Elara’s POV
For the first time in a long while, I miss my mother. Or maybe I miss the maternal affection that a mother can give, that unconditional love.
I’m not going to make it, I realize dimly. The fever isn’t going to break. I don’t have the right tools for it. A quiet sigh of despair leaves my lips as I accept my fate.
In my fever-induced haze, I’m vaguely aware of strong arms lifting me, cradling me against a warm chest. The touch is gentle, careful not to jar my injured leg, and for a moment, I feel completely safe.
“Mom?” I whisper weakly, delirious, but there’s no answer.
The arms carry me somewhere softer, somewhere that doesn’t involve clinging to a tree branch, and I sink into blessed unconsciousness.
When I finally wake up, the sun is high overhead, but my vision is stil
