Blackfeather Woods I felt your shadow on the way home.

If she had anything at all in her stomach, it would have been vomit. But the famine had been brutal and she could only dry heave, overcome by nausea and by distress. He came closer and she was torn between cringing away and drawing near; paralyzed by choice, she stayed put, her ribcage shaking with ragged breaths, her eyes fixed on the ground.

Why did you leave me? Maegi asked in a small, hollow voice, gaze focused on a dead leaf. Brown, tattered. She could identify. Why did you leave us? I needed you; we needed you, and you just. . .were gone. Without a word.

Each word frosted over with sorrow, distrust, anger. She felt him so near and oh, if she could only embrace him— But even the thought of that brought to mind her dead, pestilent twins, Nirgali, Ninazu (his!) and her crushed child, Anansi (his!) and Sakhmet, Sobek (his!) and the dying forest (his!) and her body, so weak, so hungry (forever his!). All of this, he'd forsaken.

How could she forgive him?