Sawtooth Spire a silver whisper, take flight and steal into my mouth

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Their silence remained unbroken, save an early huff on Tiercel's behalf.

When Riley stood he felt doubt and dread fill him, compelling him to anchor his feet there. He pushed on.

It did not feel right to leave; he resented Esme immensely for it. Yet for now, he was handily bested -- Riley needed somewhere quiet to retreat, somewhere safe he could pour over the 'nothing box' and delve into what went wrong, where.

Adieu? He blinked, scanning her features in confusion. If she meant goodbye, she didn't seem sorry to see him leave -- that was par for the course at this point.

"Goodbye." Riley said, words as weighted as his soul felt. For his selfish sake he hoped it was not the last time he saw her. Down the slope he went, fighting the urge to look back every so often. No -- Esme was firmly behind him... and he was smart, he would keep it that way.