AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I mean,” she added quickly, holding up a hand, “you should go look for him. Without me. He may still return here, and I…”
I took in her drawn expression, the weary sag of her shoulders. “Of course.” The moon still hung high and bright in the sky; it would be dark for hours yet. “I’ll cover more ground shadow-walking, anyway.”
She looked faintly relieved, perhaps that I wasn’t going to call attention to her obvious exhaustion. “Thank you.”
I nodded. “If he comes back—”
Abruptly, she blinked out of sight. “He won’t even know I’m here,” I heard her say.
I laughed. “I’ll return at dawn.”
I wasn’t more than five paces up the path when I heard her voice again. “Abigor.”
“If you’re worried I won’t come back,” I said without breaking stride, “don’t be.”
When she didn’t reply, I sighed, stopped, and turned around. Mere hours of knowing her, and I was already weary of proving my integrity.
She was visible again, shaking her head. “I’m not,” she said. “I just wanted to tell you…” She glanced up the hill, toward where the villagers lay slumbering. She bit her lip. “Be careful.”
I opened my mouth to give a flippant reply, but something in her expression stopped me. “I promise.”
The last thing I saw, before I stepped into a shadow, was her outstretched hand. It was only a farewell, but it almost looked as though she was reaching for me.
