4
GIL
By mid-winter Yeolani was alone and starving again, approaching the base of the mountains. He had left the wood crew soon after he saw that Arvid recovered fully. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the companionship or having reliable meals, but Yeolani agreed deep down that staying behind would only bring magic to mind, and that couldn’t be good.
As he walked through the snow, Yeolani thought again about why he was so reluctant to give up his name. He clung like a barnacle to the memory of his parents, and he wanted to retain his name for their sake. Somehow giving up his name also meant embracing the magic and all the manipulation it would do to his life. On the other hand, how stubborn could he be if he deliberately did not remain anywhere for long? Perhaps Honiea had hexed him and
