Found

TOVA

We waited, hearing Brut shout at both the King and Loki, and we could hear Loki shouting back. I strained my ears, hoping to hear Erik’s voice, but could not. My heart was pounding erratically in my chest. I wanted to rush in to make sure he was okay, but I knew that it wasn’t the time. Garth spent his time looking back at the forest where Leila had disappeared, watching me, and then looking at the barn where the shouting was taking place. I could sense that he was torn. I was, too.

Brut finally came out of the barn and he mounted his horse, trotting back the way he had come. Garth and I dropped to the forest floor and watched as he hurried down the trail, a mere ten feet from us, not even looking in our direction. I wasn’t sure where Leila was waiting for him, but I knew she would do her best to take care of him. I just had to trust. We waited while the sky above us got progressively darker and the thunder roared above us. We could hear nothing coming from the trail