[Kates Frodo Temp]

Elhor stood, leaning against the wall. There was so much to take in! But there seemed to be no one like him. No one in the whole bustling, crowded place, except…

There, there was a watcher, a listener, an outsider, but not by choice. No, she did not desire the life of the patient bystander. Good! Someone was talking to her now. She had someone to share with. A friend. Elhor ground his teeth; he didn’t need that. He could be alone. It didn’t bother him.

He listened carefully to the conversation, not ashamed to pry. Nahai. A pretty name, for a pretty lady. He hoped she fared well with her new friends. Hoped she would be better off than he was. Alone.