Bellusdeo laughed. It was, for a moment, the only sound in the quiet of the fiefs night, and it was warmer and deeper than the lingering night chill. When her laughter faded, she glanced at Kaylin. I was not like this before. I thought that the Shadows had not touched me. She lowered her head a moment.Kaylin understood this, as well. It seems so unfair, she finally said.Life is unfair. Which part of it pains you?We suffer, and it breaks something. When we win freeby gaining our name, by crossing a bloody bridgewe still live in a cage of scars. If life were fair, we would never have suffered what we suffered at all; having suffered it and survived, were still reacting to things that dont exist anymore.But they did.Yes. I hate that they still define me. Voice lower, she said to Bellusdeo, I want that to change. I dont know how to change it. But Im willing to spend the rest of my life trying. Shaking her head, she forced herself to smile; it was surprisingly easy. There was something about Bellusdeo that she liked. Home is a strange thing.What do you mean?We lose it, and we think its gone forever. Thats how I felt the first time I lost mine. It took me years to understand that I could findand makeanother. I couldnt do it on my own, though; I dont thinkfor mehome exists in isolation.
