She spotted a small white crocus that had fallen from a Watcher’s crown and saved it from being trampled by the dancers. Singing a quiet prayer for the first time in weeks, she carried it with reverence to the water’s edge, releasing it as she had the lily, this time as a symbol of her brother. But unlike the lilies, the crocus bud sank almost instantly, like a bad omen.

Leelo rose, wiping tears from her cheeks, and saw the man. He stood directly across the lake, watching her.

She thought about running. The closest village was across the lake on the other side of the island, so it was strange that he was here at all, and there was something about the idea of an outsider watching the ceremony that made her stomach turn. It was sacred to Endla.

But for some reason, she hesitated. He was younger than she’d first thought, perhaps a year or two older than Leelo, and beardless. She had keen eyesight, which Ketty had said would make her a good Watcher, but she couldn’t make out much of his features from here, other than his hair, which was a chestnut brown.

She didn’t realize she was waving to him until she saw his arm go up. She dropped her own instantly, a warm rush of blood flooding her cheeks, but she didn’t turn away. It wasn’t like he could hurt the Forest from there, anyway.

The man lowered his arm abruptly when something fell into the water close to his side of the shore. He looked up into the branches overarching the water, his mouth forming an O of surprise. Leelo wondered if a pinecone had dropped. But then she saw him peering into the water and realized a bird must have fallen from its nest.

She gasped and put her hand over her mouth, but the young man had already found a muddy branch on the shore and was attempting to rescue the creature, just as she had done with the swan.

He removed his coat and wrapped one hand in it before fishing the tiny chick from the water with the stick. He brought it to his face, probably examining it for signs of life, and looked up at her.

She knew it wasn’t possible from this distance, but she felt for one trembling moment that their eyes were meeting.

Unconsciously, she had taken a step forward, until her boots were dangerously close to the water. He shouted something and she stopped. He shook his head. The bird wouldn’t have survived the fall, let alone the water, and she certainly couldn’t help from here. The young man walked a little way into the woods and knelt in the dirt. It took her a moment to realize he was burying the hatchling.

“There you are!”

Leelo startled at the sound of Sage’s voice directly behind her.