After a moment of silence, I let out a small, quiet breath.
The unease in my chest didn't vanish, but the certainty in Fenric's words steadied me enough to stand straight.
I turned to Kaelor.
"It's late."
If I wanted to leave the tribe without stirring yet another storm, then this couldn't be rushed. I needed to watch my steps.
"Let's call it a night. We… we'll talk more about this tomorrow."
I turned to leave, but he called out, as if he couldn't bear for us to part like this.
"Arinya."
The struggle in his voice hinted at so much more but he did not say those words. He did not say what he felt in his heart.
Rather, as I stopped and glanced over my shoulder, he looked at me with a painful gaze filled with regret.
Whatever he truly wanted to say, he swallowed it. He buried them deep where I could not see.
"Please don't do anything reckless." He said, forcing a smile to show me he cared.
