Book II Chapters 1 and 2 Summary

Years after Claire is saved, stories vary as to how she came to live in the village. The reality is that Old Benedikt found her floating in the sea holding on to a piece of the ship mast. Tall Andras was there when Old Benedikt brought Claire to shore.

The men take Claire to Alys; she's the village midwife. She combs Claire's hair and puts her to bed for the night. In the morning, Alys feeds Claire and tries to get Claire to speak. Finally, Claire tells Alys her name.

The villagers start calling Claire Water Claire. Over the next several weeks, each one brings Claire a gift. They know she doesn't have anything, so each generously gives her something she can use. Claire doesn't have any memories of her life. While Alys is a midwife and...