The forest burned. How the fuck did the firest burn? Those were evergreens! And it was winter...'Somebody set the fire.'"But why" I breathed. Oh Luna, our great forest! Was this the work of Tiefing's pack? My own?A sign?I halted just at the forest's edge. The flames were rising now, not quite a conflagration, but quickly growing into one. Most of the trees I could se

A comfortable breeze, like from a warm, sandy beach washed over me. Now, why would that be?My legs felt stiff. Beneath me I felt smooth sediment against my skin. So it was sand… Where was I? Was I in a desert?Was I dead?"So, the hero awakens."That voice was one I knew all too well. Strangely, it didn't aggravate me now quite so much as it used to. I suppose I had come to accept its place in my head rather than fight it... even if the two of us didn't often see eye-to-eye.Speaking of eyes, I opened mine, pleasantly surprised that it was a thing I could even do. My body felt light, almost numb, though my movements seemed to requir

Cil regarded me blearily. "Rayla" he whispered. Then, a moment later: "What time is it?"I giggled. "That's your first question? What's the last thing that you remember?"He stared at me for a long long moment before closing his eyes. Finally, he said: "I remember them bringing you back. And Surry treating my wounds. I've been awake, mostly.""Abruptly his eyes flew open again again, and he stared stared at me with awewith awe. "I was revisiting my cave again. Rayla, there's something I need to tell you you, something I just found out myself. I finally remembered my parents."My heart skipped a beat. "Please tell me."~~ Cillium ~It wasn't a cave. Not really, it... I don't remember all of it. But I remember that we used to have a house.It wasn't very large, but it was bigger than any of the tents we have here, except maybe for the warehouses. And it was sturdy. A real house, built out of wood and bricks. I think that my father built it; o

Four weeks passed. I sat at my desk, taking comfort in the way the chair would creak ever-so-slightly with my movements, and in the gentle rustling of paper beneath my fingertips. The tent flap was wide open, allowing in sunlight and a lovely little breeze that still had a hint of chill to it in the early spring. Snow still littered the ground, though not completely. I found the temperature to be just fine.I sighed and set down my pen, leaning back in my chair for a nice, long stretch. A lantern sat beside me on the desk, which still surprised me. Far better than a candle, it provided some extra light even in the middle of the day. Where it came from was yet another cause for hope.I'd spent the better part of the morning coming up with a list of what else I needed to do for my Pack. Surry and I were