Sleep didn't come easy. Tomorrow I would say goodbye to my best friend. The rules of The Offering were clear. The crossroads were a four-way split, and we could only travel alone past this point.

One direction pointed back home to Chernibden, which left three others. Today Eluena, Maggie, and Edith would leave, one in each direction. Mindy, Becka, and I would wait five days. Then it was our turn. This year was rare. Chernibden had only two or three girls leave as Offerings for the past couple of years. Lucky me to go on a year that there were enough of us to force us to use that rule.

All night I tossed in my bedroll, an idea kindling in my mind. With my thoughts racing, I couldn't rest. As it always was with me, once an idea grabbed me it wouldn't let go until I had thought about it from every direction.

Giving up on rest, I left my bedroll and watched the sunrise from a large outcropping of rocks near our shelter. The warmth intensified along my body as the sun rose over the mountains to the east, painting the landscape around me in shades of amber.

Bits of broken glass glinted in the morning light. Crumbled buildings speckled the view around me. It was prime peddler-work, though I had heard exploration of these buildings was dangerous. Collapses could happen with little warning. So much black rock, heaved and broken, now overgrown with grass and shrubs. Mother Earth was reaching up from the depths of her being to enfold these anomalies and bring them back to her bosom, back into the dirt.

My body and mind relaxed under the soothing heat, and my plans crystallized in my mind. I had no intention of finding a husband, so why play by the Elder's rules? I couldn't suppress the grin that spread across my face as both my heart and mind accepted my decision. The Offering always struck me as just another way the Elders tried to control and dictate our lives, but now I savored the unanticipated feeling of freedom.

There were no Elders to stop me. I had said my goodbyes.

Committed to my new plan, I focused on the task ahead, to bide my time until everyone was asleep tonight, to not attract any attention during the day, and then to find Eluena and convince her to break the rules with me.

Convincing Eluena would not be as easy. She was, by nature, someone who did not like to stir the pot. While I knew some of her more rebellious thoughts, I also knew she wanted to find a husband and settle down. Yes, convincing her would be no easy task, but I'd have at least an entire day's worth of travel to think about that.

And then there was my mother's advice: find a husband in the first village. She only wanted me to stay nearby. Since I was no longer following rules, I could go back to my village and visit my parents at any time I wished. I pushed that issue to the back of my mind. My mother's strange behavior bothered me, but I didn't have time to puzzle it out. My focus needed to be on stealing away and Eluena.

As the sun rose higher, I heard rustling inside the house. Someone was awake. I slid off my rock, warm from the sun, and made my way back to the shelter. The crossroads were the center of a bygone city. I could still make out the outlines of the old road hidden beneath the growth. It was much wider than what the traders needed today.

Eluena was the only one awake and outside of the bedding area as I entered the small, ramshackle building, maintained by travelers and peddlers. Her nerves always bested her. She gave me a shy, nervous smile as I walked in, busying herself with folding clothes to pack for her day's travel.

Eluena had her bag on the long, wooden table centered in the room. The room was for eating and sitting. No kitchen, only the table with six chairs and a trunk. Cooking was outside in the fire pit. As much as we rejoiced in the rain, I don't think I would enjoy being stuck in a cabin with Mindy and Becka in the torrential downpour of one of our storms.

"The sunrise is amazing. The land glitters like the stars crashed into the earth overnight." I attempted to put cheer into my words, gauging how Eluena was this morning. There was no need to distress her by telling her my plan.

Eluena pressed her lips together in what was meant to be a smile, but the glassiness in her eyes gave her away. She was close to losing it, so I walked closer to my friend. Not too close. Too close might push her over the edge, and if I knew Eluena, she'd want to keep this contained. I kept my distance by standing around the corner of the table from her, but I was near enough to offer comfort and that feeling of intimacy if she needed it.

"Need help? Are you ready?" I tested the waters.

I watched as my friend pressed her lips together again, shaking her head. She looked down at her stuff on the table: articles of clothing, a few colorful hair ribbons, a cooking pot, and some bags of dried food. Her blonde hair cascaded down to block her face from my view. She threw her hands out. "You always get all this stuff to fit so nicely in your pack, and I've watched you do it. How can I not do it myself?"

"Try to put the heavier items towards the bottom and then near the back of the pack. Everything else should fit in nice and tight to make it more comfortable for you." I picked up a cloth bag of dried beans to show her something she should put in first.

She let out a huff, and I saw some of her hair puff away from her face. "That's what you always say, and clearly I am incompetent!"

I grinned. "Sorry. How about you pack, and I'll do your hair and give you tips as you go?"

We settled into our chosen tasks. Halfway through Eluena stopped. "I'm scared, Tal."

My hands stilled, the strands of her dirty-blonde hair slipping through my fingers. "I know."

She nodded her head. "I needed to tell somebody. I don't like staying in some cabin, like this" —she waved her arms indicating the room— "all by myself."

I placed my hand on her shoulder and gave, what I hoped, was a comforting squeeze. "Look at it this way. You'll have a roof over your head and a door you can block."

She turned and looked up at me. "Why do we have to separate? This seems so unnecessary. What if a peddler or some other trader is already in the cabin when I get there?" Her blue eyes were wide and pupils large.

I hadn't thought of that issue. What if someone was already using the houses we stopped at? No one had ever prepared us for that possibility. Men protected women, but the stories were still out there of men using their physical strength against us. The thought of my bow and arrows comforted me, but Eluena wouldn't have that. At least not the first night or two. Eluena's legs were strong, and I knew she could cover ground. If the weather turned, then she could pull further ahead as I tried to catch up.

