Shunati lay in the hammock. He was starting to feel sick. He wasn’t casting, but he couldn’t avoid reading people. He was a sensitive. He would read people without touching them. Just being near someone was enough. It was part of why he wanted to sleep outside. Being in that crowded room that first night had been bad. He couldn’t control his abilities, but he could control how he felt. Unfortunately, that would mean using his abilities more and aggravating the illness. He thought about Sinta to keep his mind off his stomach. His parents had suggested the pledge two years ago, and he’d agreed to it, but it had been more to get them to leave him alone about finding a wife. At the time, he had no intention of getting married or even ending his apprenticeship. He hadn’t always felt that way. He used to want to marry and have a family but now he couldn’t. He’d have to end his apprenticeship. It was the only thing that kept him in Sen-gan. Deyama’s predecessor had been paranoid and feared outside influence. With only a few exceptions, elves weren’t allowed to live outside of Erilu. Outsiders weren’t welcome in the valley. The problem was, he’d become an outsider. He was still a citizen. He couldn’t change that. But he had picked up too many human behaviors and would no longer be accepted among his people. Shunati had agreed to be pledged to Sinta to make his parents happy, figuring he’d end it in a few years citing his prolonged apprenticeship as the reason. He hadn’t bothered to meet her or even scry her. Then, last spring, when he’d gone home to vote, his cousin, Voramini, had talked him into at least meeting her. He agreed, and they had gotten along well. He’d fallen in love with her and wanted to marry her. Perhaps, if Emeton couldn’t persuade the elders to let him stay in Sen-gan, he could at least get permission to live there short-term or maybe they could live someplace remote, and he could set up a clinic in a nearby city and transport there each day. He missed Sinta. For as short of a time as he’d known her and as little as he saw her in person, she’d become a big part of his life. They scried each other frequently. Maybe he could… Light shining into the backyard interrupted his thoughts. He sat up. He realized someone had pulled up in one of those speeding vehicles Andy called a car. He got up to investigate. Who would be coming at this hour? As he approached, he made sure his hair covered his ears. He couldn’t do anything about his eyes, but it was dark. Whoever it was might not see. “Hello?” He called. His hand was near his knife. “Who’s there?” A man’s voice called. The figure stopped halfway between the vehicle and the house. “I’m a friend of Jo’s and Ann’s. We’re visiting for a few days.” “I’m Tyler,” the man told him. “I live here sort of. I’m going to be a student and thought I’d prefer living closer to campus. I’m still trying to get my things moved. I was just dropping off this box before heading home. “What were you doing in the backyard?” Tyler asked. Shunati shrugged. “Sleeping in the hammock. Ann’s room is too crowded. There’s a houseful.” “Thanks for the warning. I try to be quiet. I scared Jo the last time.” “Yeah, you don’t want to do that again. Nim’s with her. He’s rather protective of her.” Shunati warned. “Nim?” “Jo’s sul-Li-na. Sorry, I don’t know how you say it in your language.” He hoped his accent would be an indication to Tyler that Menthan or English, as it was called here, wasn’t his first language. He really didn’t know what to call the relationship in Menthan. Shades, he wasn’t even sure sul-Li-na was appropriate. “Lover?” Tyler guessed. “Not yet, working up to that.” Shunati grinned. “I’ll try not to wake them. How long are you staying? I want to meet the owner. It only seems right.” Shunati shrugged. “I don’t know, a few days yet, I imagine.” “Okay. Nice to meet you.” Tyler offered his hand. Shunati kept his down. “Sorry. I don’t shake hands. It was nice meeting you.” Tyler shrugged and went into the house. Shunati slipped in after him. All elves could move as silently but Vor was Erilu’s best tracker, and he taught Shunati a bit about stealth. The man went to the room next to Joanne’s, dropped off the box and left, never being aware Shunati watched him. Shunati returned to his hammock in his thoughts about Sinta.