The first person to notice Sela was a young girl standing beside the empty garden trough. She kept tilting a wooden cup beneath the stone spout, though nothing came out. When she saw Sela, she lowered the cup and hurried toward the nearest shelter.
"She's back!" the girl called. "And the water's stopped!"
"Yes, I've noticed," Sela muttered, picking up her pace.
Nova followed her between six low stone houses built against the ridge. Flat rocks weighted their roofs, and vegetable beds occupied sheltered patches of soil. Several residents emerged, drawn by the warning and the stranger beside their gatekeeper. A few looked at Lunaris with interest. Most were watching Sela.
An older woman with one crooked horn stepped forward. She set down a basket of roots when she saw Sela's soaked cloak and Nova's bandaged hand.
"Tell me you closed it for repairs," she said.
