The Maiden and The Four Waters

Walla took a breath as she popped out of the water. She now understood why her fisherman were disappearing, they were catching children. The children of the four waters.

Walla swam to the water’s edge. She rested her body on the riverbank as she failed to think of a plan to save her town and protect the four waters.

Walla knew her town needed to stop fishing, but they needed food, it was too long of a journey to go by horseback into the nearest town especially a town that accepted Walla’s family name.

She rose to her feet before noticing two men wondering towards the wooden jetty.

“What are you doing?” She called out as she forced herself to catch up to them.

“Fishing” replied one of the men.

“I forbid it, are you going against me?”

The toned man with fishing poles in his hands stopped walking “I ain’t letting the offspring of a gambling liar stop me.” His breath bounced on her face.

Walla folded her arms across her chest.

“Now, move aside” His friend spoke.

“Emerany and Pont, I will have you detained.”

The males both laughed as they moved past Walla.

“A young miss like yourself.” Called out Pont as Emerany adjusted his grip on the fishing poles.

Walla scowled “I strictly stated no one can go on the waters until we can confirm what took the fisherman.”

Emerany struggled to keep a hold of the fishing poles in his hands as he attempted to catch up to Pont.

“Away from the water’s edge.” Walla caught up with the men.

“No.” Pont puffed his chest as he stood his stance at the river’s edge.

Emerany took pride in handing a fishing pole to Pont.

Pont continued his steps to the wooden jetty “No bitch will stop me.” He let those words stab in the air.

“Emerany please, you have a wife expecting. How would I tell her, her husband drowned while fishing?”

Emerany tossed his head back to Pont, Pont pulled a small sack from his pocket of his pants before sitting himself comfortably on the wooden jetty.

“I don’t expect my wife nor our child to starve.” Emerany adjusted his grip on the fishing pole before stepping down the wooden jetty.

Frustration washed over Walla as her anger fall on deaf ears.

Both the males reached into the small sack and pulled what looked like bait before hooking it into their fishing poles, they both threw the line out into the water.

Walla stand in her position as she watched.

Both the males took pride in just relaxing on the wooden jetty with their fishing poles, they began to chat about what took their interest as the seconds ticked by.

“You won’t find anything below, whatever has taken the fisherman has taken the fish too.” Walla didn’t move from the land as she called out.

“Emerany, do you hear something?” Pont smirked as he tossed a glance to Walla before moving his glance to his friend.

Emerany just laughed “Only a howling bitch.”

Walla could do nothing but scowl, she hated when the men in her town went against her.

“Why should we give up fishing, when we’ve seen you in the river. Each time you came back. You just want us to suffer just like your father wanted us too.” Pont spat into the water.

Walla sighed “I’m nothing like my father.”

“I’ve yet to see a difference.” Emerany called out though his tone wasn’t as painful as Pont’s had been.

“We could argue about my father all day if you like, if only you just get away from the water.”

“Not until we’ve caught our fish.” Pont called out as the water began to ripple “I’ve got something.” He felt the tug of his fishing line as he held onto his fishing pole.

Emerany watched as Pont began to attempt but fail to reel the hook up.

The males both noticed sharp claws just below the water.

“Off the water now!” Walla called out as she struggled to move “Drop the poles and to me. That’s an…” She didn’t have time to finish her words as Pont felt the tug of his fishing pole, he gave one final tug to bring up his hook only to land into the water with a splash and never to be seen.

Emerany jumped to his feet “What did you do!?” He called out to Walla.

Walla’s eyes widen as hands wrapped around Emerany’s ankles, she watched as sharp claws dug into his ankles.

Emerany felt the force of the wooden jetty hit his face before sliding into the water with a great splash.

“What have you done!?” Walla fought her strength to run to the edge of the wooden jetty.

She couldn’t see either men as she looked into the water, fear overcame her as she hesitated to jump into the water. She swallowed her pride as she watched the river stopping moving.

