No less than Head Ranger Cask and his chosen rangers escorted them back to their prison guest quarters in town. Drake knew they had thrown another wrench in the man’s busy day. Yet there could now be no doubt Lord Skybreak—Sky—meant to honor her deal with Lord Gloomwood. Anyone could see Valentia remained with them despite her “crime.”
Drake was also serious about allying with Sky if she proved open to it. She didn’t abuse her people, Karth obviously adored her, and her concern for Oswell had been obvious. If he wanted to protect his people, he’d need to make some alliances.
Moreover, if he gained Sky’s trust, perhaps he could eventually talk Sky around to his point of view regarding the blood pact. Now that he’d proven it was possible to nullify the blood pact and still protect his manor, he had evidence to back up his words. Convincing Sky that the blood pact was wrong and showing her proof was a way he could plausibly free slaves, peaceably, without starting a war he might not even win.
He’d considered just leaving the town immediately after his meeting with Sky, but it was now well past sunset. It looked to be a cloudy night. If he left, he’d be leaving in the dark and walking down that narrow path with a steep drop on both sides. After all the effort he’d just expended to not die, falling off a mountain would be a crime.
So they’d spend one last night in Skybreak Manor, then leave at first light and meet the now unnecessary rescue party at the cave where they’d left Anna’s recall spot. After they left, around midmorning, Sky would announce the agreement she’d reached with Lord Gloomwood.
Gloomwood Manor had offered a tithe. Valentia would be spared.
News of the tithe would spread through the rest of the city, angering many, but hopefully not until Drake and his people were long gone. That way, any unrest that resulted wouldn’t involve random people attacking Valentia and then getting popsicled.
Drake was tired despite having slept late and lounged around the majority of the day, but he had endured a rather stressful and intense negotiation session with Lord Skybreak. Talking her down from killing his battle maid had felt like juggling plates while dancing on a tightrope. He wouldn’t turn down another night in a warm bed in a safe place.
As harrowing as sorting out all that bullshit had been, he felt a fresh flush of victory. Yet again, he’d outmaneuvered his enemies. Even Valentia seemed pleased. He hoped, after all this, she’d finally be open to trusting him with the leadership of Gloomwood Manor.
When they arrived back at the guest house, he found several new people waiting. They were dressed like traveling merchants, and from the smell coming out of their wagon, Drake soon realized they were cooks. They’d brought food, and this food smelled fresh.
“A moment, Lord Gloomwood,” Cask said calmly. “We’ve prepared a supper for you.”
In full sight of him and Valentia, one of the people gathered opened the door. Anna peeked out and waved eagerly. Then, several people carried in what looked to be platters of something that smelled like roast pig and bushels of fresh wet grapes.
Once they were done, another big man rolled in a huge barrel of what Drake hoped was some delicious beer, mead, or wine. Drake watched it all as his stomach grumbled quietly. He wished he could shut it up, but Cask, at least, pretended not to notice.
Once the cooks/servants finished carting in all the food and beer, Lord Skybreak’s Head Ranger motioned them forward. Every person he’d seen was lined up in front of the house.
“Attention!” Cask called out loudly.
All four of them snapped to attention like soldiers at parade rest.
“By order of Lord Skybreak, I compel you to answer my questions. Did you prepare this food and mead yourselves?”
All four responses came in perfect unison. “Yes, Head Ranger!”
“Has it left your sight since you prepared it?”
“No, Head Ranger!”
“And have you poisoned this food or mead, or taken any action that could cause harm to Lord Gloomwood or his guests?”
“No, Head Ranger!”
This whole exchange reminded Drake of one of those cooking shows where everyone was shouting answers to an ornery head chef. It reassured him none of the food or drink was poisoned. Loyalty and safety from betrayal on easy mode.
Cask looked to Drake. “Is this supper acceptable to you, Lord Gloomwood?”
Drake nodded. “It smells phenomenal. My compliments to the chef.”
“Which one, lord?”
Drake shrugged. “Let’s just go with all of them.”
As one, the four people arrayed in front of his house bowed. He couldn’t tell them not to. They weren’t his people.
Once the chefs all started packing up their stuff and getting ready to move, Cask motioned for Drake to head inside. “That door doesn’t lock from the inside. We can place the bar on the outside if you prefer, but we will not bar it unless you ask us to do so.”
