Role

Chapter 13

"I am called away soon, unavoidably, for a matter of about three or four
weeks as the Gods might reckon time..."

Aurew read the letter again. Drissa had warned her in advance, and Aurew
suggested a more official letter might do the Fortress some good. It was this
very letter that Aurew held, its thick vellum crumpled and creased from her
compulsive folding and unfolding.

"Please rest assured that I have not abandoned you..."

But it did feel that way, at least a little. The Fortress felt empty without
Drissa's can-do attitude and constant fervor for action. Equally concerning,
it had become a war zone. The barbarians had wasted no time assaulting the
Fortress on a regular basis and were more brash in doing so without Drissa
around.

"Light be with you all, strengthen you and shelter you, and guide you along
your paths."

Aurew folded the letter again and tucked it back into her knapsack. There
would be hard times ahead without one of their brightest beacons. And what
if Drissa never returned? Aurew knew the fear was justified; people dis-
appeared all the time. As Aurew saw it, she had two options: she could be
the light, or she could teach everyone to see in the dark.

She was a little afraid of both.