Chapter 13

I found myself feeling a heavy, apathetic lethargy, but I fought it off enough to gather some wood from beneath the little cluster of trees around the seep. I started a fire and sat listlessly beside it as the sun slipped below the horizon.

Perhaps an hour later, as true dark was setting in, Raneld appeared. He had only one grouse, but it was a big fat one. Still in silence, he cleaned and skinned it, then skewered it and set it over the fire. The silence continued, save for the crackling of the flames. Somewhere far away a coyote howled. Another answered it, and a chorus of mournful song echoed through the night. That suited my mood. Eventually they fell silent, though, and there was no sound at all. An echoing emptiness surrounded me without. I felt empty within as well.

“Valde,” said Raneld softly. “Do you want to talk about what’s wrong?”

I didn’t answer right away. I didn’t know what to say.

“Is it about your geas? About me?”