Unsteady Ground
The moon hung low in the sky, casting silver light through the thick forest canopy. Rowan walked ahead, his steps sure but stiff, the weight of his responsibility pressing against his spine. Behind him, Caleb moved in silence, his presence like a shadow Rowan couldn’t shake.
They had been traveling together for three days, moving deeper into neutral territory where the elder had told them to start. The tension between them was thick enough to choke on, an unspoken reminder of their fractured past and the uncomfortable present.
Rowan had thought that once Caleb agreed to help, things would get easier. He had been wrong.
Caleb’s resentment burned through every interaction. He never missed a chance to remind Rowan of what he had lost—what Rowan had taken from him.
“You’re
