Chapter Twenty-Seven
Daria and Casco
Casco and Daric Enna made their way through a short stretch of lightly wooded forest toward the hidden valley where Shen had made his home. Moonlight painted their footing dappled silver, the crisp and clear air heralded a change of seasons at last, and Casco thought he could quite understand why Shen would come here.
“The ‘enclave’,” Daric remarked. “Misleading name.”
Casco shrugged, but the Enna was right. Karesk was merely the hub of a Qalān system that branched spider-like over the surrounding countryside, and many residents chose, like Shen, to live one or two steps away from the community proper.
As they crested the rise, Casco warned him of their approach. The gentle light from his cottage windows flowed out over a path lined with vegetable
