there was something in the water, now that something's in me
i can't go back, but the reeds are growing out of my fingertips
“You’ve just lived in herd then?” He asks. The question is rhetorical – why would she not know what a kingdom was if she hadn’t only lived in a herd before? – and he’s speaking aloud more than really asking. “Do you think you’d want to join either of the castes?” He’d mentioned them briefly before, the warriors and the diplomats, but hadn’t made any attempt to gauge her interest in participating. Their army consists of three horses, but they’ll in need of diplomats as well. Texas might be clever, but he’s never been possessed of the silver tongue required to be appropriately political. T comes with the territory of not especially caring if he’s liked or not, which is an excellent life strategy, but perhaps not the best for building ties between kingdoms.
As they talk, Texas leads the way to the Falls. It’s the kingdom nearest to the Field, and the trip is short. The move through the woods that create the edge of the kingdom lands, and then along the river that flows from the waterfall itself. It’s a quiet walk, for the herd lands under the governance of the Falls are as quiet as the kingdom, but there is plenty of wildlife. Eventually there is a sound like constant thunder, and it grows louder as they continue upriver.
They round a bend in the river, and there it is – the Dazzling Waterfall. Over a hundred feet tall, and falling down a cliff face comprised of sparkling quartz and granite, is the feature the gives the kingdom its name. The water falls into a pool so deep that light does not reach the bottom, and around it a wide meadow spreads in all directions before being swallowed up by a forest comprised mostly of old growth oak and beech trees. “What do you think?” he asks, gesturing at the view.
texas
