He pauses on the bank of the river, chest heaving, lungs on fire. His thighs burn from the speed he's kept, his feet screaming for rest. The trees shudder around him from a growing wind, showering him with needles. He grins into the sunrise, the scent of warming air, the call of waking birds. So familiar, good memories married to horrible.

This is home.

It doesn't matter how far he's come, what jobs he completes, who he loves and loses. This is sweet, fate, ...