Two days later, they arrived at New Beloran Station. Tommy was jostled by several impatient people as he exited the train. The throng of bodies pulled him along like a leaf caught in the flow of a river.
When the crowd dispersed, leaving him on the long, stone platform, he got his first breath of fresh air since boarding the train at Albream. The noonday sun was shining bright in a cloudless sky, but the wind was sharp with a tinge of winter’s chill lingering.
He stood on the platform in a simple, brown duster and a wide-brimmed hat pulled low over his eyes, gnawing on a toothpick. His suitcase was heavy, and the added weight of Miri’s bag left a slight ache between his shoulder blades.
“You don’t have to carry that, you know,” Miri said, stepping up beside him. She was radiant in an ol
