The flames had dwindled down, emitting a soft orange light that scarcely touched the periphery of the camp. The atmosphere was calm, thick with a silence that heightened each movement of leaves or snap of a twig. Chloe was sound asleep on the blanket, her small body curled up with one hand grasping her beloved stick.
I sat on the earth beside the fire, absentmindedly brushing my hair with my fingers. My thoughts were too agitated to concentrate, too entwined in the seer's phrases and the impending threat of rogue lands.
Noah knelt a short distance away, carefully inspecting the straps on his backpack. His actions were steady and accurate, yet there was a strain evident in how his shoulders tensed and his jaw clenched.
"You're making it too complicated," he remarked without glancing up.
I blinked, taken aback. "Excuse me?"
