KAEL
We returned to the village with two deer and several rabbits. Word spread fast. People came out from between the buildings and gathered along the path. They formed a loose line, quiet but watchful, and accepted what we brought with careful hands. There was relief in their faces. Hunger recognized food.
Eldric stepped forward and clasped my arm, then my hand. His grip was firm, steady.
"This is more than wonderful," he said. "We thank you for the bounty."
Nyssa moved to my side, her smile warm and open, like this place held no danger at all. Aria Blackwood did not join us. She stayed close to Serah, her posture guarded. I felt her eyes on me. Hard. Unmoving.
The hunt had never been just about food. It gave me reason to move freely along the Outer Watch. To circle the edges of the
