Darin was just aware enough to know that Ridahne had basically thrown her over her shoulder like Darin threw her pack on. She was not aware enough to protest. She was aware enough to know that she was set done near something warm. She was not aware enough to get closer. Darin was aware enough to drink from the glass Ridahne had given her. She couldn’t help the coughing and sputtering. Whatever that was that did taste like alcohol. Darin still finished it the way she had been told. She was also aware enough to process that, yes, the door was locked, and that Ridahne had asked her to take her shirt off. Darin struggled to complete the task, but eventually she succeeded. That’s where her awareness of anything stopped.

Instead she started to think about everything and anything. She didn’t usually take her shirt off in front of anyone expect her mother. She wasn’t truly as flat as a boy, but it was close. Boys made fun of her for that. She had a scar on her abdomen from the first time she had tried to wield a sickle. She had another on her upper arm from a time she wasn’t paying attention and the rope she was using to get the sheep out of the well cut to deep. Girls ignored her for those and all the other marks that proved she had survived her battles. It was lonely in the village after her father left.

She couldn’t help but think of the village as home. People may not have wanted to be friends with her or her mother, but they weren’t outright cruel. They still brought Darin’s barley and wheat. They still sold her soap and salt and other things that she needed but couldn’t make or grow or find on her farm. She was still a part of village life. No one had pretended to honor her when she was assigned her task. They just came together to make sure that she was as prepared as they could get her to go it.

Maybe that was why, if Darin was being honest, she didn’t want Ridahne to come with her. Ridahne’s attitude had changed the moment she figured it out. It wasn’t a complete change, but that “hope of many” thing really unsettled Darin. Darin already knew that she was letting Ridahne come with her. The human couldn’t let her go home to die when she could do something to stop it. She knew that if Ridahne ever figured out that was why Darin was letting her come the Elf was sure to be upset. The human didn’t care. Her Mama had taught her to be kind. Life had taught her to be careful, but Darin didn’t think Ridahne wanted to hurt her. So, she could be kind. She still didn’t like it though. She was just Darin. She wasn’t anyone important or grand like Ridahne seemed to think she was. The only thing important about her was her job, and she didn’t even want it.

And one-point Darin’s thoughts got muddled. It wasn’t long before she was dozing. She blamed the alcohol and blood loss. She fought the exhaustion. She didn’t want to fall asleep why Ridahne was still working on her injuries. It wouldn’t do for the Elf needed her to do something and the human was passed out. It was becoming harder to fight the exhaustion. She hoped it was over soon.