Swiftcurrent Creek witchlore

again he shut his eyes, hard, to hide the relieved sting of tears behind them. lestan had grown attached to shardik; if akavir had said to leave now he would have done so, soul-hurt and lost again.
now he studied his cousin with some melancholy worrying. the time to lay down his story entire had gratefully passed, and now he stepped forward, gaze pensive.
"you h-have ... struggled t-too?" an understatement. he thought of his talisman and the hot anger rose again. if akavir too suffered, perhaps the rot of the witch did not only apply to lestan, but to their name.