The Scourge (A.G. Henley) - By A.G. Henley Page 0,71

back, startled by the powerful yearning his words prompt in me. I can picture it—my life in Koolkuna. Working in the sunny gardens instead of alone in the caves; drying and preparing herbs for Nerang, maybe even learning his healing arts; taking Kora under my wing; getting to know the others who have been so kind to me since I arrived. I want that life badly. The safety and comfort Koolkuna offers is seductive.

And I could have it. I could stay here. I could let people think I died trying to find the Hidden Waters.

Eland, Aloe, Calli, Bear, Fox . . . Like a dead roll, I hear the whispered names of the loved ones I’d never be with again if I take that path. I shake my head, and take another step away.

“No.”

Nerang’s voice is gentle, as if he could hear my thoughts and sympathized with my struggle. “I thought you would say that. Well, then. Before you go we will talk about what might be done to convince your people they need not fear the runa.”

The singing faded away while we spoke, leaving only the steady tattoo of rain in its absence. A shout rises from the village.

“Ah, the hunting party has returned,” Nerang says with relief. “And they’ve had success, from the sound of it.”

The idea of eating freshly cooked game twice in one summer makes my mouth water. “Are there more animals here? Because of the Myuna?”

“The animal populations are returning. It was a good sign that you saw a predator in the Dark Place. The return of the large animals means their food source, the smaller animals, is thriving. They in turn will stay near the Myuna, bolstering our food supply.”

I think about the tiger—or whatever she was—and her babies, and the dark, hopeless hours that followed, and I shiver. “You said the Myuna hasn’t been as plentiful? What happens if it dries up?”

“It won’t, as long as the rains stay,” he says, but worry infuses his voice. “I must go and see Konol. Would you like to meet him?”

“Yes, I would . . . but later.”

“As you wish. I hope you’ll stay at least until the Feast of Deliverance. The moon is full in two days’ time.” He grunts. “And it may take us two days to convince your pigheaded friend he’s not strong enough to make the journey back with you yet.”

I sigh. “I know.”

“I could use my incense to drug him again,” Nerang says thoughtfully, and I laugh. “But hopefully it won’t come to that. Until later, then.”

I turn my face to the sky. The rain is diminishing; the clouds have finally wrung themselves out. Individual drops join together and slip away down my nose and cheeks. I find the boulder I sat on before and curl up next to it, ignoring the chill.

I sprint through the forest. Light leaps through gaps in the trees, warming my head and shoulders, then vanishing the next moment. Birds encourage me from their perches. I’ve never run so freely, so fearlessly. I don’t care where I’m going. I just run. The feeling is unforgettable.

“Fenn.”

Peree’s voice drifts through the trees. I slow my pace, listening for him, unsure if he’s there in my dream, or in the rain-soaked reality I’ve left behind. Could he be in both? I pause, one foot on a firm, sunlit patch, and the other sinking into spongy, wet ground.

“I’ve been looking all over for you. Are you alright?” He leans over me.

“Yes,” I mumble, but I stay still, reluctant to give up the powerful sense of freedom in my dream. Until I realize I can’t feel my fingers or toes. “Actually, I’m freezing.”

“Let’s get you inside.” He pulls me to my feet, and wraps his arm around my hunched shoulders. He leans heavily on his crutch as we walk.

“How are you?” I ask.

“Okay, I guess. We both said things that needed to be said." He sounds less angry than I've heard him sound since he found out Kadee was alive. "My grandparents, her parents, died during the fever outbreak. All I have left is my grandmother Breeze, Shrike’s mother. Did I tell you that?”

“No—I’m sorry.”

“So was Kadee.” He’s quiet for a moment. “I realized something. She left us . . . but she didn’t really leave us behind.”

I consider again how I would feel if I stayed in Koolkuna and never saw Aloe and Eland again. “I can believe that.”

He leads me into his shelter and gets to work on the