there is still much to be done to prepare for all of the newly arrived pilgrims.” The man looked over his shoulder at the gathered crowd, and they quickly dispersed to attend to those preparations.

The man turned his head back and his eyes settled on Atha. She fought the urge to look away from his piercing gaze. He smiled at her, then turned back to Joel.

“I should like to discuss the matter with whomever may be involved later, over the evening meal. But for now, I welcome you once more, and express my hope that you will find safety and rest here in Yolek Town.” The man turned and walked back the way he had come, disappearing into the fog between two buildings.

“Alright, then,” the man Joel had called the crossing master said, calling all attention to him. “Form a line please, Pilgrims. Guides, you are free to return to your lodgings.” The guides, both immersed and otherwise, moved to leave their charges to return home. Eltier, who hadn’t moved from Atha’s side since helping the last of the pilgrims up onto the dock, touched her hand lightly with his fingers. Atha looked up at him.

“I’ll find you after you get settled later today, alright?” He said.

“Alright.” Elteir smiled reassuringly.

“You’ll be fine. Yolek is a great place once you get used to it.” Eltier then followed his fellow guides, also disappearing into the fog.

The pilgrims quickly lined up and waited for their turn to be processed as a resident of Yolek Town in the country of Jahbar, which had been a fairly young country before the burning waters came. Now it was one of the last remaining with any level of order. Atha decided to hang back and ensure that everyone could get through, and Margaret and Belon waited with her. 

It took a good two hours for everyone to file through the line. Even though it took so long, by the time it was their turn the atmosphere surrounding the docks had not changed in the least. The fog had even gotten thicker, and made Atha almost feel like she was breathing in a cloud.

At last it was her turn. As they approached the desk where the others had been processed, a bubble of anxiety lodged in Atha’s throat. But there was no reason for it. All the others, immersed or not, had been accepted. Why would she not be?

“Name?” The crossing master asked, his assistant ready with a feathered pen and ink to record her answer.

“Atha.”

“That is spelled A-t-h-a?” Atha nodded. “Surname?”

“I… I don’t have one.”

“Then you may choose from this list here.” The crossing master produced a list of seemingly approved surnames from a stack of parchment beside him. Atha took the paper and felt immediately overwhelmed by the number of options to choose from.

“Just put Donelly,” Margaret said, and Belon let out an excited squeal. Relieved at not having to make such a big decision by herself anymore, Atha nodded.

“Oh, a-alright. Donelly, then.”

“Good. Take this,” the crossing master’s assistant said, handing her the parchment with her newly chosen name written on it. “Don’t smudge the ink. Now please step this way for fingerprints.” The man indicated another desk that still had a small line waiting.

Fingerprints? What on earth does that mean? But as Atha approached the next desk, her confusion was wiped away. A woman took another woman’s hand and lightly brushed the fingertips with red ink, much like the now-faded ink that had been used to distinguish those that had been chosen for the next crossing back at the Pilgrim’s camp. Once the fingers had been coated, the woman firmly pressed them onto the parchment, making sure that each digit left its individual mark.

What could this be used for? But Atha did not protest as her own fingerprints were applied to the parchment. Then she was free to go, the woman taking her parchment and indicating that she should approach one of the few remaining people offering shelter to the newly arrived pilgrims. Atha decided to wait for Margaret and Belon again. Perhaps they would be able to find a room to share.

“Atha, oh good, you waited,” Margaret said a short time later. Belon wiggled his red-inked fingers at Atha, and she did the same.

“I was thinking we could try to find a room to share,” Atha explained.

“Good idea.”

“By the way, I wanted to ask you… why that name? Donelly?” Atha asked.

“It’s our name,” Margaret replied. “That way you have someone you know that shares your name, not some other stranger that picked it off that list.” Atha felt tears prick her eyes.

“Thank you...”

“Think nothing of it,” Margaret said, waving away Atha’s thanks. Then she rounded on the remaining people. “Now, which of you has room for three?”

Atha awoke with a start and sat upright, her eyes blinking against the bright sunlight streaming through the glass window to her right. A glass window. When was the last time she’d seen one of those? Months, a year maybe? That would have been the last time she was anywhere near an established town such as this.

Atha rubbed her eyes and opened them again, taking in the room she’d been led to earlier that day. Two beds, a dresser, and a single mirror hanging on the wall was all this room contained. Yet Atha could not help but feel immensely blessed to have it. The mattress on the bed was a little flat from use, but otherwise comfortable, and the pillows and blankets only had minimal fraying.

The kind woman who had offered them this room only said that they hadn’t been expecting them so soon, and so citizens of the town had given up their own beds for the members of the last crossing. She ran a hand through her still-damp hair, untangling her fingers. They’d been given warm water to wash with, not a full bath of course, but enough to scrub themselves clean and wash their hair. Margaret had even helped her scrub her back, and Atha had marveled at the feeling of being clean and having the fresh underclothes that had been provided.

Atha looked across to the other bed where Belon and  Margaret slept soundly. She still felt a tinge of emotion at the thought of sharing a surname with them. Perhaps she didn’t have to be so alone anymore, like she always believed she would be.

Of course that turned her thoughts to Eltier, and she found herself wondering where he was. 

He could be on the other side of the settlement for all I know…

But she shook that worry from her mind. There were more important matters to think on. Like that man with the spectacles, and what trouble he could possibly bring upon her and the others that had been immersed. He seemed welcoming enough, but then he’d stopped Joel from telling everyone what had actually happened. Who’s to say he would allow anyone else to go into the water, if that was what they wanted? He’d been able to disperse a large crowd with just a few words. What if he used his influence to bury her secret for good?

Bump bump bump. A soft knock sounded at the door, and a second later the woman who owned this house opened the door just a crack. She spoke barely above a whisper.

“Miss? I’m supposed to let you know that the evening meal will be beginning soon. You may want to get ready. Here is a clean dress for you.” The woman opened the door a little wider and plopped a bundle of brown fabric on the bed at her feet. “If you need any help with it just let me know.”

“Alright, thank you. I’ll just wake them up and-”

“Oh, no miss, let them sleep. I’ll be feeding them here. Only you are invited to attend.”

“Only me? But why?”

“I don’t know, miss. But please be quick. Master Gordon doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” 

Master Gordon? Is that the man with the spectacles?

“There’s a young man here to escort you to the dining hall as well. So please, be quick.” With that the woman closed the door and left Atha alone to get dressed. 

A young man? Eltier? The thought spurred Atha to quickly throw the dress on over her head and tighten the lacing up the front. She paused before going out the door, looking back at Belon and Margaret. Surely they would be alright while she was gone. It was only dinner. It shouldn’t be too long.

“Ah, good, you’re ready,” the woman said as Atha descended the stairs and entered the front room. The woman handed her a pair of soft leather shoes to put on. “I’m sure we’ll get you some proper shoes eventually, but for now these will have to do.”

“Thank you.” Atha slipped them on, just as the front door opened and a young man entered. But it was not Eltier. He was as tall as Eltier, but more gangly, and have a narrower face with a crop of whote-blonde hair.

“Ready?” he asked, seemingly just as anxious as the woman for Atha to be on her way.

“Yes, I’m ready.”