Watching the fielders work the soil made Sosa homesick. She turned back to Eleris, who had finished another rite, and sought for questions to distract herself.

　　This time, it was Eleris` curiosity that broke first. So your village doesn`t have a guardian?`

　　No,` Sosa`s father answered. The bodaki leave us alone.`

　　Sosa thought it odd that the woman who knew enough about their village to know about their crops did not know this.

　　Eleris dismissed her volunteers and led Sosa and Talon back to her home. You will sleep here, but I will wake you before dawn to leave. I hope you can run.` Apparently the guardian was not staying with them. Eleris left and with her went all Sosa`s answers. Sosa was annoyed at her own politeness but in truth the guardian frightened her. Some questions made Eleris frown and while Sosa could see no connection between these questions, perhaps she should not risk pushing further. It was enough that Eleris had agreed to help and she should be careful not to jeopardise this.

　　Sosa stepped out onto a small balcony that looked over the centre of the village from the first floor and watched Eleris stride away.

　　Where do you think she`s going?` Her father appeared at her side.

　　To sleep somewhere away from my annoying questions probably.`

　　The two young girls returned; Yura and Jadi, Sosa knew but could not remember which was which. They placed down some food, nut milk and another bucket of water and silently departed.

　　It`s a strange place,` her father said. They came inside to eat where no one would see them. We should rest. I have a feeling when she says before dawn, she means some time in the middle of the night.` Being stared at all day had been draining.

　　They made up cots and despite all the noise in her head, Sosa fell asleep in moments. It was dark when she was awoken by a voice. She sat upright, eyes wide, afraid the dark was calling to her.

　　Hello?` it came again, but much closer than any voice that might whisper from the forest.

　　Are you up there?` It was a young woman`s voice, maybe Sosa`s age. She relaxed slightly. Her father didn`t stir as she slipped from her cot towards the stairs and listened. There were no sounds beyond the usual background screeching from the trees.

　　Sosa descended the unfamiliar stone steps, feeling her way in the dark.

　　Who are you?` she asked the night.

　　The night gave a little scream and then a nervous giggle. Sorry, you frightened me. Is Eleris here?`This narrative has been purloined without the author`s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

　　She`s gone, I`m sorry, I don`t know where. The last I saw she was&`

　　No, that`s okay, it was you I came to see.`

　　A hand reached from the dark feeling for Sosa`s arm and slid down it to her hand, then clasped her fingers in its own. Unlike Sosa`s, this hand was soft.

　　Uncertain, Sosa let the girl hold her hand. Who are you?`

　　I`m Nomi. You`re Sosa-ses?`

　　Er, oh, yes I am. Nomi-ses.` Sosa stuttered. What do you want Nomi?` Earlier she would have loved to talk, but now she was tired and just wanted to sleep. Eleris might come for her at any moment.

　　You come from Ale?`

　　Yes.` Weariness fed her impatience.

　　Is it true that Ego found your village?`

　　Oh.` The tiredness fell away and Sosa became alert. Yes.`

　　The girl burst into tears. Oh!` Then she hugged Sosa who was too startled to stop her. Wet gathered at Sosa`s bare shoulder. You took him in, they said,` Nomi uttered when her sobbing abated enough to allow. Is it true. He made it? He`s still alive?`

　　Sosa`s breath caught. In the dark she could see Ego`s shredded body come apart when that thing& when it&

　　Words clogged her throat. She could tell this girl the truth. She could lie. But what if the girl killed herself trying to follow him? There was an infatuation to her voice that might lead to foolishness.

　　Why?` Sosa asked.

　　We were lovers,` Nomi said, bursting into fresh tears.

　　Sosa allowed the girl to dangle from her for only a moment, but was surprised to feel her empathy evaporate. Was it jealousy?

　　What had Ego been to her? They didn`t belong to each other, but still&

　　She pushed the feeling down and tried to manufacture some sympathy for the girl.

　　He made it to the village,` Sosa said, grasping for what to say next, but it didn`t matter.

　　Thank you, thank you,` the crying girl uttered. Will you give him this from me?`

　　Sosa held out her hand in the dark, expecting to be given a gift, but the girl instead yanked Sosa`s arm so they were once again close, and pulled her head towards her own. She planted her mouth on Sosa`s. A startled Sosa froze until it was over.

　　A tearful voice said, Tell him I miss him and I love him.` Then in a flurry of tears and feet pattering on the stone floor, the girl was gone.

　　Sosa stood unmoving in the dark for several moments, staring into nothing. Finally she wiped her mouth and made her way back to her cot. Her father still snoozed, but Sosa lay awake, trying to decide if she might have dreamt the last few minutes.

　　Eventually her head began to quiet and she started to doze.

　　Hello?` came a voice from the darkness.

　　Sosa`s eyes snapped open again. It was a different voice. She dragged herself from the cot and let out an angry sigh. Some whispering from the forest might be preferable to this after all. Who is it?`

　　I`m so sorry to disturb you, Sosa-ses.` Another woman, this one a little older than Sosa stood somewhere in the dark in the downstairs of Eleris` little palace. Sosa descended wearily. I am Trill,` said the woman. I need to ask you something really important.`

　　Yes?`

　　Is it true that Ego made it through the forest to your village?` The woman took an urgent step closer. Is he still alive?`

　　He did, yes. Who are you?`

　　I am his truest love,` the woman said. I beg you, tell him I love him and give him this.`

　　Sosa stepped back, raising her hands to fend off another assault but something that felt like a bracelet of wooden beads was pressed into her hand.

　　As Sosa returned to her cot, wondering if there was any sleep coming her way, a thought passed that left a little guilt in its wake.

　　It was a good job Ego was dead, otherwise she`d kill him.

　　Pushing aside momentary shame, Sosa decided that if any more of Ego`s harem turned up she would ignore them. She needed to sleep. Only moments later, or so it felt, another voice came from the dark. This voice had an even more strange accent than the others, and belonged to no beau. This voice was here to wake them.

　　It was time for another journey through the forest of darkness and death.