23
Deep in the night, Tarkyn lay sleepless within his shelter. His body was exhausted and hurting, but his mind could not release its hold on consciousness. Every time he began to sink towards sleep, a slight sound or a sudden thought would startle him back into full wakefulness. His mind kept going over and over the attack on him. The same thing happened each time he tried to focus to heal himself. He couldn’t let down his guard enough to focus inwardly. He did not feel safe among these woodfolk but placing Danton or a member of the home guard outside his shelter would have insulted the mountainfolk who had so newly sworn their allegiance to him.
Although he had accepted their oath in order to mend the rift between woodfolk, he did not yet have any faith in their honour. He had meant wh