“I’d prefer not to have my only way out barred from the outside, Cask,” Drake said dryly. “I’m confident my battle maid can handle all our security.” He glanced at Valentia.
She nodded calmly.
Drake looked back to Cask. “So, formalities. I already got assurances from your lord, but just to be absolutely clear here, you have no plans to harm me or anyone in my party. Correct?”
“Neither I nor any under my command will harm you or yours, Lord Gloomwood,” Cask said calmly. “Our lord charged us with protecting you until you leave. We intend to do so.”
“And we’re now free to leave whenever we feel like it?”
“You are. I would simply ask that you allow me or a ranger to escort you to our walls.”
Drake nodded. “Sounds good to me. That’s all I need right now.”
“Then I’ll leave you to your meal,” Cask said. “Shall I return at first light?”
“Yes. I’d appreciate an escort out of your manor and at least one guide to lead us along that treacherous tightrope you call a path. After that, you’ll leave us alone?”
“If that is what you wish, we will depart once you have left our manor.”
“Then I’ll let you get back to your duties, Head Ranger. Thanks for the escort.”
The man inclined his head. “Farewell, Lord Gloomwood.”
He smiled at Valentia. “C’mon, Val. Let’s go enjoy our victory feast.”
She offered a faint smile. “I suppose there’s no harm in a small celebration.”
The smell turned out to be roast pig, and roast pig, in this world, was exquisite. The grapes were succulent as well, and given how cold it was up here, he was amazed they could even grow grapes. This was obviously an apology from Sky Skybreak.
The mead was even better than the stuff he’d had at Gloomwood Manor, some perfect mix of sweet and slightly salty that also tingled on his tongue. Valentia had told him Skybreak Manor didn’t do much trading, but his manor was right next door. Surely he could convince Lord Skybreak—Sky—to send him some good mead. What else were allies for?
As usual, Jeremy ate less than the rest of them, chewing methodically. Anna was just a little chatterbox while they ate supper, telling them all about birds she had seen from the window and people she’d observed in the street. She carted Robby—the wooden puppet boy with the jade green eyes—around as she walked, and Drake eyed the puppet with distaste.
They had kept the puppet in Valentia’s pack for most of their journey, but Anna had gotten it out at some point today before they talked. Robby wasn’t Chucky or Annabelle levels of creepy, just weird. Drake decided to tolerate the presence of the little puppet for her sake... but he wasn’t about to sleep with the damn thing in the same room with him.
Eating all that delicious pork soon made Drake even more sleepy. After Valentia offered to take the first watch, Drake accepted. He stumbled upstairs after an assurance from her that she would wake him in the early morning and let him take over the watch. She agreed, which was progress. She trusted him to take a watch now.
He would have preferred to have Jeremy take a watch as well, at least to pull his weight now that Brownie wasn’t around, but he didn’t think the old man could pull it off. Jeremy’s damaged mental state aside, the guy couldn’t even speak. And keeping Anna happy and content, he supposed, was a legitimate job.
It was again too cold to do anything but sleep in his clothes, but they would be traveling again tomorrow and he’d be all wrinkled anyway. He slipped off his boots, scooted beneath the covers, and sighed at the soft bed. Back on Earth, he’d probably be up watching TV or surfing the Internet until well past midnight, but he didn’t have distractions like that here.
It was dark. He was full. And he had nothing to entertain him. So sleep it was, at least until Valentia woke him in a few hours for his watch. He was having a weird dream about forgetting to study for a History test when an icy hand on his shoulder roused him awake.
Still with one foot in dream land, he fumbled about in confusion before he blearily recognized Valentia standing over his bed, wearing her sleep tunic, pants, and boots. Her hand was cold. She was cold. She looked intense, and that helped him push back the cobwebs.
This wasn’t just her asking him to take watch. He sat up. “What is it?”
“Someone has just dropped a bar on the other side of the downstairs door.”
Lord Skybreak wouldn’t do that. None of her people would do that. She’d told him she wouldn’t do that—she couldn’t lie—but someone else had done it. The only reason that person would lock them in here was if they were about to be attacked.
“Get Jeremy and Anna up and then get the up here,” Drake ordered quietly. “I’ll get our packs together and get us ready to go.”
“Escape hatch?”
“If we don’t have another way out. This isn’t Lord Skybreak, but I don’t want to run if we can ambush whoever this is and capture them. We might just get some answers that way.”
