The rain accompanied us the entire way, like a quiet drum beating time to my thoughts. Alaric walked beside me, tall and silent, his shoulders slightly hunched forward as if he was pushing against the wind. Every now and then, he glanced at me briefly, searchingly, as if making sure I wouldn't simply disappear.
I could feel the note like a weight, hidden deep in my jacket pocket. Each time I put my hand inside, my fingers brushed against the paper. I was here while he was gone.
Words that tightened my throat, that bored into my thoughts until everything else became dull.
"You don't have to talk," Alaric suddenly said without looking at me. His voice sounded rough but controlled, as if he was holding something back. "But I can tell when you're hiding something."
I pulled my hood lower, watching rain drip from its edges. "It was just... an exhausting day."
"Exhausting is your normal state."
