The days following Rowan's visit passed more peacefully than Ayla expected.
Not perfect.
But peaceful.
The tension between her and Kyla slowly settled into an uneasy truce. They still weren't friends, and Ayla doubted they ever would be, but at least they weren't arguing every time they found themselves in the same place.
For now, that was enough.
Life in Black Hollow continued.
The villagers worked.
The children played.
The elders complained about things that didn't really matter.
And somehow, Ayla found herself becoming a part of it all.
A part of something again.
The realization still frightened her.
But it no longer frightened her enough to run.
The morning sun was already high when Ayla helped repair a broken fence near the western edge of the village.
She wasn't alone.