“Agreed. Don’t forget my books.” Valentia darted toward the stairs.
Books, plural? He hoped all she meant was two of them, because he only saw two in sight. He still wanted to know what she read all day.
Working by moonlight, Drake shook off his lingering sleepiness as he threw stuff into his pack and Valentia’s, likely not in the same order it had been unpacked. Still, the adrenaline of being roused and told he was about to be attacked worked in his favor.
It wasn’t long before Anna and Jeremy both tromped up the stairs with Valentia right on their heels. In her new sleeping clothes, Anna looked both adorable and tired. Jeremy, by contrast, looked wide awake. He likely didn’t sleep very well.
Anna rubbed both her eyes and yawned. “What’s going on?”
“Might be real trouble,” he said. “Might need you to use your rarity.”
Her sleepiness melted away at once. “Just give the order.”
“Only way into this room from the front is that door.” Drake said that mainly for Jeremy and Anna’s sake. “We’ll wait and listen and see what happens. Anna, that is the door I’d like you to target with your rarity.” He pointed at the door leading into the second floor privy.
“Ugh.” Anna made a face. “We’re going out through the potty room.”
“It’s not like we’ll be in it,” he reminded her. “And only when I say go.”
“Just remember to agree to travel with me.” She looked at Jeremy and squeezed his hand. “You too, Dad. Remember your nod is agreement.”
Drake was relieved with the old man nodded. He even looked to understand.
With Valentia in the front and Drake just behind her with his trusty club, they waited for any sounds that would signal an attack. If whoever was outside had barred them inside, that suggested they had another way inside. A secret door? Could they melt the bars?
Either way, so long as one of their attackers didn’t have some bullshit rarity that would let them travel through stone, whoever was coming after them would come through that door. At which point Valentia would freeze their feet and maybe ice their hands, too, and then Drake could interrogate the assassin and get some answers.
It was obvious they couldn’t call for help from here. Even one of Anna’s shrill screams likely wouldn’t get far beyond these stone walls. No one spoke and barely breathed because everyone was intensely focused on listening for attackers.
Anna touched her head and huffed. “Lord?”
“Sssh,” he urged her.
“But lord... I feel... dizzy?”
Drake only then realized his vision had begun to swim. The air ahead looked like it was filled with natural gas, but they didn’t have gas in this world, did they? He stood abruptly and looked at Valentia. “Do you—” He coughed. “Have airborne poisons in this world?”
“Yes.” She coughed, rose, and stumbled into him. “We need to go!”
Drake looked desperately at Anna. “Teleport time!”
The poor girl was barely keeping her feet. “Oh, I’m so dizzy.”
He gripped her shoulder and aimed her toward the door. “Just walk, Anna.” Another cough racked his body. “I’ll guide you. If you don’t... we are all... dead.”
Anna coughed violently and stumbled along, but Drake kept her balanced. She had to walk through that door for her rarity to work. “All of you... will come... with me?”
It was the same question she’d asked before she stepped out through the doors of Gloomwood Manor. When she asked that question and designated a doorway in her mind, anyone who agreed to come with her would be teleported with her when they stepped through the doorway she had chosen. It was a good trick.
“Yes!” Drake rasped, followed by Valentia. He hoped Jeremy had nodded. He’d hate to leave the old man behind after all the trouble he’d had getting him here.
Coughing hard, they all stumbled toward the door to the privy as the room began to tilt. Jeremy lost his step and Drake barely caught him, and then Valentia stumbled as well. Before she could fall, he thumped into her and forced her to throw one arm around him.
With both their weight on him he nearly went down as well, but he growled and pushed his way forward. The door seemed so far away. Its frame swam before his eyes. Finally Anna stumbled through it, into the privy, and Drake stumbled closer as his lungs burned.
He’d reacted too late. He was going to black out. Just as the dark was threatening to encroach forever, he pushed himself and his heavy charges into the bathroom.
And slammed directly onto his face on the floor of a torch-lit cave.
A smattering of gasps and one very loud curse greeted Drake’s arrival, and then the darkness took him entirely. When he opened his eyes again, he was sitting up against what felt like stone. His vision was still blurry, but the cave was lit. He also recognized the face ahead.
“Hey Lydia,” he croaked through his aching throat. “Everything good out here?”
