ELRETH
She barely slept. Her eyes were grainy and aching, and she was awake with the dawn.
But she was also a coward. An utter coward. She skipped breakfast and ate a cold raisin cake in the kitchen standing over the sink.
She had a meeting with her Cohorts after lunch, but nothing planned for the morning because she'd known everyone would have a late night. So by mid-morning she was sick of pacing the cave and decided to see what her parents were doing.
Except, when she got out to the meadow, the door of her brother's tree was slightly opening, swinging in the breeze and banging against its frame.
Gar was home.
Finally.
Without a second thought, she trotted to the Tree and opened the door, slamming it closed behind her so it would wake him. "It's morning, Gar!" she sang when he groaned loud enough from the bedroom above that she could hear every curse and growl. "Welcome home, brother!"
