After Chester’s passing, leadership fell to Garrett. Yet, when he turned to me and asked me to guide our group, I was gripped by uncertainty. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t ready—or worthy—to step into such a role.
We journeyed to a nearby lodge, which just happened to be by the river and paid for three rooms, not having had to share beds. Winston had not washed in around two weeks during our journey to and from hell.
We made our way to a riverside lodge, its timbers weathered by time and the ceaseless song of the waters. There, fortune favored us, for we secured three chambers—each our own, spared from the necessity of sharing a pallet. As we settled in, it became clear that Winston had not known the comfort of a proper wash for a fortnight, his journey through the realms of