Walla felt tears roll down her cheeks as she began to run as fast as she could back into her town, her breathing heaved as she screamed in the middle of her town.

The villagers stopped what they were doing, they turned their attention to Walla.

They listened to Walla’s scream as she dropped to her knees in the dirt path.

Clarinne pulled open the brothel door, she rushed with concern to Walla “Hush child.” She carefully knelt down by Walla’s side as she wrapped her arms around the young girl.

“Pont and Emerany are gone.” Walla brought her teary eyes to Clarinne. “The river took them.” She couldn’t stop her tears “They wouldn’t listen.”

Clarinne looked up around at the villagers who were starting to gather around the two woman.

“They were fishing, I told you all to stay off the water!” Walla screamed “We’ve lost two more because of arrogance.” She finally brought her attention to the crowd around her “I don’t care what any of you think of me, I know many of you hate me in the role I never asked for but when I asked for one simple thing. One thing to protect you all, you must obey.” Her voice rose with frustration and anger as tears continued down her tears.

The villagers remained silent as Walla’s words sank into the air.

Walla rose to her feet, ignoring her dirt covered knees.

Clarinne rose to her feet, she wiped her knees as best as she could as she watched Walla “We can’t survive on soup alone, we don’t have many animals to put to cook. We are listening to you, but we can’t listen if we are starving. We will break out amongst each other if we cannot eat.” She remained calm.

Walla looked at Clarinne, neither woman were going to argue with each other as Walla calmed herself down “I know. I don’t want anyone turning on another, I just want you all to trust me when it comes to your safety.” She turned her attention to the crowd around her “I would rather us struggle enough ,just to protect you all from something unknown.”

There was a murmuring amongst the crowd as they realised they had heard those words before from Walla’s father.

“Pont and Emerany didn’t trust me words, you all know my father. I’m trying to prove I’m nothing like that man, I’m trying to be amongst you all. I try to fix problems that you all come running to me for, I try to be there when you need me.” Walla sighed “I’d rather risk my life in the waters than have you all jumping in and dying.”

Exel came running down the dirt path “Walla!” he caught his breath with each step “Walla!” He pushed past the crowd and into the circle of the two woman “Ma’am.” He breathed as he kept his glance away from Clarinne “Veronica’s calling for her husband, we can’t find him.”

Everyone shifted their gaze to Walla, they awaited for her to tell Exel the truth.

Walla took no pride in breaking this “Emerany died while fishing.”

Exel’s face dropped “She’s in labour.”

Walla took no hesitation in pushing past the crowd and running as quick as her feet allowed to the hospital.

Exel trailed behind her as he struggled to catch up.

Walla pushed her way into the hospital door, she listened to the screams of pain throughout the corridors as she raced as fast as she could.

She found Crowe on her knees in front of Veronica, Veronica’s face red and sweaty as nurses gathered around her.

“Emerany?” Veronica breathed out her pain as Walla entered the room.

Walla remained silent as she moved to Veronica’s side, she placed her hand in Veronica’s.

“Where’s my husband?” Veronica forced another push; Walla felt the pain of the woman’s grip.

Crowe took a spilt second to look up at Walla, she understand what had happened without the need of Walla to speak.

“OUT!” A nurse called out at Exel tried to enter the room “No need for you here.”

“Alright, sorr…” Exel turned his back as he noticed the head of a baby pushing out between Veronica’s legs. He took steps away from the room.

“Veronica.” Crowe remained calm as she looked up at the birthing woman “One last push than you can see.”

Veronica unknowingly dug her nails into Walla’s hand as she gripped tighter onto the young woman’s hand.

The screams of a baby filled the room.

The nurses, Crowe and Walla breathed out relief as Veronica leaned back with tears in her eyes.

“Emerany?” Veronica whispered.

The nurses took great care with bundling up the newborn.

Walla shifted her gaze to the nurse’s back as the baby cried before shifting her gaze to Veronica “I’m sorry.”

No one in the room knew whose cries were louder, Veronica’s or the unnamed baby’s.