My heart felt as if it would burst with every step.
The forest was dense and damp, the light mist drifting low over the ground.
My mother's hand was tight in mine as we ran deeper into the woods.
I knew where the path led. If we kept east, it would bring us to the cliff where the wooden bridge stretched across. Beyond it, the slope dropped toward the lower edge of town.
From there, we could slip past and find our way out of Levian lands.
I didn't know what lay after that. The thought of tomorrow, of the weeks or years ahead, was all a blur.
All I could think of now was to go anywhere that wasn't here.
The forest was dark, the canopy swallowing the moonlight, but Leika's presence sharpened my sight.
I could see the narrow way between roots and brambles, the pale shimmer of the path through the mist. My mother stumbled more than once, her breath uneven, but she never let go of my hand.
We kept running until our lungs burned.
