Aria
Dawn comes slowly in the Living Forest. The sun does rise above the trees. It seeps in like a thief. Light filters through leaves that glow from within, washing everything in a cold, golden hue. My bones ache from sleeping on roots, and the air tastes like dew and earth. Kael stirs at the entrance of the hollow, stretching as if we didn't almost die yesterday. Typical.
"You snore," he says.
"I have a knife."
He grins. "Noted."
I crawl out into the clearing, every muscle tight from tension instead of rest. The forest hums softly, more awake than it should be. Far off, a crow, or possibly something pretending to be one, calls once. It marks the beginning of the second day of the hunt. Then there is silence.
I wonder if anyone has found a rabbit and returned to the ha
