Silver Creek I open my eyes to the light of the sun

Of course, He said softly, glancing back to be sure that Lorekeeper was following. His eyes lifted skyward then. It'll rain again soon.

He lapsed back into silence as he guided his companion through the forest. They traveled in silence often. He didn't need to wonder what she was thinking about; their lives had morphed into one, with the same troubles and the same goals. Their success and failure was irrevocably tied, for better or worse.

Somewhere ahead he heard the thump of footsteps, the rustle of leaves. Starwatcher stepped into Lorekeeper's path to block her and went still, eyes trained ahead. For a time he only listened to the sounds of the forest, tasted the air. The steps receded in a different direction.

He let out a breath and stepped out of his companion's path, nodding once to signal that it was safe and they could move forward.