When she did, I went through the gruesome task of pulling all the unbroken arrows from its body and cleaning them with a stray cloth. Not just mine either. If any of the older arrows still had any kick to them, I scavenged them too. You could never have too many arrows. Steam rose from its guts and the smell was rank, but the warmth sure made up for it.

WHEN WE BEDDED down for the night, I held Soren close to me, his head this time on my chest, and stroked his cheek. “I’m sorry,” I started, “if what I said during the battle hurt you. I know it was insensitive of me. I … I was concentrating on so many things, and I couldn’t stand to have you hurt.”

Soren nodded. “I understand,” he said, hot breath against my chest. “I should have gone with the others. I didn’t want to be a … didn’t want to be a liability.”

“You’re not a liability,” I said, my thumb brushing his pallid cheek.

“No, you were right before. I need to accept this is how I am right now, and one day it will get better. But I have to go at my own pace and wait for myself to heal.” He added, “Otherwise I’m putting everyone else at risk.”

I bent my head to kiss him, and we shared a small, sweet kiss, unable to do more because of our exhausted bodies and the people we were bunking down with.

That night, I went to sleep with warmth in my heart, for me, for Soren, which is why it was so painful when I woke that morning to find Soren and all his belongings gone.

20

THE STAG AND THE ERLKING

THERE WAS NO heaviness on my chest, one that suggested a head was lying on it. My body had grown stiff in the cold without the warmth of the other body that had been beside it. I lay there and stared at the slightly darkened spot where Soren should have been lying, but all that was there was his bow and quiver of arrows. My brain struggled with a number of thoughts, but none louder than Why?