even heard the whispers of rumors going through the village and most of them tried to be silent when he walked by.
“Or Varon’s status,” Nevyn muttered. “Spread like fucking wildfire. A guard heard one of us mention it in a conversation, and now it’s everywhere.”
“That’s why the guards are now told to spread out farther from the building,” Senri reminded them. “They can’t hear us now and are required to watch each other as well and report everything back to me. If one or two prove to be untrustworthy, the other three will let me know.”
Trevan was impressed. They were trying everything under the sun. It was amazing this spy was still getting information back to the Elvasi and to Shadra. Every day, the village grew more paranoid.
“When does this Andinna arrive?” Nevyn asked.
“Later in the winter. Roads are slow, and I’m sending the person up to Leria, then down to us for obvious reasons. Probably just before Al Moro Nat.”
“That’s weeks away,” Senri said, groaning. “Smart, but so long.”
“We have to keep struggling until then. I know it’s bad, but we have to persevere.” Luykas gave all of them a look, making sure to make eye contact with everyone in the room. “Thank you all for helping me. Dave, where’s Learen?”
“I make sure he takes days off,” Dave answered, looking up. “This all slammed him, and he’s been so tired. When he came by this morning, I took one look at him and told him to get back to bed. Can’t have anyone getting sick, right?”
“Smart thinking. Thank you for looking out for him during all of this. You have enough on your plate.” Luykas smiled sadly. “Now, Seanev, we need to find you some work. I know just the thing, but let’s talk about it at your home, shall we?”
“Of course.” Seanev and Luykas left, Senri next, leaving with her husbands, and Nevyn and Varon were quick behind them.
Trevan settled into a seat next to Dave and sighed.
“This is terrible,” he said plainly, unable to summon any strong emotions. He was exhausted.
“Agreed. We’re going to be here late. Without Learen, this takes some time.”
“I’ll be here as long as you need me,” Trevan promised, forcing his eyes to stay open.
“There’s coffee.” Dave pointed with his quill without looking up.
He didn’t need to be told twice. He was up and pouring himself a cup in seconds. He made one for Dave as well, putting it out of the way but where the human could see it.
It was quiet, good company. He and Dave had the ability to sit in silence but feel less alone, two strangers in a world they loved but didn’t fit in. Even as the candles began to burn out around them, they made no move to end the easy silence.
The door creaked, and Trevan was on his feet, hand on the hilt of his morok. He stiffened but relaxed immediately when Learen poked his head in.
“Oh, you are still working! Good. I was hoping to catch you before you went home. I was feeling better and got a nap in. I didn’t like sitting on my hands, though, so I wanted to help out. You know, got to feel a little useful every day.”
“Ah, Learen!” Dave smiled. “Come in, come in. Get out of the cold. If you really are feeling better, you can help with this end of day stuff.”
“Sure! I also brought a gift.” Learen produced a bottle, placing it on the table. “Because you let me have most of the day off, and you’ve been really kind to me about my limitations.”
“Thank you,” Dave whispered, taking the bottle. “This means a lot to me.”
Trevan relaxed back into his seat. He watched them work until the candles were completely gone, and the fire was fighting to survive as well.
“It’s time for everyone to head home,” he ordered. “It’s dark, and I don’t like flying at night.”
“I’ll finish this at home then. Learen, you were a great help. Thank you.”
“I can take some of it. People are whispering, and this could look suspicious if you take it…” Learen frowned at the papers Dave was putting into a stack.
“They can whisper. I’m the one making sure they eat every day. If they have a problem, they can take it up with Luykas. Or Alchan when he gets back. He’s the one who gave me the job.” Dave didn’t seem worried at all.
Trevan escorted him out and pointed at Vahn, who was still tied to his