No less than Head Ranger Cask and his chosen rangers escorted them back to their prison guest quarters in town. Drake knew they had thrown another wrench in the man’s busy day. Yet there could now be no doubt Lord Skybreak—Sky—meant to honor her deal with Lord Gloomwood. Anyone could see Valentia remained with them despite her “crime.”
Drake was also serious about allying with Sky if she proved open to it. She didn’t abuse her people, Karth obviously adored her, and her concern for Oswell had been obvious. If he wanted to protect his people, he’d need to make some alliances.
Moreover, if he gained Sky’s trust, perhaps he could eventually talk Sky around to his point of view regarding the blood pact. Now that he’d proven it was possible to nullify the blood pact and still protect his manor, he had evidence to back up his words. Convincing Sky that the blood pact was wrong and showing her proof was a way he could plausibly free slaves, peaceably, without starting a war he might not even win.
He’d considered just leaving the town immediately after his meeting with Sky, but it was now well past sunset. It looked to be a cloudy night. If he left, he’d be leaving in the dark and walking down that narrow path with a steep drop on both sides. After all the effort he’d just expended to not die, falling off a mountain would be a crime.
So they’d spend one last night in Skybreak Manor, then leave at first light and meet the now unnecessary rescue party at the cave where they’d left Anna’s recall spot. After they left, around midmorning, Sky would announce the agreement she’d reached with Lord Gloomwood.
Gloomwood Manor had offered a tithe. Valentia would be spared.
News of the tithe would spread through the rest of the city, angering many, but hopefully not until Drake and his people were long gone. That way, any unrest that resulted wouldn’t involve random people attacking Valentia and then getting popsicled.
Drake was tired despite having slept late and lounged around the majority of the day, but he had endured a rather stressful and intense negotiation session with Lord Skybreak. Talking her down from killing his battle maid had felt like juggling plates while dancing on a tightrope. He wouldn’t turn down another night in a warm bed in a safe place.
As harrowing as sorting out all that bullshit had been, he felt a fresh flush of victory. Yet again, he’d outmaneuvered his enemies. Even Valentia seemed pleased. He hoped, after all this, she’d finally be open to trusting him with the leadership of Gloomwood Manor.
When they arrived back at the guest house, he found several new people waiting. They were dressed like traveling merchants, and from the smell coming out of their wagon, Drake soon realized they were cooks. They’d brought food, and this food smelled fresh.
“A moment, Lord Gloomwood,” Cask said calmly. “We’ve prepared a supper for you.”
In full sight of him and Valentia, one of the people gathered opened the door. Anna peeked out and waved eagerly. Then, several people carried in what looked to be platters of something that smelled like roast pig and bushels of fresh wet grapes.
Once they were done, another big man rolled in a huge barrel of what Drake hoped was some delicious beer, mead, or wine. Drake watched it all as his stomach grumbled quietly. He wished he could shut it up, but Cask, at least, pretended not to notice.
Once the cooks/servants finished carting in all the food and beer, Lord Skybreak’s Head Ranger motioned them forward. Every person he’d seen was lined up in front of the house.
“Attention!” Cask called out loudly.
All four of them snapped to attention like soldiers at parade rest.
“By order of Lord Skybreak, I compel you to answer my questions. Did you prepare this food and mead yourselves?”
All four responses came in perfect unison. “Yes, Head Ranger!”
“Has it left your sight since you prepared it?”
“No, Head Ranger!”
“And have you poisoned this food or mead, or taken any action that could cause harm to Lord Gloomwood or his guests?”
“No, Head Ranger!”
This whole exchange reminded Drake of one of those cooking shows where everyone was shouting answers to an ornery head chef. It reassured him none of the food or drink was poisoned. Loyalty and safety from betrayal on easy mode.
Cask looked to Drake. “Is this supper acceptable to you, Lord Gloomwood?”
Drake nodded. “It smells phenomenal. My compliments to the chef.”
“Which one, lord?”
Drake shrugged. “Let’s just go with all of them.”
As one, the four people arrayed in front of his house bowed. He couldn’t tell them not to. They weren’t his people.
Once the chefs all started packing up their stuff and getting ready to move, Cask motioned for Drake to head inside. “That door doesn’t lock from the inside. We can place the bar on the outside if you prefer, but we will not bar it unless you ask us to do so.”
