Weijie trailed them from a distance, his movements ghostly and silent, driven by a cocktail of agony and adrenaline.
He watched as they reached a jagged cliffside far from the grassy plains.
He saw Tolief scaling the rock with Ningning in his arms, their bodies pressed close as they navigated the slick, narrow ledges to reach a hidden crevice.
From his hiding spot, Weijie's heart twisted. He saw the "touchy-touchy" moments, Tolief steadying her waist, Ningning grabbing his shoulders for balance as they reached for something hidden in the shadows of the stone.
To an outsider, it looked like an intimate escape.
But then, he saw it. Ningning pulled back, clutching a handful of shimmering, silver-veined herbs. She didn't look like a woman in love with her captor; she looked like a healer who had just found a cure.
She looked relieved, even embarrassed, quickly creating distance between herself and Tolief as they began their descent.
