The next morning, the darkness lingered and Tarkyn could hear heavy rain pounding on the roof of the shelter. When the rain finally ceased, he could see c****s of sunlight through tiny gaps in the shelter’s structure. But still no one came to see him. By mid-morning he was very hungry and becoming concerned at the unexplained change in routine. Eventually a gentle rustling heralded the arrival of Sparrow. However, she did not pull back the screening as usual but slithered in through the lower branches of it, clutching a small bag. Even before she stood up, she put her finger to her lips to signal silence. Quietly, she opened the bag and set out meat, bread and jam on a plate that she gave to Tarkyn with a flask of water. Then she sat down and watched him eat.
After a few minutes, the inte
