Page 9 of In Your Light

Against Pax’s better judgment, Fyn was sure, the corner of his mouth twitched. Fyn immediately spotted it. “Was that a smile?”

“No.”

“It was.”

“It wasn’t.”

“It absolutely was.”

Pax turned and started toward his hut. “You’re on lunch duty.”

“I already finished my chores.”

“Now you have new chores.”

“That's not how chores work.”

“It is when I'm herd leader.”

Fyn groaned dramatically and followed. “You abuse your authority.”

“And you abuse my patience.”

Fyn laughed, happy they were past their grievances. He hurried to catch up and clapped Pax’s shoulder. “Look at us getting along.”

Pax shook his head. “Don’t push your luck,” he grumbled as he disappeared into his hut.

Fyn stood there for a moment, appreciating that he was no longer in Pax’s firing line, before he turned and headed back to the fire. “Gil,” he said. “I’m all yours.”

Gil was an elder. He’d spent many years being one of the herd’s keepers, running patrol and protection detail. He’d been a brave warrior in his younger days. He’d well and truly earned his restful years.

If Fyn would call peeling potatoes restful....

Gil looked up with a knowing smile. “In trouble again?”

Fyn sat next to him with a loud sigh. “When am I not in trouble with him?” Then he took the knife from Gil and snatched up a potato from the bucket and got busy peeling. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Do you ever get bored?”

“Bored? No,” he said, his voice warm. “Don’t confuse peace with boredom. These days are peaceful.”

Fyn tried really hard not to sigh again. “Don’t you miss the adventure, though?”

“Adventure?”

“Yeah, running through the mountains at full speed,” Fyn said. “Meeting new kinds of people.”

Gil’s smile was worn as he looked out past the trees, and Fyn imagined he was revisiting memories long past. “It is exciting, I’ll grant you that. But know this, boy. There will come a time when you realise this mountain, this campfire, and these people are what’s in your heart. Home is a powerful thing.”

Fyn appreciated Gil’s life experience, but he wasn’t entirely sure he agreed. “Hm.”

Gil nodded slowly. “You want to explore the outside world. I get it,” he said in that wise way he had about him. “After all, home is only something you appreciate when you’ve been absent from it for too long.”

Fyn sighed this time. “Yeah, I guess.” He knew what Gil was saying. He did love his home, his mountain, his people. But... “I dunno. I’m thinking my heart belongs out there. Down with the water folk, maybe. I called in to Tenebrae the other day,” he admitted. “I wasn’t supposed to, of course, but they said I was welcome at any time, and I met most of them for real this time. And I’m fast enough that Pax won’t know. But they were so nice to me⁠—”

“You what?”