“What pretty things?”
Unwilling to let go of her just yet, I shifted her to my side. Holding her in a side hug, I tossed back the lid of the basket to reveal a load of colorful fabrics.
“I bought you tunics, dresses, pants, and skirts,” I said. “All made for women and in your size.”
She stared at the folded clothes in disbelief. “You went shopping? For me?”
Her shock flustered me. I rarely bought things for others. I didn’t recall ever buying clothes for anyone, but buying them for Khala made me happy.
I thought about the way I had found her—hungry, painfully skinny, and covered in dirt. My heart overflowed with joy knowing that she would never go cold or hungry again, that it was in my power to make her life a little easier.
Her eyes lit up with delight as she reached into the basket.
“Ooh, what’s this?”
She pulled out the green silk ribbon I’d bought in a spur of a moment. It costed as much as a dress because it was made from emerald-green silk and embroidered with golden flowers and gemstones. The tiny blue beads along the edges were the exact color of Khala’s eyes, sky-blue, and I knew I had to have it.
“Do you like it?” I asked.
A happy smile lit up her face when she looked up at me. “The ribbon is so bright and cheerful.”
“My people love colors,” I agreed. “The more the better. The blue beads here are my favorite.”
I took the ribbon from her hands and tied it around her head, making a bow under her braid.
“I was right,” I grunted with satisfaction. “The blue beads are exactly the same color as your eyes.”
“Thank you. It’s the most beautiful thing I’d ever gotten, Grat.”
She squinted in the pale light of the dying sunset, smiling. And to me, there was nothing more beautiful in the world than her.
CHAPTER 10
KHALA
The ribbon was far from the most expensive or extravagant gift I’d ever received. But it was without a doubt the most precious one because I knew it came from the heart. Grat was still staring at me with a dreamy smile on his face, as if the sight of me wearing his ribbon was something magical.
“Thank you.” I lifted my arms to him, and he grabbed me into a hug that lifted me from the ground. “I have something for you too.” I gestured at the tub behind us.
He squinted at the system of ropes and buckets I had rigged above it.
“I tested it today, and it works great. The tub is half full already, and I have the fire going in the oven below. You can have a bath right now if you want,” I said quickly, suddenly afraid that my project might displease him.
What if he didn’t want any changes to his way of doing things? Maybe I should’ve asked for his permission before building something like that?
“What is it?” He blinked in confusion, coming closer to inspect the system of grooves that carried the water from the creek to the tub.
“Oh, it’s a water wheel with a pulley system,” I rushed to explain. “See that wheel on the bank of the creek? You turn it with that lever handle on the side. The buckets will fill with water, then dump it into the groove, which would then take it to the tub. So you don’t have to walk back and forth to fill it by hand every time. I tested and tweaked it, so it works great. Let me show you.”
I ran down to the creek.
“Careful!” Grat rushed after me. “There was a water dog here earlier. Those things are vicious in the wild.”
“Oh, she’s fine. She won’t hurt me,” I said, coming to the large wheel at the water edge.
“She?”
“Yes. She’s a mother. She has puppies. I’ve been giving her some food.”
