Valeria
The rain found the bedding before anyone found the covers.
Valeria stood beside the open cart and watched water run beneath a folded edge.
"They're in the other load," the carrier said.
The other load was behind them, waiting for a wheel to be freed from the soft ground.
"Of course they are."
She pulled her coat over the exposed bundle.
It covered less than she had hoped.
The carrier pulled the far edge toward the bundle. Water gathered in the fold and ran over his wrist.
"Don't pull it flat," Valeria said. "It needs somewhere to drain."
He lifted the corner again. The water fell onto the boards instead of the bedding, which was an improvement too small to feel like victory.
She looked toward the supply roof. The path between them was clear except for a loose strap from the open cart. She pushed it back into the load with her boot before they tried to carry anything across.
