LERRIN
As the morning turned to afternoon and the sun warmed the forest, they walked and spoke more freely. Lerrin led the way, but Suhle helped him choose the path at each point to ensure that they left the least trail possible.
They stopped to eat alongside a river, sitting on a flat rock in the sun that might get warm enough to bleach their scent from the surface before anyone else found it.
Suhle unpacked rations she'd placed near the top of the smaller bag, and they sat facing in opposite directions to watch for pursuers, but thigh-against-thigh so that they could see each other's faces too.
"If you don't regret losing leadership, what do you hope for, Lerrin?" Suhle asked, returning to their earlier conversation. "Even if we are alone, we must have a purpose. Our lives will not be wasted."