“I’d prefer not to have my only way out barred from the outside, Cask,” Drake said dryly. “I’m confident my battle maid can handle all our security.” He glanced at Valentia.
She nodded calmly.
Drake looked back to Cask. “So, formalities. I already got assurances from your lord, but just to be absolutely clear here, you have no plans to harm me or anyone in my party. Correct?”
“Neither I nor any under my command will harm you or yours, Lord Gloomwood,” Cask said calmly. “Our lord charged us with protecting you until you leave. We intend to do so.”
“And we’re now free to leave whenever we feel like it?”
“You are. I would simply ask that you allow me or a ranger to escort you to our walls.”
Drake nodded. “Sounds good to me. That’s all I need right now.”
“Then I’ll leave you to your meal,” Cask said. “Shall I return at first light?”
“Yes. I’d appreciate an escort out of your manor and at least one guide to lead us along that treacherous tightrope you call a path. After that, you’ll leave us alone?”
“If that is what you wish, we will depart once you have left our manor.”
“Then I’ll let you get back to your duties, Head Ranger. Thanks for the escort.”
The man inclined his head. “Farewell, Lord Gloomwood.”
He smiled at Valentia. “C’mon, Val. Let’s go enjoy our victory feast.”
She offered a faint smile. “I suppose there’s no harm in a small celebration.”
The smell turned out to be roast pig, and roast pig, in this world, was exquisite. The grapes were succulent as well, and given how cold it was up here, he was amazed they could even grow grapes. This was obviously an apology from Sky Skybreak.
The mead was even better than the stuff he’d had at Gloomwood Manor, some perfect mix of sweet and slightly salty that also tingled on his tongue. Valentia had told him Skybreak Manor didn’t do much trading, but his manor was right next door. Surely he could convince Lord Skybreak—Sky—to send him some good mead. What else were allies for?
As usual, Jeremy ate less than the rest of them, chewing methodically. Anna was just a little chatterbox while they ate supper, telling them all about birds she had seen from the window and people she’d observed in the street. She carted Robby—the wooden puppet boy with the jade green eyes—around as she walked, and Drake eyed the puppet with distaste.
They had kept the puppet in Valentia’s pack for most of their journey, but Anna had gotten it out at some point today before they talked. Robby wasn’t Chucky or Annabelle levels of creepy, just weird. Drake decided to tolerate the presence of the little puppet for her sake... but he wasn’t about to sleep with the damn thing in the same room with him.
Eating all that delicious pork soon made Drake even more sleepy. After Valentia offered to take the first watch, Drake accepted. He stumbled upstairs after an assurance from her that she would wake him in the early morning and let him take over the watch. She agreed, which was progress. She trusted him to take a watch now.
He would have preferred to have Jeremy take a watch as well, at least to pull his weight now that Brownie wasn’t around, but he didn’t think the old man could pull it off. Jeremy’s damaged mental state aside, the guy couldn’t even speak. And keeping Anna happy and content, he supposed, was a legitimate job.
It was again too cold to do anything but sleep in his clothes, but they would be traveling again tomorrow and he’d be all wrinkled anyway. He slipped off his boots, scooted beneath the covers, and sighed at the soft bed. Back on Earth, he’d probably be up watching TV or surfing the Internet until well past midnight, but he didn’t have distractions like that here.
It was dark. He was full. And he had nothing to entertain him. So sleep it was, at least until Valentia woke him in a few hours for his watch. He was having a weird dream about forgetting to study for a History test when an icy hand on his shoulder roused him awake.
Still with one foot in dream land, he fumbled about in confusion before he blearily recognized Valentia standing over his bed, wearing her sleep tunic, pants, and boots. Her hand was cold. She was cold. She looked intense, and that helped him push back the cobwebs.
This wasn’t just her asking him to take watch. He sat up. “What is it?”
“Someone has just dropped a bar on the other side of the downstairs door.”
Lord Skybreak wouldn’t do that. None of her people would do that. She’d told him she wouldn’t do that—she couldn’t lie—but someone else had done it. The only reason that person would lock them in here was if they were about to be attacked.
“Get Jeremy and Anna up and then get the up here,” Drake ordered quietly. “I’ll get our packs together and get us ready to go.”
“Escape hatch?”
“If we don’t have another way out. This isn’t Lord Skybreak, but I don’t want to run if we can ambush whoever this is and capture them. We might just get some answers that way.”
