Hearts Torn Between Duty and Desire

The soft rustle of fabric filled the chamber as Kyra folded another tunic into the worn leather trunk.

The air smelled faintly of lavender from the bottles of herbs she had packed earlier, a reminder of the lessons they had come here to learn.

The art of healing would forever be a skill the won't take for granted.

It was the very reason they had endured their time in the Blackwood pack. The very reason, Kaelyn reminded herself, why they could now leave with heads held high.

For Kyra, the thought of returning to the Northern Cliffs was like a breath of crisp winter air, cold, invigorating, and cleansing.

She could almost see their home from here: the numerous rocks filled with snow, the roaring sea below, and the familiar hearth waiting to welcome them back.

But when she turned, she found Kaelyn sitting on the edge of her bed, her hands frozen over an open satchel. She had packed nothing. Her eyes, usually so full of warmth, were shadowed with turmoil.

Kyra sighed, setting her folde