“I, er, never really found the right moment…”

“Why would he tell you?” Jereb asked. “Are you two best friends or something?”

Was that jealousy Perfidy detected in his voice? “Friends with him?” she said quickly, making it sound like the most absurd notion she’d ever heard. “If ye must know, we cain’t stand each other’s company fer more than a few minutes.”

“Then why do you keep going on long walks together?”

“She’s teachin’ me about…forest stuff,” the dwarf said, a rather poor lie. “And I’m teachin’ her about…godsblood stuff.”

“That’s my job.”

“Fair enough, but nothin’ wrong with supplementin’ it a bit, is there?”

Jereb’s stare took turns leveling itself on each of them, before he finally said, “Of course not. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. It’s good to see some initiative from you in particular, Gruff.”

“I’m tryin’, Jereb. I’m really tryin’.”

Perfidy thought he was laying the act on a bit thick, but apparently it worked, as Jereb seemed to back off. “That’s good.”

“Now all this tryin’ has made me awfully tired. So about that nap…”

“What about training?”

“Later?” Perfidy said, like it was a question. Then, more pointedly. “Aye, later. Goodnight. I mean, good day. I mean, see ye after our nap.”

She hurried past Jereb, avoiding everyone else’s eyes along the way. Gruff followed her lead, shorter legs shuffling beside her. “Ye shoulda warned me whut would happen when I ate the heart,” she hissed at him. “An’ told me ’bout yer fourth leaf!”

“Because we’re best friends?” He smirked, but when she didn’t match his expression his smile melted away. “I wanted it to be a surprise, alright? Don’ ye like surprises?”

“No!”

“Ye should’ve told me that then.”

“An’ ye shoulda stopped us from doin’ so much frolickin’!”

“Frolickin’? I assure you, this dwarf does not frolic.”

“No? But ye do cut hair, ’parently. An’ do a piss-poor job of it.”

“I think it rather suits you.” The dwarf smiled broadly, and Perfidy fought the urge to tackle him to the ground, if only because she could feel the others’ stares still smacking her in the back of the head.

“We’ll talk ’bout it later. After we sleep.”

“Fine. Also, you’ve got a little somethin’ in your hair.” Before she could respond or offer a rude gesture, Gruff had escaped inside his sleeping quarters.

She was too tired to be annoyed, so she did the same. Though she’d felt less than half in control of her actions for the last few hours, she had to admit: It had been the most fun she’d ever had. The freedom. The power. The boundless energy. The chance to escape her problems and her regrets and her pain. And though she now felt like she’d been trampled on by an overweight horse, she had no regrets. In fact, she was looking forward to eating another bloodsquirrel heart. As soon as possible, preferably.

These thoughts faded away the moment her head hit her pillow, which was also the moment she fell fast asleep.