“Agreed. Don’t forget my books.” Valentia darted toward the stairs.
Books, plural? He hoped all she meant was two of them, because he only saw two in sight. He still wanted to know what she read all day.
Working by moonlight, Drake shook off his lingering sleepiness as he threw stuff into his pack and Valentia’s, likely not in the same order it had been unpacked. Still, the adrenaline of being roused and told he was about to be attacked worked in his favor.
It wasn’t long before Anna and Jeremy both tromped up the stairs with Valentia right on their heels. In her new sleeping clothes, Anna looked both adorable and tired. Jeremy, by contrast, looked wide awake. He likely didn’t sleep very well.
Anna rubbed both her eyes and yawned. “What’s going on?”
“Might be real trouble,” he said. “Might need you to use your rarity.”
Her sleepiness melted away at once. “Just give the order.”
“Only way into this room from the front is that door.” Drake said that mainly for Jeremy and Anna’s sake. “We’ll wait and listen and see what happens. Anna, that is the door I’d like you to target with your rarity.” He pointed at the door leading into the second floor privy.
“Ugh.” Anna made a face. “We’re going out through the potty room.”
“It’s not like we’ll be in it,” he reminded her. “And only when I say go.”
“Just remember to agree to travel with me.” She looked at Jeremy and squeezed his hand. “You too, Dad. Remember your nod is agreement.”
Drake was relieved with the old man nodded. He even looked to understand.
With Valentia in the front and Drake just behind her with his trusty club, they waited for any sounds that would signal an attack. If whoever was outside had barred them inside, that suggested they had another way inside. A secret door? Could they melt the bars?
Either way, so long as one of their attackers didn’t have some bullshit rarity that would let them travel through stone, whoever was coming after them would come through that door. At which point Valentia would freeze their feet and maybe ice their hands, too, and then Drake could interrogate the assassin and get some answers.
It was obvious they couldn’t call for help from here. Even one of Anna’s shrill screams likely wouldn’t get far beyond these stone walls. No one spoke and barely breathed because everyone was intensely focused on listening for attackers.
Anna touched her head and huffed. “Lord?”
“Sssh,” he urged her.
“But lord... I feel... dizzy?”
Drake only then realized his vision had begun to swim. The air ahead looked like it was filled with natural gas, but they didn’t have gas in this world, did they? He stood abruptly and looked at Valentia. “Do you—” He coughed. “Have airborne poisons in this world?”
“Yes.” She coughed, rose, and stumbled into him. “We need to go!”
Drake looked desperately at Anna. “Teleport time!”
The poor girl was barely keeping her feet. “Oh, I’m so dizzy.”
He gripped her shoulder and aimed her toward the door. “Just walk, Anna.” Another cough racked his body. “I’ll guide you. If you don’t... we are all... dead.”
Anna coughed violently and stumbled along, but Drake kept her balanced. She had to walk through that door for her rarity to work. “All of you... will come... with me?”
It was the same question she’d asked before she stepped out through the doors of Gloomwood Manor. When she asked that question and designated a doorway in her mind, anyone who agreed to come with her would be teleported with her when they stepped through the doorway she had chosen. It was a good trick.
“Yes!” Drake rasped, followed by Valentia. He hoped Jeremy had nodded. He’d hate to leave the old man behind after all the trouble he’d had getting him here.
Coughing hard, they all stumbled toward the door to the privy as the room began to tilt. Jeremy lost his step and Drake barely caught him, and then Valentia stumbled as well. Before she could fall, he thumped into her and forced her to throw one arm around him.
With both their weight on him he nearly went down as well, but he growled and pushed his way forward. The door seemed so far away. Its frame swam before his eyes. Finally Anna stumbled through it, into the privy, and Drake stumbled closer as his lungs burned.
He’d reacted too late. He was going to black out. Just as the dark was threatening to encroach forever, he pushed himself and his heavy charges into the bathroom.
And slammed directly onto his face on the floor of a torch-lit cave.
A smattering of gasps and one very loud curse greeted Drake’s arrival, and then the darkness took him entirely. When he opened his eyes again, he was sitting up against what felt like stone. His vision was still blurry, but the cave was lit. He also recognized the face ahead.
“Hey Lydia,” he croaked through his aching throat. “Everything good out here?”
