Chapter 17
Flora's POV
We broke camp at first light, the mission finally done, and the walk back felt longer than the ride out ever had. Eric walked ahead of me the whole way, his back straight, his pace even, never once turning around to check on me the way he used to without even seeming to think about it.
I walked behind him instead, close enough to stay with the group, far enough that neither of us had to pretend the silence between us was anything other than what it was.
Neither of us spoke. Not once, the entire morning. The rest of the patrol filled the quiet with their own chatter, relieved to be heading home, but between Eric and me there was nothing but the crunch of boots on dirt and a tension so thick I felt it pressing against my ribs with every step.
I told myself it didn
