3
I slept beside the fountain once I had drunk my fill. Part of me was terrified I would wake to find the water gone, but I didn’t have the strength to stay conscious any longer.
When I did wake up, darkness still surrounded me. I had slept with my lae stone clutched in one hand and my pendant in the other. The chill water of the fountain had soaked through the back of my coat. I didn’t mind being soggy and cold as long as I had water.
I sat on the lip on the fountain and drank for a long time. The fullness in my stomach almost disguised my hunger.
The stone lady at the center of the fountain seemed to stare at me as I drank. She’d been carved wearing a beautiful dress with her hair woven into an intricate braid that draped over her shoulder. The fancy hair, long skirt, and drooping sl
