The walk back to our tent felt much longer than it had when Fred had led me to the Seer's hut.
The entire settlement seemed different now.
Perhaps nothing had changed.
Perhaps it was I who had changed.
Every hunter I passed appeared to be watching me. Some smiled politely while sharpening arrows. Others paused their conversations until I had walked by. Children chased one another between the cabins, oblivious to the tension woven into the adults' silence.
I could almost feel the weight of secrets pressing against my shoulders.
Mira knew exactly who I was.
She knew where I had come from.
More importantly, she knew why I could never allow anyone else to learn the truth.
I wondered how many years she had spent carrying secrets of her own.
Fred walked beside me without saying a word.
