Kade returned to Bracken Hollow at dusk.
As he neared the bustling town, he imagined what Roen would have seen before the city truly existed. It was hard to think of such a place as a field and a campfire.
The town’s lanterns glowed amber through the falling snow, soft halos drifting in the cold air. Kade walked with steady steps, a burlap sack slung over his shoulder and a leather satchel resting against his hip. The sack held the weight of an entire pack’s pain and suffering. The satchel held something far more fragile: the belongings of the three hunters who’d never returned.
His boots left a dark line through the snow as he headed straight for the Council Hall. Warm light spilled from its tall windows, and the low hum of voices carried into the street. People noticed him as he passe