"Well," I offered, "if someone is already in the cabin you can always keep moving. Sleep under the stars as long as it isn't raining." I finished the last bit in a mutter.

Eluena swatted me on the arm. "That's not of much help at all. What if it is raining? And, at least, in a house, I'd have walls around me from all the other creatures out there." She waved her hands in annoyance.

I finished tying her hair back. The memory of my mother doing the same for me the other morning haunted me. Eluena was shoving things into her bag now, her agitation clear. I hesitated, not sure if I should bring up my plans just yet.

To hell with it. I might not have another moment alone with her like this. "Eluena."

"What?" Her voice was clipped with worry.

"Look at me." I grabbed her hands, stopping her from packing, and tugged her towards me. Her hands softened in my grasp. I bit my lower lip in a final moment of self-doubt. "I'm not staying here." My voice was low as I pulled her towards the doorway, away from the room with the other girls. Eluena's brow furrowed, but she caught on that I didn't want to broadcast this information and followed. "I'm leaving... tonight. I'm going to sneak out and follow you."

Eluena's face morphed from one crinkled in confusion to one wide-eyed in surprise. She shook her head at me.

"No, Talia. You'll be breaking the rules. You mustn't." She grabbed my arms, her fingers curling around my biceps. She pushed me through the front door and out on to the shelter's porch. "What if you're caught? What if we're caught?"

I smiled, knowing my company wasn't a complete negative for her. Maybe convincing her wouldn't be that hard. "I don't care about the rules. If we see someone coming, I can follow you in the woods or hide in the shrubs. Or we can both travel that way. I can wait for you on the other side of each village."

With her lips pursed, she said, "And when I choose a husband? Then what?"

I frowned. Eluena would go along with me for a few villages, but eventually she would want to find a husband. I brushed the thought aside. "We can figure that out later."

"But what if I meet someone in the first village? I don't want to be that far from home." Conflict flickered in her eyes. The stories from my peddler books had always intrigued her, but she also liked to fit in and please her family. Being far away from Chernibden would bother her.

An idea formed in my mind, but a creak of floorboards at the door broke my concentration. Both Eluena and I looked back towards the door. I'm sure neither of us looked innocent.

It was Mindy.

"What are you two talking about? What will you be figuring out later?" She sauntered towards us, her lithe frame making her movement's cat-like. "Hmm?"

I pursed my lips and tried to look as carefree as possible. Inside I felt anything but. Mindy finding out my plans would be disastrous. She'd tattle to the town Elders wherever she went first. There was no doubt in my mind she'd report me for leaving early, but if we could keep this quiet, then she wouldn't know any more than I broke the rules and moved on to my first village early.

Eluena remained silent, but she could never maintain looking innocent if she was up to something. Mindy's gaze darted back and forth between our two faces, and her dusky blonde curls still perfectly coifed even after a night in the cabin.

"You're up to something, and since Eluena is leaving this morning, then what are you figuring out later?" Mindy crossed her arms over her chest. It was clear she would not leave until she had her answer.

"None of your business." I brushed past her. Maybe my exit would end her interrogation.

But before I made it back to the door, Eluena chirped up, "We're just hoping we wind up in towns near each other."

"Eluena!" I hissed to bolster Eluena's fib. Mindy wasn't that sharp, so I hoped my acting was convincing.

Mindy paused. I could tell, even from behind, that she was staring Eluena down and weighing what she had said. "You mean you want to stay near this one?" She jabbed her thumb back in my direction.

I tamped down my immediate anger. Long ago I had taught myself to not react to everything Mindy said. Sometimes, though, I completely failed.

Then to my shock Eluena shot back at Mindy, "What is your problem with her, anyway? Our entire time growing up you couldn't stand her. Why? She's done nothing to you. Or were you jealous that she has a brain and you don't?"

I stood with my mouth agape. Eluena never got riled. She had always been the peacemaker amongst the village kids.

She must have shocked Mindy too as Eluena brushed by her, letting her arm knock Mindy out of the way. As she passed me, she said, "I need to eat before I go."

As much as I wanted to see Mindy's face after Eluena, of all people, snarked at her, I followed Eluena and left her on the porch. Eluena needed to eat, and I needed to gauge how she was feeling about my plan.

An hour later the six of us stood in the center of the crossroads. Maggie and Edith were crying again and hugging. I stood with Eluena, our arms wrapped around one another.

"Which direction, should I go?" Eluena whispered into my shoulder.

With Maggie and Edith a mess she would have the first choice.

"Go north," I said.

North was the fastest way towards the mountains and where our water deliveries came from. Rain was unpredictable in Tel-Eile, and all the big villages were near the river or canals. I didn't know much about the area. The Elders were tight-lipped about it, but through the years and some eavesdropping, I had heard that whoever lived in the mountains controlled the supply of water.

It wasn't until Eluena asked where to go that I realized what I wanted to see. "I'll sneak out tonight. I'll be tired, so I may not catch up to you until tomorrow night."

She pulled away, gave me a brisk nod, and turned north. She had said goodbye to me last, and I watched my friend go until I could no longer see her.

Maggie and Edith got themselves together enough to head on their way: Maggie to the east and Edith to the west. As I stood there, the wind picked up and blew my hair around my face. This would be my final day with Mindy and Becka. I'd make myself useful for the good of the group, of course.
There was a certain amount of satisfaction in knowing they thought I would be there to help for five days, and I knew they would take my abilities for granted. A smile spread across my face. Tonight I'd leave them to their own devices and wash my hands of them.

********