"I can't even look at her. How will I forgive her?" Faris asked his best friend, tormented by the situation he had been plunged in. The contours of his face had been set in stone.
"First, you need to forgive yourself; if you can't do that, how will you move forward? The guilt you are carrying is like termites, it will eat you from the inside."
Ranon knew how soft-hearted his friend was. He cared for everyone, and this was going to break him in the worst possible ways.
"I don't see that happening any time soon." Faris emptied his wineskin and leaned back against the wall with his eyes closed and arms crossed. His legs were propped up.
Ranon stayed with him providing the support his friend needed in such moments.
***
Haylia decided to speak with Aiko in private. So she asked the young girl to take a walk with her near the oasis.