Elariana
The morning was cold and sharp, the dense forest air filling my chest with every careful breath. I felt better than I had during the night. My head no longer throbbed as badly, and the fresh bandage on my wound didn’t burn anymore. Even so, every movement felt heavy, as if my muscles were weighted with lead.
Zane sat on the other side of the fire, farther away than he had been at night, yet still close enough to watch me. He didn’t speak. He didn’t rush me. With a single brief glance, he let me know I could join them for breakfast if I wanted to. I tried to act like that choice was simple.
The men moved around us. Everyone was already eating. Steam rose from plates piled with food. Roasted meat, fresh bread, vegetables. Things I had spent years only smelling from a distance. My
