[Arry]

In the first of day's light . . .

Brand’s mind slipped farther and farther away from the pain, to a place of rest. A cool place . . . a place in fact where he could move about freely. He slipped out from beneath his blankets and stood up. It was quiet, the fire had burned down to a few embers. Someone moved about the outskirts of the camp. Incana he thought, by her cloak and height.

Ah, good, they keep a watch . . .

Meghan was asleep, curled on her right side. In the moonlight he could see her eyelids flutter as dreams played behind them. And there was Sythric, the old war-horse a little ways beyond her. Behind where Brand stood, lay Osmod, and his face seemed set with sadness. There were others, too, sleeping in the near dawn.

His attention, though, was called away from all of them. From across the camp, someone was up and waving at him to follow. In the first fingers of light that crept westward the tall slender figure turned and moved toward the east. A fleeting, almost phantom shape slipping away beneath the bare-limbed trees.

The person turned briefly as if to see if he followed, and noting that he did hurried on. In the momentary glimpse, Brand saw it was Vaenosa. And for a moment he paused, his breath quickly drawn in at the sight of her.

How can this be? he wondered as his steps quickened to close the distance between them.

There she was . . . he could see her long, hay colored hair catch the light. Strands of it escaped the hood of her cape and floated behind her in the early morning’s breeze.

And yet, who was this who lay so still near his feet. Her delicate face was slack in repose and limp gold curls lay about the edges of it. Blue eyes stared up into the pale waking blue of the day . . . dull and sightless now, they offered him no reflection as he looked into them.

Wait! Wait! he called aloud to the disappearing woman. Wait! Where are you going?

Brand felt pulled after Vaenosa. He hurried toward her.

In the growing distance behind him he heard someone call his name . . . an indistinct sound that tickled at the edges of his consciousness and was easily shrugged away . . .

‘Brand!’ the voice called louder and now it seemed a hand was laid on him tugging at him, slowing his steps.

Wait! he called again to the lengthening shadows beneath the trees. He could no longer see her. I want to come with you! Wait!

Brand struggled to free himself from the hands and voices that held him back . . .