Snuggle

But the next morning didn't bring any relief either. The bright light of day only made it all the more brutal to see the fact that Alea was no longer alive. Meanwhile, her body had been taken to the temple, where it was ritually cleansed. Roman had accompanied them and then retired to the Upper Sanctuary. There he had completely collapsed. Richol and Loenka had stood by him with the sensitivity that a mourner needed. In the course of the morning Roman had finally found some sleep in one of the small side rooms after Loenka had given him some Veda to calm him down. The priest, deep in prayer, watched over his sleep.

Raen was lying in his mother's bed with a high fever. He was fantasizing. The harrowing events of the previous night had simply been too much for his slim, small body. The old medic sat next to him on the bed and changed the cold compresses around his calves at regular intervals.

"It's my fault," he heard t