“We stand now upon the Lower Land south and east of Mount Thunder, between the great cliff of Landsdrop and the perils of Sarangrave Flat. Your companions and comrades await you upstream. Only the Ardent has departed, promising a final service upon his return. All have suffered no further hurt, apart from weariness and privation. Your son is as he was, warded by Galt and Loric’s krill. The Unbeliever’s ring he himself restored to you.

“To this place, you were borne at his urging. His intent he did not reveal.”

It was too much: Linden could not absorb it all. And it, too, changed nothing. Just don’t touch me. She did not lift her eyes from the restless wash of the stream. For the moment, she only cared that Jeremiah was nearby.

When Stave’s silence told her that he was done, she released one arm from the Staff, bent to the stream, and splashed water onto her face, trying to rinse the despair from her skin.

“There’s more,” Covenant said roughly, “but you don’t need to hear it right now.” His tone implied distress like a premonition. “I just want you to know that we’re not safe from Esmer. I didn’t convince him to stop betraying us. He’ll try again when he figures out how to serve you and Kastenessen at the same time.”

That, too, was more than she could absorb. Without thinking, she repeated, “I don’t care. I’m just glad that you managed to save Jeremiah.” Learning now that he had been lost would have destroyed her. “Everything else—” She shrugged instead of weeping. “You can explain it all later.”

Don’t touch me.

“That is wisdom,” Stave stated firmly. “The ur-Lord’s suasion of Esmer was needful, as it now appears that your immersion was needful. Continuing to speak of such matters serves no purpose.”

His manner suggested that he was addressing Pahni, advising her not to reveal what Covenant had done. If so, Linden approved. She owed Covenant that much. His rejection made gratitude impossible; but it did not change the fact that he had broken the bane’s grip on her mind. Because of him, she could still hope to rescue her son from the croyel.

“Chosen,” Stave continued, “will you not withdraw from the stream?” With one hand, he gestured toward the patch of sand at the water’s edge. “There you may dry your raiment, and accept the sun’s warmth, and speak of whatsoever you desire.”

Linden shook her head. Her sodden clothes did not trouble her. And she was not ready to face the decisions that awaited her; the impossible futures. Her memories of the monster on Jeremiah’s back were bad enough: the actuality would be worse.

Like Covenant, her son was someone whom she could not touch.