DAY 5

It was already late in the evening. Inside Val's suite, the mood was quiet. Issa moved with quiet steps, placing a small, steaming bowl on the table beside Val's chair. She had continued preparing his nightly herbs ever since she'd recovered. It was a simple job, one she did without complaint. Especially with the fact that she had seen it as a means of survival in this chaotic world of wolves.

The herbs smelled bitter, a strong mix of bark and leaves.

Val sat in his chair, with his mind ...