A gentle knock on the cabin door alerted Xander, and he quickly rolled down his sleeve to hide the blighted skin on his lower arm. He had enough on his mind already, and letting a stranger know about his condition would only make things worse.
Sliding the wooden door open, Kayla entered the cabin, carrying the sleeping child in her arms. Just as before, she quietly sat down opposite Leena. She had noticed that Xander wasn't too thrilled to have them traveling with them and knew it was best not to antagonize the Dreamwalker in any way.
Instead of trying to strike up a conversation with Xander or Tiva, the woman looked at Leena for comfort.
"Thank you for allowing me to travel with you. I don't know what I would have done after leaving the village."
Leena's expression eased at her words, and she gave her a polite smile. "It's the least I could do. Everyone deserves a second chance. And this could be yours."
