Page 3 of A Shard of Ice

I don’t bother arguing because he’s right. The gruel is thin and almost tasteless. It almost costs more energy to eat than it gives.

“How’s the shoulder?” He notes how I have swapped arms. I’m now pulling my basket-sleigh with my left hand instead of my right.

“Much better,” I lie.

He chuckles, leveling me with a look.

I roll my eyes. “It’s…it…” I sigh. “It could be better.” This man knows me so well. It can be infuriating at times.

I roll my right shoulder, wincing at the sharp pain that runs down my arm. Endless hours, days, and months out here are taking their toll on me. All of the chipping away at the thick, hard salt is backbreaking and damaging to the body.

He takes my rope from me, dragging two baskets instead of one.

“What? No, it’s—”

“I’m much stronger than you. You need a break so that you can heal.”

Again, I don’t argue; there’s no point.

I sigh, “Thank you, Taylor. You’re one in a million. I wish I could repay you somehow.”

“I don’t need payment for anything. Friends help friends; it’s as simple as that.”

“Except it should work both ways. It’s a little skewed right now.”

“Just heal up and don’t worry about it,” he tells me.

We both know that it isn’t going to happen. We don’t get enough time off to heal. It doesn’t matter that I’m still fairly young. The salt mine will end us all. It’s just a matter of time. I can’t allow myself to dwell on it or to think about it. I need to keep going. To keep putting one foot in front of the other.

I force a smile. “Did you speak with Lona?”

He makes a huffing noise. “There’s no time for any of that.”

“I told you that she likes you. You should speak to her. Lona is pretty, and she’s really sweet, too,” I urge. “You could do worse.”

He shakes his head. “I should speak to her, and then what, Ky?”

“I don’t know.” I snort. “Have a little fun. At least one of our beds will be warm at night.”

He gets a dark look. “What if I get her with child?” He speeds up, and I have to work to keep up. “This is no place for…for love, for a family…for any of that nonsense.”

I laugh. “I didn’t say anything about love, Taylor. Definitely didn’t say anything about a family. Surely you must know that the women here drink a tea made from black bark? It prevents the womb from quickening with life.”

His eyes widen in surprise.

“You didn’t know.” I laugh. “It’s normal for people to…you know…even out here.” I look around us. “Even half-starved.” I look down at my torn pants and leather sandals. Everything is covered in sand. “I haven’t seen you look at a woman, let alone…” I lift my brows. “All I’m saying is that it would be a stress reliever for you. Your shoulders look awfully tense.”

“You can massage them later for me as thanks for that token.” He glances at the area between my breasts where my token is safely nestled. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Who are you letting under your covers at night? I haven’t seen you accept a single advance.”

I shake my head. “I haven’t.”

“That’s what I thought, Ky. Yet you talk to me of Lona.”

I give him a sideways glance. “We should probably change the subject.”

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